SCNow.com reported recent statistics from the S.C. Department of Consumer Affairs that show that infants and child identity theft is one of the fastest growing segments of identity theft in the nation.
If a child’s identity is stolen, it will probably be at least 18 years before the parent or child discovers the crime.
Most children are at risk of having their identities stolen because, at birth, the majority of parents get Social Security numbers for their kids. If that number falls into the wrong hands, the child may have credit problems in the future, and possibly even be turned down for jobs.
Reviewing a child’s Social Security Administration earnings statement is a good way to detect identity theft, according to the state consumer affairs office. If a child has a reported income, that’s a strong indication his or her identity has been stolen.
According to Computer World, one of the 11 people arrested in connection with the largest case of identity theft in US history pleaded guilty to four felony counts, including wire, aggravated identity theft, and credit card fraud.
Damon Patrick Toey now faces a maximum prison term of five years and a fine of $250,000 on each of the counts. In addition, under the terms of the plea agreement, Toey has to forfeit all of the money he earned for his role in the data theft, which affected TJX Companies Inc., BJ Wholesale Clubs Inc. and several other retailers.
In a court filing yesterday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Heymann said that there is ?forensic and/or testimonial evidence? that Toey and his co-conspirators broke into ?numerous? other businesses that have not been publicly identified. Heymann said he would be willing to submit the full list ?in camera? to the court if needed.
| TrustedID?s? mission is to proactively protect consumers against identity theft, especially as identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the United States. Our innovative flagship product ? IDFreeze? – stops identity theft before it ever happens. Secured from identity theft by our 15 points of protection which includes protection for children, seniors, and medical records, over 97% of our customers are extremely satisfied, loyal, and, most importantly, protected, Please Click on following banner to find out more! |
 |
According to a new Center for American Progress report, not enough is being done to protect the public from fraud on the Internet. The report cautions that the convenience, choices and lower prices enjoyed by Internet users are at risk because of inadequate protection against identity theft.
The center says that high levels of fraud and abuse may cause more and more consumers to lose trust, which is a major threat to e-commerce. Malicious software, phishing and spam were the primary causes of the high levels of fraud and abuse on the Internet.
The report states that although the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is improving its enforcement activity, it lacks the resources to make a big difference.
The Center for American Progress and the Center for Democracy and Technology asked States to provide data on the complaints they received 2006 and 2007. Thirty six States responded and most of them had a Internet related category listed in their top-ten complaints. It was also noted that overall Internet related complaints increased from 2006 to 2007. Eight of the States listed Internet related complaints in their top-three and four States listed them as being the number-one complaint.
The conclusion given by the researchers is that not very many crimes involving phishing, spyware, spam, adware and hacking were being effectively investigated or prosecuted. ?Internet crime requires almost no expense to execute, carries potentially high financial rewards, and involves relatively little risk of being caught and punished,? according to the report.
Reported incidents of mortgage fraud in the U.S. increased by 42 percent in the first quarter of 2008 from a year ago, according to a new report released today by the Mortgage Asset Research Institute (MARI).
For all states, the top fraud incident type was in ?General Application Misrepresentation? followed closely by misrepresentations related to ?Income? and ?Employment.? In addition, MARI continues to see multiple fraud types, such as identity theft and identity fraud, in loan transactions.
TrustedID?s? Comprehensive Protection System:
- Unlimited family protection
- Black market internet monitoring
- Medical benifit protection
- Junk Mail Reduction
- $1,000,000 warenty protection
Please Click on following banner to find out more! |
|
The number of U.S. breaches of personal information that could be used to commit identity theft so far this year has already passed the total for 2007.
According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, this year?s running total passed the 2007 mark of 446 on Friday, with more than four months to go.
Between January 1st and June 27th, the total number of data breaches recorded by the ITRC is 342, more than 69% greater than the same time period in 2007. The actual number of breaches is more than likely higher, due to underreporting, and the fact that some of the breaches reported, which affect multiple businesses, are listed as a single event.
what you should do, If you think you’re a victim of identity theft?
- If the crime involved the U.S. Mail, contact your nearest U.S. Postal Inspection Service office and report it.
- Call the fraud units of the three major credit bureaus and request a “fraud alert” be placed on your credit file. Check your monthly financial statements for accuracy.
Equifax: 800-525-6285
Experian: 888-397-3742
TransUnion: 800-680-7289
- Order copies of your credit report from the credit bureaus to check whether any fraudulent accounts were opened without your knowledge or consent.
- Contact your banks and creditors, by phone and in writing, and report the crime. You may be advised to close some or all of your accounts. At the least, change your PIN codes and passwords immediately.
- Record the names and phone numbers of people with whom you discussed your case and retain all original reports and supporting documents. Keeping accurate and complete records are a big step toward helping you resolve your problem.
- Contact your financial institutions and request they flag your accounts. Instruct them to contact you immediately if there is unusual activity on your accounts.
