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ID Theft Prevention
Identity Theft Prevention...
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Save Your Identity
Roger Sorensen
23e3
The warning signs can start innocently enough that you don't evenrecognize them as being warning signs of impending doom. Perhaps it'sa letter from your credit card company about a credit application. Itmight be a call from your bank inquiring about your application for aline of credit. Do not be fooled into thinking these are innocentmistakes. Large financial companies do not make innocent mistakesanymore when it comes to your credit. As soon as these things start occurring, recognize them for whatthey might very well be telling you. You have been the victim ofidentity theft and the thief is attempting to purchase goods andservices, running up large bills and debts only to leave you to paythe cost of the party. Identity theft is unfortunately all too common, being listed as the# 1 consumer complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. Nearlyseven million people were victimized in 2003, representing an 80%increase over the previous year. Even worse, only a small portion ofthe thieves are ever prosecuted, even when the police are certainthey know who the thief is. The reason for that is because most casesrequire that a witness see the suspect filling out a creditapplication or signing to receive goods in the victims' name. What can you do when the first signs of identity theft starttrickling into your mail box or answering machine? Here are 5 actionsyou can do in an attempt to minimize the impact the theft will leaveon your own good name. Step 1: Damage Control. You have to start doing Damage Control at the very first sign thatyou might have been the victim of identity theft. As soon as youreceive notice about credit applications you know you have notinquired about, notify the local police and file a report that youbelieve your identity has been stolen. If your purse was lost orstolen, you should have done this immediately. Get that report onfile because it is important to have documentation if there is to beeven a small chance your impersonator will be prosecuted. After the police report, you need to contact the three major creditreporting agencies (CRAs) and the Federal Trade Commission. The boxbelow gives you the necessary information. Federal Trade Commission
(877) ID-THEFT TransUnion - Fraud Victim Assistance
POB 6970
Fullerton, CA 92834
(800)-680-7289
www.transunion.com Equifax - Consumer Fraud Division
POB 740256
Atlanta, GA 30374
(800) 525-6285
www.equifax.com Experian - Consumer Assistance
POB 2002
Allen, TX 75013
(888) 397-3742
www.experian.com By contacting them about the false credit applications being made inyour name, you will activate fraud alerts on your credit file. Thisis supposed to prompt lenders to inform you of any new requests forcredit, giving you a chance to explain it was an identity thief, notyou. Sometimes this works. Sometimes it does not and the creditcompany goes ahead and gives the thief credit in your name. You should check your credit reports from each of the three bureausto look for items that are not of your doing. Even if there is nofraud evident, you will want to be watching your report at leastevery other month for the next six months. If you see signs ofunusual activity, or the fraud alerts work and you begin to receivecalls from lenders, contact the lenders and credit extenders andexplain it wasn't you. If the impersonator visited them in person,ask them for a description. Then move onto: Step 2: Understand that Reality Bites. After you receive the second notice of someone seeking credit inyour name, or see any unusual activity on your report you need to: A. Re-contact the police about this theft B. Call the CRAs again to renew your fraud alerts which can expirein 90 days. C. Request copies of your report from each of the CRAs. A fraudalert is supposed to notify all three to send you a report withoutcost, but make three separate requests to make sure you quicklyreceive each CRA report. If need be, hound them until they hand overwhat by law they are required to provide you because of your fraudalert. Step 3: Get Busy. Statistically, recovering from identity theft can take more than 600hours of effort on your part to clear your name. Much of that timewill likely be spent in that never-never land of a company'stelephone-hold pattern listening to their music selection. Anotherbig chunk of time will be spent explaining and correcting, re-explaining and re-correcting and maybe needing to go over for a thirdtime matters you had though corrected or already explained.For every action you take, you must keep a precise log of action,the details are highly important. Just as it was important for you tonotify the police immediately upon recognizing you were facingidentity theft, you must deal with all the companies that think youowe them money as soon as you are aware of them. Using a spreadsheet chart with headings like Company, Date,Representative, Time Spent, and Response will help you keeptrack of whom you talk to, about what and when you spoke. Good recordkeeping is vital. Whenever you write, send the letter certified mail,and staple the confirmation receipt with your other records.Another advantage of the certified letter is the time stamp. Creditreporting agencies are required to respond within 30 days - it's thelaw. That time stamp on the envelope, and the fact the CRA signed forthe letter improves your chance of a quick response. You need to takeas much control of the situation as possible. One important part of this step is to take care of yourself, do aweekend getaway once in a while if you want. The thing is torecognize that a sense of helplessness and loss of control is commonwhen going through an identity theft situation. Deal with thefeelings when they occur, take a break from the ordinary routine asneeded, try to relax on occasion and not let the situation run awaywith you. Creditors are likely to start hounding you, demanding payment forgoods you never bought. Your assertive actions, such as placing thefraud alerts with the CRAs, reporting to the police, and keepingtrack of all contacts with creditors will help you clear your name.It will also help you prove to the creditors that you do not owe themthe money your impersonator stole from them. Step 4: Fix what's broken. Be diligent in your activity. Do not let the blockheadedness ofcredit company representatives get you down; the burden of proof ison you to show that you did not order those goods. Keep calling,emailing, and sending certified letters repeatedly until you get allthe false information removed from your credit report. If this happens to you, always identify yourself as a victim ofidentity theft and supply the company with a notarized ID TheftAffidavit available at www.ftc.gov. Becoming a criminal reporter willhelp as you piece together what the thief has done by asking as manyquestions as you can. Step 5: Recovery. Does anyone truly recover from an ID theft experience? Looking at your credit report from the three bureaus at least once ayear is important for everybody to do. For a victim of ID theft, itis imperative. Starting December 1, a nationwide system of frauddetection and alerts will create procedural standards CRAs mustfollow when a consumer reports an incident of identity theft. BySeptember 2005 everyone will be able to request a free credit reportonce a year. In the event that you are ever the victim of identity theft, bybeing proactive you may be able to shorten the duration of yourrecovery. If you are fortunate enough to live in California or Texas,state law allows identity theft victims to freeze their creditreports. This means a bank or creditor has to request permission viaa PIN number from you. Credit report attorneys warn against failing to stay vigilant,though. The danger is that negative data can return to your creditreport, so do not assume that once fixed, the problem will stay fixedfor good. Keep checking your credit reports at least once a year justto make the past problems do not return to haunt you in the future.Fighting to clear your name takes time, effort, and expense on yourpart. The good news, though, is that you can get all the fraudulentaccounts closed, the black marks removed from your credit report, andresume some semblance of normalcy in your life. There is noguarantee that these actions will work, that depends on yourpersistence and good fortune. However, not taking these steps willguarantee you many years of misery, excessive interest rates, deniedcredit and mental anguish.
