Posts Tagged ‘identity theft protection’
Tiger Woods victimized by identity thief
Friday, July 29th, 2011
Free isn’t always best
Monday, July 25th, 2011With the economy still sagging, it’s a safe bet that many people are still struggling. Most are trying to save money in any way they can, including everything from groceries to gas to services like identity theft protection.
With a tighter budget comes the need to cut out certain services or replace paid services for free ones. Identity theft protection is no exception. But are those free services worth it?
Out of all the free services offered in today’s market, many do provide a basic service, but they come with enticement to purchase higher-end products at full price. Some companies offer a free trial period, but at the end of that trial, your card will be charged, and you won’t be notified. They’re banking on the fact that you’ll forget, and will therefore be signed up for services – services you may not have even wanted.
There are even some complimentary services offered, but you should think long and hard about signing up with them. You may be offered services from your bank, credit union or insurer, but be sure you read the fine print first.
A good identity theft service will not only offer protection, but will also offer resolution in case you become a victim. A company that offers good service in this area will offer education about protecting yourself and resolution, and will be transparent – in other words, they’ll talk straight and won’t hide a thing.
When choosing a company, ask what makes them an expert, how they quantify their expertise, whether they are certified, and how many years of experience the company and its specialists have.
Couple the answers to these questions with the services you’ll receive, and you’ll find that choosing a protection service isn’t hard at all. Free often comes with a high price tag – and when it comes to identity theft, you can’t afford to make the wrong choice.
LifeLock picked as best value
Monday, July 11th, 2011LifeLock 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.
Protect yourself from identity theft with these easy steps
Wednesday, June 15th, 2011Identity 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.
My child’s identity has been stolen – what do I do?
Monday, May 16th, 2011If your child is receiving pre-approved credit card offers in the mail, it could be a sign that your child’s information has been compromised. If you suspect there is a problem, you should contact the three credit reporting bureaus to find out if there are credit reports attached to your child’s Social Security number.
Please note that this request should be made in writing, and the letter should include the child’s name, SSN, and parents’ names and addresses. You should also send the correspondence via certified mail, with return receipt requested. This is the only way you can prove you sent the information. If you are divorced, you should include proof that you have legal custody of the child.
If you do not receive an answer from the credit bureaus within 30 days, file a complaint with the FTC at 1-877-FTC-HELP.
To write to TransUnion, send correspondence to P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834. You should include a copy of the child’s birth certificate and SS card, as well as a copy of your own driver’s license or ID card.
To write to Experian, send correspondence to P.O. Box 932, Allen, TX 75013. Include a copy of the parents’ driver’s licenses, proof of address, such as a utility bill or credit card statement, and a copy of the child’s birth certificate and SS card.
To write to Equifax, send correspondence to Equifax Information Services LLC, Office of Consumer Affairs, P.O. Box 105139, Atlanta, GA 30348. Include a copy of the child’s birth certificate and SS card.
Learn to spot a phishing attempt
Friday, March 25th, 2011This video contains excellent information on how to recognize a phishing attempt, and gives great tips on what to do if it is. While the video is specifically aimed at the customers of this particular bank, the information is useful, and consumers can learn how to spot a phishing attempt a mile away.
Survey indicates people generally willing to pay for identity theft protection service
Wednesday, March 16th, 2011A 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.”
Protect your business from data breaches
Monday, February 28th, 2011If you own your own business, you know how tough it can be to keep your day-to-day operation costs down. It seems there’s always something popping up. Those unexpected costs can really eat up your bottom line.
But what if your company experiences a data breach? Now you’ve got legal issues, and the added cost of making sure your customers are protected. How are you going to deal with this added expense?
The answer is to take steps to be sure it never happens in the first place. Whether you are responding to a data breach, or looking to expand your employee benefits offerings or looking for a new revenue stream for your business, it makes sense to sign up for LifeLock® Breach Services. LifeLock® identity theft protection is a great investment for businesses of all sizes, and can help protect your customers and employees.
Not only can you lose money from a data breach, but your business can lose its good reputation in the community. LifeLock® Breach Services can quickly restore public confidence and help you avoid unnecessary costs. When you sign up, you’ll get fast response from LifeLock®, and a dedicated representative to work with you.