- File your complaint online with the Federal Trade Commission, or call their Identity Theft Hotline at 1-877-IDTHEFT. The FTC has counselors to assist identity theft victims with resolving financial and other problems that can result from this crime.
TrustedID?s? Comprehensive Protection System:
- Unlimited family protection
- Black market internet monitoring
- Medical benifit protection
- Junk Mail Reduction
- $1,000,000 warenty protection
Please Click on following banner to find out more! |
|
Last year alone, more than 9.9 million Americans were victims of identity theft, a crime that cost them roughly $5 billion.
The number of ID theft victims and their total losses are probably much higher. It’s hard to pin down, because law enforcement agencies may classify ID theft differently–it can involve credit card fraud, Internet fraud, or mail theft, among other crimes.
The FTC reported that only four percent of victims cited stolen mail as the source of personal information. Even so, U.S. Postal Inspectors, charged with protecting the nation?s mail system from criminal misuse, are leaders in the fight against identity theft.
To protect your identity it is better to decide now and register at trustedID protection service:
TrustedID?s? Comprehensive Protection System:
- Unlimited family protection
- Black market internet monitoring
- Medical benifit protection
- Junk Mail Reduction
- $1,000,000 warenty protection
Please Click on following banner to find out more! |
|
Data Breaches Up 69% This Year
Identity theft experts at The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) said that the number of data breach have reached a record high, according to a Washington Post article. Between January 1 and June 27 this year, the total number of data breaches recorded by the ITRC is 342, more than 69% greater than the same time period in 2007.
The Identity Theft Resource Center in San Diego tracked 342 data breach reports during the survey period. More than one-third of the reports came from businesses, a 27 percent increase over business breaches for all of 2007.
The center found that data breaches among health-care providers and banks also increased. They now account for 15 percent and 10 percent of the breaches, respectively. Breaches from educational institutions, government entities and the military declined for the third year in a row, the center found.
TrustedID is recognized by the Identity Theft Resource Center, a national nonprofit organization that educates and works to prevent identity theft. For more information about TrustedID and its services and products, visit us by clicking following banner:
Is identity theft on your wish list this year? Probably not, but according to the FBI, identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the United States, affecting millions each year. And with so much spending occurring during the holiday season, consumers are especially vulnerable.
“Crowded stores with rushed people and various distractions, and online purchases made via unsecure Web sites add to the risk of identity theft during the holiday season,” says Craig Tuer, a state police detective, and expert on identity theft. “Identity thieves can easily steal a shopper’s personal information just by walking around the mall or searching online.”
Holiday Hustle and Bustle
This year, the National Retail Federation estimates that nearly half of consumers will shop online with more than 61 million doing so from work, potentially spreading their financial information on more than one computer. In addition, more than 75 percent of shoppers will be using credit and debit cards as their primary form of payment. With these predictions in place, consumers need to take proactive steps to stop identity theft before it starts.
The reality, however, is that to limit identity theft, consumers need to take a number of steps, including monitoring their credit, communicating with the credit bureaus, and limiting where their personal information is used, which can be especially difficult for harried holiday goers. So in addition to taking simple precautions while shopping, Tuer also recommends that shoppers consider using a proactive, total identity theft service that handles all those complicated responsibilities.
Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind
Scott Mitic, CEO and Co-Founder of TrustedID, a firm that offers consumers a complete resource to proactively prevent identity theft during the year with credit freezes, live expert support, and a one million dollar identity theft insurance from AIG and Lloyd’s of London, also offers these tips while shopping for the holidays:
Online Shopping
- Be careful with your passwords – Always make sure passwords use a combination of letters, numbers, and other characters.
- Never email your personal information – Emails are not secure enough for sending financial or personal information.
- Beware of unsolicited emails – If you receive an unsolicited email from an online merchant, don’t click on any links in it; instead find the site yourself.
Shopping at the mall
- Watch for shoulder surfing – Identity thieves have been known to copy credit card information or even take pictures of cards with cell phones. Keep your card out of sight while you are waiting to make your purchase.
- Travel Light – Avoid carrying any more credit cards or personal identification than absolutely necessary. Never put your social security card in your wallet.
- Write “Check Photo ID” on your credit card – In case your card is stolen, this can prevent thieves from using your card in stores.
Give Serious thought to?identity theft?crime?and get ready for protection of it, prevention is better then cure, click on following banner to find out how:
?ABCNews.com posted an interesting story on how identity thieves are mining social networking sites to steal victims? personal information.
Lisa Lockwood, a parent in Baltimore, received a phone call from a car dealership, saying that her 17-year old son had applied for a car loan. To make a long story short, her son had not filled out any such application. Rather, one of the games he was playing on his Facebook page offered extra points in exchange for filling out an application that asked for a Social Security number. He provided the information, filling out a total of seven loan applications.
Facebook says while they do allow games to be downloaded from its site, the games must be approved and meet its guidelines. The company is investigating this report.
To safeguard your identity please make decision it cost you only $8.25 per month to protect your identity, click on following banner for more details:
Next Page »