Identity Theft Reporting – First Steps

The internet and mobile technologies have made information accessible on a level that couldn’t have even been conceived just a few short decades ago. Now, instead of having to get in your car and drive all the way to the store or shopping mall to examine or price a new product, you can simply get online and perform a half-second search. Instead of having to make it down to the bank by five o’clock on a Friday to make a transfer, withdrawal or get a balance on your account, you can simply access your account online. The only drawback of all these technologies is that they put more and more of your personal information within reach of identity thieves who can use it for their own purposes. As a consumer, you should be educated about identity theft reporting, including the necessary first steps if you think someone has stolen your identity.

Looking at an online bank statement and realizing that some of the charges were not made by you or your spouse can be a terrifying time. You’ll feel violated and insecure, wondering how it could have been so easy for someone to gain access to your social security number, birth date, address and other sensitive information. As soon as you suspect that your identity has been stolen is the best time to start the identity theft reporting process. The first phone call that you should make will be to the police. If you are travelling when the fraud occurs, be sure to report the offense to the local authorities first.

Once you’ve contacted the local authorities, you might want to continue your identity theft reporting by filing a report with the Federal Trade Commission. This is the best way to get details of your identity theft situation out to police departments and other law enforcement agencies around the country.

You also want to place a fraud alert on your credit report with one of the three major consumer reporting agencies. You only have to contact one of the agencies and they will contact the other two.  Placing a fraud alert on your credit report will help prevent the identity thief from opening any accounts under your name.  Also by placing the fraud alert, you are entitled to a free copy of your credit report from all three of the credit reporting companies.  Get your credit report and check it carefully for anything suspicious.

When you are completing your identity theft reporting checklist, don’t forget to inform the financial institution that is associated with the account that has been compromised. Every major bank and credit card company has a security and fraud department, and these people will be able to change numbers and access information immediately so that the identity thieves will lose access to your money. Although you may be able to arrange the freezing of your accounts over the phone, it is essential that you also file a report with them in writing. Be sure to ask the representative what information needs to be included in the report.

Finally, along with these first steps, you need to keep a record of everything that you do to as it pertains to your identity theft case.  Keep track of who you talk to, when, what was said and copies of any correspondence that you receive or send.


Identity Theft History – Protect Your Money

It seems like since the boom of the internet and the increasing development of mobile technologies identity theft have taken a regular spot next to burglaries and arson as a part of the nightly news. However, the truth is that identity theft history began long before the internet made everyone’s life wireless and accessible. Even back in the days when everything happened through the mail and on paper, thieves were finding ways to locate and steal the sensitive information that gave them access to your finances and your credit. If you are interested in identity theft history, knowing details about how thieves think and operate might help protect you from falling victim to identity theft.

Long before the internet and lap top computers brought the entire world of information and shopping to your living room, thieves used to root around in dumpsters and trash cans trying to located documents that contained personal sensitive information. People who threw away bank statements, credit card statements, and partially filled out rental applications would be at extreme risk for having their sensitive information stolen by these dumpster diving thieves. After a while, banks, businesses and even individuals got wise to this tactic and started shredding all of their important documents so that thieves could not obtain their financial information in this way. 

Today, many people may know to shred their important information before throwing it away but may not know that throwing away a PC (personal computer) can be another source for identity thieves to do their dirty work.  Make sure you check out this article How to Protect Your Identity When Throwing Out a Computer  to get more information on protecting your identity.

Another common scam in early identity theft history took place over the phone. Thieves who had grown tired of rooting around in trash cans and dumpsters took to the phones in elaborate schemes to get unsuspecting individuals to reveal sensitive details about their finances over the phone. Common phone scams included an identity thief contacting an individual to inform them that they had won a huge cash prize or a free vacation. Without thinking about the fact that they might never have entered any such contest, people would willing provide their social security numbers, address, and other information as a way of identifying themselves as the winner of the prize.

Now, identity theft history is riddled with scams and stories that originate from the internet. With the creation of spyware and other programming viruses that can capture your passwords and account numbers as you enter them for online purchases, thieves have access to even more information and even less chance of being caught. Many prime time television specials have been dedicated to identity theft history and the terrible stories of people whose lives have been destroyed by this terrible practice. Make sure you are taking all the necessary precautions to protect yourself.

Once you know how a thief can steal your identity, you can take the necessary precautions to protect it.  Stay tuned to this website for more information on identity theft what to do to keep it from happening to you.

 


What Is Cybercrime

Cybercrime is any crime committed using a computer and the internet.  Cybercrime covers everything from fraud, identity theft, to stealing millions from people’s bank accounts.  Even downloading music and movies illegally is considered to be cybercrime.

 

Cybercrime is becoming more common today because so much information can travel over the internet.  Computers and the Internet have made our lives easier in a lot of ways but we have to be a lot more careful with our personal information today than ever before.

 

Possibly the most common form of cybercrime is identity theft.  Cybercriminals use the Internet to steal or illegally obtain personal information from others.  The two most common ways cybercriminals obtain this information is through “phishing” and “pharming”.

 

Phishing is usually done by sending an email that claims to be from a legitimate organization, such as a bank, and directs the user to an “official looking” website where you are then asked to provide your personal information.

 

Pharming is a where malicious code is unknowingly installed on your computer and it misdirects you to fraudulent websites.  Pharming has become a major concern to businesses hosting ecommerce and online banking websites.

 

Identity thieves operate in very ingenious ways and with today’s technology; it’s easier for an identity thief to get the information they need.

 

How to protect yourself from Phishing and Pharming Scams

 

  • Don’t respond to any email that is asking you for personal information.  Just delete it.  Legitimate organization may send you offers via email but they do NOT send emails asking for your personal information.
  • Check the spam filter on your email account to make sure that it is set to remove these types of emails.  CAUTION: some will probably get through anyway.
  • If you don’t know for sure if it is legitimate, pick up the phone and call your customer service representative before you do anything foolish.
  • Use anti-virus protection and keep it up to date.  It’s may not be 100% effective but it will stop most cases.

 

What to do if you’ve been scammed

 

If you think you may have given your login and password information away in error to a service or financial institution, contact the institution immediately and inform them that you were a victim of identity fraud.  Change that password everywhere you may have used it.

 

If you gave your personal information such at credit card or Social Security number, ask the 3 major credit bureaus to place identity theft fraud alerts on your credit file.  Close any accounts you think may have been tampered with and report the incident to your local police department.  You will also need to complete an ID Theft Affidavit and file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.