Identity Theft is a crime in which the thief obtains key pieces of personal identifying information such as Social Security numbers and driver's license numbers and uses them to commit fraud or other crimes. This personal information is usually obtained from lost or stolen wallets, pilfered mail, a data breach, computer virus, phishing, a scam, or paper documents thrown out by you or a business (dumpster diving). The FTC estimates that as many as 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year. Identity thieves can empty your bank account, max out your credit cards, open new accounts in your name, and purchase furniture, cars, and even homes on the basis of your credit history. Unfortunately, many consumers learn that their identity has been stolen after some damage has been done. You'll get the headache and expense of cleaning up the mess they leave behind.
While you may never be able to completely prevent your identity from being stolen, there are many things you can proactively do to help protect yourself from becoming a victim.
• Review your credit report periodically. It is important to check to make sure that all the information contained in it is correct, and be on the lookout for any fraudulent activity. You may get your credit report for free once a year. To do so, contact the Annual Credit Report Request Service online at www.annualcreditreport.com or call (877) 322-8228. If you need to correct any information or dispute any entries, contact the three national credit reporting agencies:
Equifax: www.equifax.com
(800) 685-1111
Experian: www.experian.com
(888) 397-3742
TransUnion: www.transunion.com
(800) 916-8800
• Protect your Social Security number (SSN). This number is the most important personal identifier, so you must make it your top priority to keep it secure. Never carry your Social Security card or any with you unless you'll need it. The same goes for other forms of identification (for example, health insurance cards) that display your SSN. If your state uses your SSN as your driver's license number, request an alternate number. Don't have your SSN preprinted on your checks, and don't let merchants write it on your checks. Don't give it out over the phone unless you initiate the call to an organization you trust. Ask the three major credit reporting agencies to truncate it on your credit reports. Try to avoid listing it on employment applications; offer instead to provide it during a job interview.
• Leave it at home. If you carry your checkbook and all of your credit cards, debit cards with you all the time, which is a bad idea; if your wallet or purse is stolen, the thief will have a treasure chest of new toys to play with. Carry only the cards and/or checks you'll need for any one trip and keep a written record of all your account numbers, credit card expiration dates, and the telephone numbers of the customer service and fraud departments in a secure place--at home.
• Invest in a paper shredder. Do not throw out any financial records such as credit or debit card receipts and statements, cancelled checks, or even offers for credit you receive in the mail, rather shred the documents. This will prevent would be thief’s from going through your dumpster and finding important information that will help them to steal your identity.
The most important thing you can do to protect your identity is to be diligent and follow the above tips. There is much information on the subject and several tips like the ones above that can help you safeguard your identity. Be smart and you will save yourself countless hours of trying to recover your good name and credit. Because these types of crimes have become so mainstream there are also insurance policies you can purchase that can protect you from the potential headaches.
Identity Theft is a crime in which the thief obtains key pieces of personal identifying information such as Social Security numbers and driver's license numbers and uses them to commit fraud or other crimes. This personal information is usually obtained from lost or stolen wallets, pilfered mail, a data breach, computer virus, phishing, a scam, or paper documents thrown out by you or a business (dumpster diving). The FTC estimates that as many as 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year. Identity thieves can empty your bank account, max out your credit cards, open new accounts in your name, and purchase furniture, cars, and even homes on the basis of your credit history. Unfortunately, many consumers learn that their identity has been stolen after some damage has been done. You'll get the headache and expense of cleaning up the mess they leave behind.
While you may never be able to completely prevent your identity from being stolen, there are many things you can proactively do to help protect yourself from becoming a victim.
• Review your credit report periodically. It is important to check to make sure that all the information contained in it is correct, and be on the lookout for any fraudulent activity. You may get your credit report for free once a year. To do so, contact the Annual Credit Report Request Service online at www.annualcreditreport.com or call (877) 322-8228. If you need to correct any information or dispute any entries, contact the three national credit reporting agencies:
Equifax: www.equifax.com
(800) 685-1111
Experian: www.experian.com
(888) 397-3742
TransUnion: www.transunion.com
(800) 916-8800
• Protect your Social Security number (SSN). This number is the most important personal identifier, so you must make it your top priority to keep it secure. Never carry your Social Security card or any with you unless you'll need it. The same goes for other forms of identification (for example, health insurance cards) that display your SSN. If your state uses your SSN as your driver's license number, request an alternate number. Don't have your SSN preprinted on your checks, and don't let merchants write it on your checks. Don't give it out over the phone unless you initiate the call to an organization you trust. Ask the three major credit reporting agencies to truncate it on your credit reports. Try to avoid listing it on employment applications; offer instead to provide it during a job interview.
• Leave it at home. If you carry your checkbook and all of your credit cards, debit cards with you all the time, which is a bad idea; if your wallet or purse is stolen, the thief will have a treasure chest of new toys to play with. Carry only the cards and/or checks you'll need for any one trip and keep a written record of all your account numbers, credit card expiration dates, and the telephone numbers of the customer service and fraud departments in a secure place--at home.
• Invest in a paper shredder. Do not throw out any financial records such as credit or debit card receipts and statements, cancelled checks, or even offers for credit you receive in the mail, rather shred the documents. This will prevent would be thief’s from going through your dumpster and finding important information that will help them to steal your identity.
The most important thing you can do to protect your identity is to be diligent and follow the above tips. There is much information on the subject and several tips like the ones above that can help you safeguard your identity. Be smart and you will save yourself countless hours of trying to recover your good name and credit. Because these types of crimes have become so mainstream there are also insurance policies you can purchase that can protect you from the potential headaches.
Comments
These cards, over 50 million of which were issued last year in the United States alone, are embedded with a miniature micro-processor and an antenna that broadcasts the account information of the card holder at 13.56 MHz. These contactless pay stations use a system that is not only inexpensive to duplicate on the home hobbyist's workbench, but quite inexpensive, as well. In fact, $20 and a trip to your local Radio Shack will give you all you need to become a thief of this sort.
They call themselves "Cloners."
The reason for the name is the process they use. They set their antenna, which fits easily into purse or pocket, to "ping" for cards that are RF (Radio Frequency) Enabled. The card responds by transmitting all necessary information to charge the account. This is, after all, what it was programmed for. The laptop or PDA gathers, or "Harvests" the data received. They do this in the most public of places, and it is absolutely undetectable when occurring.
From that point, the thief will then carry the information home or to another suitable location and begin the cloning process. Another wave of the antenna over a blank card, which can be purchased for two or three cents, and they have a form of payment that is electronically indistinguishable from the original.
Sadly, Organized Crime and Terrorist organizations such as the LTTE out of Sri Lanka are using credit card fraud like this to fund their destructive activities.
Does that scare you? It should, and it did us. To respond to this threat, Wisteria House Products of Phoenix Arizona has developed the Armadillo Dollar. It is a simple, low-cost device you slide into your wallet that blocks the transmission of these radio waves.
If you decide you want to put another layer of protection between you and the wireless thief with our product, use the code “TopDog” when ordering. That’ll take $5.00 off the regular $25.00 price, at least while we’re introducing it to the market.
It is, quite simply, the BEST RF-Shielding product of its kind in the world.
You have my word on it.
I am Ron Hatton.
We are www.ArmadilloDollar.com and proud to be All-Americans!