Archive for the ‘identity theft protection’ Category

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LifeLock picked as best value

Monday, July 11th, 2011

LifeLock has been selected as the best value and most complete identity protection service by identitytheftprotection.org. LifeLock was chosen based on its pricing which, with promo code, offers the first 30 days free, as well as the services offered and overall value.

Services include identity theft protection, credit protection, free credit reports from all three bureaus, and access to the LifeLock Command Center.

According to statistics from the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission, identity theft is still one of the top crimes and is a huge issue for consumers, and it’s still one of the fastest-growing crimes in America.

In addition to signing up for LifeLock’s services, you can also do some things that will help protect you and your personal information. Dispose of your personal documents only after shredding them, to be sure your information isn’t exposed. Shred any document that contains this information, including bank and credit card statements, as well as pre-approved credit card offers and receipts.

You should also be careful online. Never provide your personal information online unless you initiate the contact and you are sure the site is secured. You’ll know it’s secure by the “https” in the URL.

Although it may seem trivial, be sure you pick up your mail each day as well. Thieves will break into your mailbox to steal your mail in order to get your personal information. You should also be aware of your billing cycles, so that if you do not receive a bill on time, you can contact the creditor and take action. If the bill has already been sent, you’ll know there may have been a theft, and you can take the appropriate action.

By doing these simple things, in addition to signing up with LifeLock, you can be sure your identity is safer.

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Protect yourself from identity theft with these easy steps

Wednesday, June 15th, 2011

Identity theft is one of the fastest-growing types of fraud in the United States. Millions of people fall victim to this crime each year. Here are some tips on how you can protect yourself.

• Identity theft always begins with the misuse of your personal information, such as your name, Social Security card, or credit or debit card information. Don’t carry your Social Security card in your wallet, and never give your credit or debit card information to anyone unless you are sure of that person. Never give your information to anyone during an unsolicited phone call or e-mail.

• Check your credit report from each of the three credit bureaus each year.

• Open your credit card and bank statements and review them each month, making sure to check for incorrect or fraudulent information. Know your billing schedule; if your bill doesn’t arrive on time, find out why.

• Be careful if you are asked to donate money following a natural disaster. It’s best to contact a well-known organization to make your donation.

• Elderly people are often targeted in money scams. Keep an eye on elderly family members and neighbors.

• Disconnect your laptop from a broadband or shared connection when not in use.

• Avoid offers and pop-ups that are too good to be true. All too often, these are just ways used by criminals to obtain your personal information.

• Remove your name from mailing lists for pre-approved credit offers.

• If you shop or pay bills online, be sure you only do so on secured websites. Look for “https” in the URL instead of the usual “http.”

• Retrieve your mail promptly, and have your mail held at the post office when you go out of town. Don’t place mail in your mailbox for pickup, with the red flag raised – criminals know that’s a sure sign there’s mail in the box they can steal. Drop your mail at the post office instead.

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What teens should know to prevent identity theft

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011

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Elizabeth Taylor movie touts sucker born every minute – just what identity thieves are hoping for

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011

The world mourns today the loss of film actress and AIDS activist Elizabeth Taylor, who died in the wee hours this morning of congestive heart disease. She was 79.

Taylor was born in London in 1932 to American parents who were living in the country at the time. She lived there until she was 7 years old, when war clouds had begun to cloud the skies over Europe. She and her family moved to Los Angeles, where a family friend noticed little Elizabeth’s beauty and suggested her parents take her in for a screen test. The studio immediately signed her to a contract.

Her first film, “There’s One Born Every Minute,” was made in 1942. She played Gloria Twine, a small role. The story revolved around inventor Lemuel P. Twine, Gloria’s father, who invented a prepared pudding that supposedly has a lot of vitamin Z in it. Twine runs for mayor in the film, but his opponent brands the pudding and the claims associated with it as fake, revealing Twine as a fraud. But Twine fights the accusations and, of course, comedy ensues.

Yes. There is one born every minute – a sucker that is. At least, that’s what identity thieves hope for. They set up phishing attacks, hoping to trick the unsuspecting into revealing just enough personal information to allow the thief to steal his identity. Once the information is in hand, a thief can commit crimes, apply for credit cards, mortgage loans, car loans, get a job, secure an apartment or even obtain medical care.

Don’t be a sucker. Make sure your personal information is protected 24/7 with the proactive services of LifeLock. You may think you can do it on your own, but can you watch your information online every minute of every day? LifeLock can and does. LifeLock works to make your information useless to a thief – even if he does get his hands on it, he won’t be able to use it because LifeLock will detect the theft immediately, and notify you, before the damage can be done.

There is a sucker born every minute. But there’s also a lot of savvy consumers out there. And hundreds of thousands of them are LifeLock customers.

Put LifeLock’s commitment to relentlessly protect its customers to work for you.

