Posts Tagged ‘Federal Trade Commission’

Arizona tops list of states with high numbers of identity theft

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

If you don’t want to become a victim of identity theft, there are 10 states you don’t want to live in – and Arizona ranks at the top for the second year in a row.

Ranked by the Federal Trade Commission, Arizona topped the list with the most identity theft complaints, with 142.5 victims per 100,000 people. Nevada, with 125.7, and California, with 122.1, followed close behind.

The numbers aren’t an accurate indicator, since the FTC’s database relies on reports from victims, but it’s interesting to note that the same states make the top 10 each year, while those at the bottom also remain stable.

The rest of the top 10 includes Texas (117.6), Colorado (95.8), Florida (92.3), New York (92.0), Washington (91.1), Oregon (87.8) and Illinois (87.6) North and South Dakota round out the complete list by coming in at the bottom.

While identity theft can target consumers in any location, thanks to the mobility of computers, many thieves favor high population areas, due to the ready availability of mail and trash to go through in order to obtain personal information. Lots of people who steal personal information no longer use it themselves – it’s much more profitable to sell it on the black market.

But thanks to LifeLock’s Command Center™, you can be sure your information is protected. Not only will LifeLock monitor the Internet and file-sharing networks to be sure your information is safe, but they’ll also check for payday loan, sex offender, public records, court records and change of address activity. If anyone tries to buy or sell your information, or use it illegally, you’ll be notified immediately.

One part of the Center’s services is eRecon™, which specifically searches for the illegal selling or trading of your personal information. LifeLock will monitor for any activity, notify you immediately if any is found, and will take whatever steps are necessary to be sure the situation is resolved.

LifeLock reviews

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

LifeLock complaints and the FTC settlement: What’s the real story?

There’s an interesting blog post at GuardMyCreditFile.com regarding LifeLock’s recent settlement with the Federal Trade Commission. The website belongs to the American Consumer Credit Education Support Services (ACCESS), a non-profit consumer advocacy organization whose primary purpose is to disseminate credit education information and assistance to the public.

In the article, the ACCESS author addresses the FTC’s principle complaints against LifeLock: That LifeLock’s CEO, Todd Davis, assured their 1.6 million members that LifeLock provides ironclad, absolute protection against identity theft. Secondly, the FTC took exception to Davis’ flagrant display of his personal Social Security number in print ads, TV commercials, the company website—even on the side of a truck in Manhattan. The FTC asserts Davis misused his own Social Security number.

Both of these allegations are feeble. (more…)

What to do if you become a medical ID theft victim

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009

Imagine you receive a collections notice from a hospital 1,000 miles away … in a city you’ve never visited … for a surgery you’ve never had … for a health problem you don’t have … and the notice says you owe more money than your house is worth.

You have to take immediate action, but be warned: Whoever had the surgery might be recovering better than you will. (more…)