You’ll also get communications management, including notifications that are required by state and federal law and relevant banks or credit card issuers. Your affected customers can get a LifeLock® membership to help protect them.
Even after the incident, LifeLock® will provide you with reports and ongoing information about enrollments and fraud incidents, as well as ongoing support to help prevent any future incidents.
Things you can do yourself to help protect yourself include:
• Take inventory and know who has access to personnel and customer information in your system.
• Implement physical and electronic security methods, as well as employee training, to keep data safe.
• Remove peer-to-peer software and deny access to file sharing sites from company computers.
• Use shredders and wipe decommissioned electronic devices.
• Establish an identity theft protection team to help bolster your efforts.
Simple steps go a long way in ID theft protection
Friday, November 19th, 2010When you think of identity theft, it’s likely that you think of a person who is looking to steal money from you. This is certainly one form of identity theft.
But thieves are also looking to obtain your personal information in order to bypass the system for themselves. Your stolen information can be used to obtain a driver’s license, find a job, get utilities service, get cell phone service or even commit crime.
You may wish to check with your Department of Motor Vehicles and get a copy of your driving record to be sure your information isn’t being used by someone else. You should also put a stop to pre-approved credit offers coming in your mail. You can remove you name from the list by calling 1-888-5OPTOUT. This is important because thieves looking to steal your information will go through your trash, looking for offers like this. They reply and obtain credit cards, which they use to amass charges in your name.
The last four numbers of your Social Security number are very important to protect. While it is true that most banks, creditors and the government might need those numbers at times, be sure you are talking to a legitimate person. This important information should only be provided on a need-to-know basis.
If you have children, be sure their Social Security information is protected and uncompromised. One of the best ways to do so is to check to see if your child has a credit report; if so, it’s likely a compromise has occurred.
It’s important that you shred documents containing your personal information before you dispose of them. You should also be suspicious of e-mails you receive that look fraudulent. To be safe, if you aren’t sure of where it came from, don’t click on it. You should be sure that your computer has the proper software protection, including anti-virus, firewall and malware-detecting software.
Following these tips and using some common sense, coupled with a lot of caution, can go a long way toward protecting you against identity theft.
Protect yourself from ID theft: be prepared
Monday, October 18th, 2010It seems that everywhere we turn these days, there’s a new threat to our personal information. Identity theft is a continuous problem and it truly is just that – everywhere.
Identity theft is truly the crime that won’t go away, and it can be both costly and time consuming. The average victim i 2009 lost $4,840 and spent 21 hours cleaning up the mess left by identity thieves, whose motive was to swipe your information and use it to drain accounts, obtain credit cards and create havoc in your life.
Identity theft can happen anywhere to anyone. but there are some known areas of risk that you can avoid, if you know how.
• Thieves are preying on people’s urgency to find work. In some cases, phony online ads ask that a resume include a Social Security number, or that applicants bring personal documents to a location that’s not a real office. If you can’t see a person face to face or can’t check out the company by doing a little basic research, beware. Limit personal information on your resume; include your e-mail address and telephone, but not necessarily your home address, and never a Social Security number.
• Children are being targeted for their Social Security numbers and clean credit records. Scammers zero in on them because the crime can often go undetected for years. Signs of possible child identity theft include bills, credit cards or debt collection calls coming to you in your child’s name. If you suspect your child’s identity has been stolen, check with the three credit reporting agencies to see if a credit report exists in your child’s name. If there isn’t one, it’s good news. If there is, it’s likely your child has been victimized. You should be stingy in giving out your child’s Social Security information, and be sure you know why it’s needed and ask if there’s an alternative form of identification that can be used.
• The holidays are coming, and it can be an especially risky time. Remember to never carry large amounts of cash or your Social Security card. If you’re not using your checkbook, leave it at home. Be careful using ATMs, and if something looks strange about the ATM, don’t use it. Make copies of your credit cards, front and back, so that you can easily report a loss or fraudulent charges. Check your bank and credit card statements to be sure all the entries are yours. If you shop online, be sure the site is secure.
• Experts say one of the easiest and best things you can do to protect yourself is to shred any documents that bear your personal information. You should also be sure to remove your information from old cell phones and computers.
Remember, fighting identity theft is a constant battle that requires constant attention. Attacks can come from all fronts – and it pays to be prepared.