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http://www.ezinearticles.com/?Save-Your-Identity&id=106014
| Identity Theft Prevention... |
Simple But Effective Steps To Preventing Identity Theft
It seems like identity theft is the latest phrase on everyone's lips. Have you heard the murmurs too? Do you know what identity theft is? Read on to find out the real skinny about identity theft and how to prevent it from happening to you.
Rampant Identity Theft in Ohio May Spread to Voter Records.
Rampant Identity Theft in Ohio May Spread to Voter Records. Lax security and procedures open up the potential for identity theft [GT: Security and Privacy]
Houston General Insurance Opens For Business In Texas
Houston General members enjoy exclusive advantages that include emergency roadside assistance for vehicles we insure, identity theft resolution services, access to travel assistance, and more," said Jack Heller, Vice President and Regional Manager for Houston General Insurance Management Company...
UTA alerts students to identity-theft threat (Univ of Texas at Arlington)
ARLINGTON - The personal information of about 2,500 University of Texas at Arlington students was on two computers stolen from a faculty member's home last month, school officials said.
Credit Card Expire Alert Consumer Reports
Learn more order now skip looking to protect against identity theft to protect against identity theft looking What type of information do consumer reporting companies collect and sell Report is there a charge for my Consumers in the southern states alabama, arkansas, florida, georgia, kentucky, louisiana, mississippi, oklahoma, south carolina, tennessee, and texas can begin ordering their free reports june 1, 2005
Identity Theft Awareness - Getting to Know This crime
Identity theft is on the rise. The starting point in the fight against identity theft is prevention. Major corporations are just starting to incorporate identity theft awareness into their overall se...
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Identity Theft
Fighting Identity Theft
By James H. Dimmitt
Chances are good that you know someone who has been
victimized by the fastest growing crime - identity theft.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported that there
were 10 million cases of identity theft in 2002 alone.
It’s estimated that someone’s identity is stolen every 79
seconds.
The bad news is with increasing amounts of personal
information available to an experienced identity thief,
it shows few signs of slowing down. The good news is
that identity fraud is now a federal crime with stiff
penalties for those who perpetrate these crimes.
Here are a few simple steps you can take now to minimize
your risk:
1) Check your credit report annually, if not more often.
Most victims of identity theft don’t realize they’ve been
victimized until 14 months after the crime. By then the
damage is done and you will spend a significant amount of
time and money trying to correct it.
2) Keep your Social Security number private. Do not have
it printed on your personal checks or drivers license. Do
not share it with anyone, including merchants, unless
they can provide a good reason for having it. Once
someone has your Social Security number they have the key
to unlocking your identity and using it fraudulently.
3) Shred offers for pre-approved credit cards that you
receive by mail. Do the same with any receipts that
contain account numbers or your Social Security number.
Identity thieves are not afraid to go “dumpster diving”
in order to obtain your personal information.
Identity theft has become the fastest growing crime
because it is the most profitable crime. On average, the
loss from identity theft is about $18,000.00. Taking
these precautions now can you save you from becoming
another statistic in the fight against identity theft.
© 2004, http://www.yourfreecreditreportnow.com (http:/
/www.yourfreecreditreportnow.com)
James H. Dimmitt
James is editor of "TO YOUR CREDIT", a weekly free
newsletter. Subscribe to the newsletter by visiting http:/
/www.yourfreecreditreportnow.com (http://www.
yourfreecreditreportnow.com). He is also author of
“Identity Theft - How to Avoid Becoming the Next Victim!”
available at http://tinyurl.com/bc45 (http://tinyurl.com/
bc45)
jimdim815@aol.com (mailto:jimdim815@aol.com)
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Identity Theft Prevention
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