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LifeLock’s WalletLock can give you peace of mind in a circumstance like this

Friday, March 18th, 2011

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Survey indicates people generally willing to pay for identity theft protection service

Wednesday, March 16th, 2011

A new four-state survey conducted by Florida State University criminologists shows that two-thirds of the survey respondents said they’d be willing to pay for a government-sponsored identity theft protection program. Those surveyed said they’d be willing to pay about $87 per year.

The hypothetical program would promise to reduce identity theft by about 75 percent. Even when offered an option that only reduced it by 25 percent, 40 percent of respondents still said they’d be willing to pay for the service.

The respondents were located in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and Washington.

The study’s leader, Nicole Leeper Piquero, said most of those surveyed would agree to a small increase in taxes in order to support a government-sponsored identity protection effort. Piquero is an associate professor in the FSU College of Criminology and Criminal Justice.

The fee certainly appears to be a bargain when compared to the average amount paid by a victim of identity theft during recovery – an amount estimated to be between $2,800 and $5,100.

The Federal Trade Commission reported recently that although the incidents of identity theft seem to be down in 2010, people shouldn’t become apathetic. You shouldn’t sit back and wait for a fictional government program to become reality – you have to become proactive today.

Your best bet is to call LifeLock. LifeLock provides services beyond anything you can do on your own, and is reasonably priced. In fact, you just can’t put a price on peace of mind.

Call LifeLock today. Receive 30 days free and get a 10 percent discount on enrollment with the LifeLock Promo Code “Defense.”

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Even if you ‘do it right,’ you could be an ID theft victim

Monday, March 14th, 2011

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Hackers now selling kit to create FB malware

Wednesday, February 9th, 2011

Malicious hackers have expanded their “enterprise” and are now offering a $25 toolkit to anyone interested in creating and distributing dangerous Facebook applications.

The toolkit offers a template for spreading malware, directing users to click-fraud accounts and for pushing Facebook users to bogus surveys to hijack personal information.

The fact that criminals are now selling this toolkit is just more confirmation that social networks are “the” place for cyber-criminals seeking to hijack personal data for use in identity theft attacks.

The ease of use of the toolkit is the most frightening aspect. The buyer doesn’t have to have development experience with Facebook, he just needs to follow the kit’s instructions and he’ll wind up with a working viral Facebook application.

The toolkit, called Tinie App, has been linked to the “Profile Creeper” and “Creeper Tracker” applications that appear on Facebook.

“This phenomenon of template Facebook applications like Tinie App shows how the spamming culture is consolidating more and more around Facebook, adapting to the platform and increasing what we call Web spam,” one expert said.

How can consumers protect themselves? First of all, if you are a Facebook user, don’t use the “creeper” applications. In fact, you’d be much better off not using any of the applications on Facebook. In doing so, you give the application – and whoever is behind it – full access to all of your personal information.

Second of all, check your credit report to be sure there are no questionable or fraudulent entries. You should also keep a close eye on your bank and credit card statements.

And last, consider signing up for a proactive identity theft protection service. The only proactive service in the industry currently is LifeLock. LifeLock will not only monitor your credit, but it will also conduct surveillance on the Internet, checking for any threats to your personal information. If any threats are found, you’ll be notified immediately, before the damage can be done.

Call LifeLock today. Receive 30 days free and get a 10 percent discount on enrollment with the LifeLock Promo Code “Defense.”

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LifeLock warns customer about ‘creepy’ thief

Friday, January 28th, 2011

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ID theft victims pay average of more than $1,800 for damages

Monday, January 17th, 2011

According to Bureau of Justice statistics, 5 percent of U.S. citizens over the age of 16 fell victim to identity theft within a two-year period. More than half of those affected were victims of credit card fraud.

Nationwide, one out of four of those victims faced out-of-pocket expenses of, on average, $1,870. Total losses overall exceeded $17 billion dollars during that same two-year period.

Identity theft victims are being scammed in a number of ways, including the average, like stolen mail or dumpster diving, or advanced scams like e-mail phishing and hacking.

The BOJ study also showed that people ages 65 and older are least likely to be victimized, while those aged 35 and under are much more likely to be targeted, as well as those with incomes of at least $75,000.

How can you protect yourself? Rent a post office box or buy a locking mailbox. Shred anything that bears your personal information before you dispose of it. Protect your home computer with anti-virus and firewall software. Don’t open unsolicited e-mails or click on the links they contain.

You should also pay close attention to bank and credit card statements. If you see any questionable or fraudulent charges, report them immediately.

But the best thing you can do, since you can’t monitor your information 24/7, is to find someone who can. And that someone is LifeLock.

LifeLock is the only proactive identity theft protection service – LifeLock will monitor for any credit or non-credit related threats to your information, and if any such threats are found, you’ll be notified immediately. This will stop identity theft before any damage can be done.

So arm yourself against identity theft – do the things you should do, and sign up with LifeLock. It’s just the one-two punch you need.

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