It is important to understand that identity theft is a fast-growing crime. It is also important to know just how your identity can be stolen and how to protect against it. Try to keep as up-to-date as possible in this growing epidemic, and to know who is most likely to be a target.

Statistics for Identity Theft for 2006

The Federal Trade Commission compiles a list of vital statistics of identity theft every year. It can be long-winded and tedious to read long reports at times, so a breakdown of the most important statistics to know follows.

In 2006, there were at least 246,000 cases of identity theft reported. Credit card fraud was reported as the most frequent type of theft, with 25% of all reported cases. Evenly distributed at about 16% were phone and utilities fraud, employment fraud and other such categories.

The statistics of identity theft show that electronic transfer, although increasingly secure, is still the easiest target for identity theft. Napa, California and Madera, California were the two highest-ranked cities in the number of cases of identity theft reported.

The most abused methods of fund transfer are through credit cards (30%), wire transfers (23%) and bank account transactions (20%). The least used method of transaction and the least vulnerable for theft are cash advances and money orders.

Online, identity theft can be committed under the guise of a company sending email. After all, email and websites are the most widely-used ways of companies communicating with their clients to advertise products or services. Often, identity thieves will set up a fake webpage, disguise it as a legitimate companys webpage and use it to gather email addresses of unsuspecting victims. This is known as phishing, and is a quickly spreading problem in Internet security. Most bank sites, such as Bank of America, will have what is known as a Sitekey, which is a special personalized image that appears for an accountholder who signed up for online banking. The Sitekey confirms that the browser is dislaying the actual site of the bank, rather than a false one.

The most targeted demographic is consumers between the ages of 40 to 49. According to the Federal Trade Commission's collection of statistics, almost a quarter of all cases fall within this demographic.

Be sure to keep these statistics in mind- if you are in the middle-aged demographic and use the Internet for online banking regularly- you should be cautious because this group has been shown to be the most targeted victims of identity theft.

The widespread use of personal computers and the internet is a godsend for many identity thieves. The days of rummaging through trash cans looking for personal details like bank account details or a social security number has gone. For today's thieves the tools of trade are the computer and countless bogus email ids. And their pool of potential victims has spread from the local area to the whole world. So it is no wonder that computer identity theft is on the rise and one of the fastest growing crimes to date.

Although it might appear like a high tech crime, the most common form of computer identity theft is in fact one of the oldest crimes going. It is a simple confidence trick that can be blatantly obvious or elaborately cunning depending on your experience of these things.

So, by far the most common form of identity theft relies on triggering a persons fear or greed. These two emotions are incredibly strong for many people and will compel them to take some kind of action. Once these emotions are raised, the identity theft simply tells the potential victim what needs to be done to rectify the situation and gives them an easy way to do this.

A common fear that many people that use computers have is that they will be a target of computer identity theft. They use computers a bit but know that there are some smart people out in the world who can do all sorts of things with computers. One day they receive an email from their bank saying that their bank account was hacked into last night. Please enter their details and then change the password so this can't happen again.

After the initial shock you begin to wonder what has happened to the account - has money been taken out ? You first reaction is to login to your account and see what the damage might be. This is also the advice you will get in the email and they also make it convenient for you to login to your account by providing a login box below the letter.

Some of these emails are obviously fakes. They don't look very convincing. The email has no genuine logo or header of the company in question. The wording in the email may have spelling mistakes in them or bad grammar. The sending email id may come from a free email id source like hotmail. However, some are incredibly accurate and quite convincing. It is important to remain wary of any such emails regardless of how official they look.

Phishing scams work by presenting an official looking email or directing the intended victim to an authentic looking website. This is the process of building trust or confidence. With trust established the thief will ask for important details from the potential victim. This may be anything from bank account details to a social security number. They can then wreak havoc on their finances or apply for things like credit cards using their identity.

Most companies will never ask for personal details over the internet or via an email. If you get an email like this then delete it. If you are asked to give information over the web then make sure the website is secure. Common methods of determining this are to look for 'https' at the start of the address. Also the page should mention that it is secure. This may be explicitly stated or maybe a lock logo will be at the top or bottom of the screen. Clicking on the lock will give you more details of how their web page is secure.

Identity theft is a serious crime that is growing each year. If you are a victim of identity theft you may spend months, possibly years, trying to restore a damaged credit report. An extremely ruined credit report could compromise your chances of obtaining new employment, a bank loan, insurance or even renting a house. It is even possible to be arrested for a violation you did not commit if the guilty party has used your identity to commit illegal acts.

Sadly, many of the means that crooks use to steal identities are out of your control to shield against. Although it is seldom, even store clerks have been known to utilize their position to send along information to identity thieves. There are certain measures you can take, however, that will make it more difficult for a criminal to swipe your identity.

Safeguard Your Credit Card Number When Buying Items

Subsequent to you making a purchase and your credit or debit card has been swiped through a credit card terminal, investigate to be sure that the printed copy hides all but the last four digits of your credit card account number (often there will be X's in place of the first 12 numbers). Some machines continue to print copies of receipts that supply all 16 digits of an account number, and may even consist of the date the card expires as well. After your card is swiped, you're authorized by law to hide the first 12 digits of your account number on the hard copy of the receipt that the seller maintains. Work with any marking pen that will do the function.

When you dine at a restaurant, it is especially crucial to be sure that the first 12 digits of your credit card number are not visible on your receipt. You might be in the custom of endorsing it and then leaving the restaurant's duplicate receipt on the table after your meal. A criminal can simply swipe the signed duplicate receipt prior to the waitperson coming back around to get it from the table. Don't take any chances.

Do You Really Need To Offer Your Social Security Number?

Additionally, an important way that you may safeguard against identity theft is to avoid giving out your social security number except when it is definitely required. Although you have to share your social security number upon applying for credit or for a bank account, occasionally a business or an organization will need to utilize it as an identification number, just to identify you inside their network. This is a familiar practice even though the law states that social security numbers aren't to be maintained as identification numbers. In this situation, use your common sense. There's generally another option if you inquire.

Destroy Forms That Contain Sensitive Personal Information

Buy a paper shredder and apply it to destroy documents you are getting rid of which contain personal info such as credit card numbers, social security numbers, telephone numbers and dates of birth. This is critical to do both at your residence and your place of employment. Identity thieves are not above dumpster diving to find valuable personal info that can help them get credit in someone's name.

If The Worst Occurs

If you do turn into a victim of identity theft, take the following measures immediately:

* Call your credit card companies, terminate your accounts and seek to have brand new cards issued to you.

* Place a fraud alert on your file with any one of the 3 major credit bureaus. The other two will be notified automatically.

* Put in a police report. You might be required to have it to show to creditors as confirmation of the illegal act.

* Put in a complaint with the FTC, which preserves a database of identity theft cases used by legal agencies for their investigations.

Identity theft is becoming the most common crime in America with more than 40% of all reports made to the FTC relating to Identity Theft. More than 300 million hours each year are spent dealing with Identity Theft by businesses and individuals.

Going by the statistics, at least one person that has been a victim of Identity Theft is close to you. Identity Theft is not always a result of something you have or have not done. Lots of information regarding your identity is handled by companies and goverment organization you have worked with.

What can you do to prevent Identity Theft: identity theft prevention
Topic: identity theft prevention career

Does Lifelock work ? The simple answer is yes it does. With close on a million customers and less than 80 of them making a claim on the $1 million guarantee is proof that the Lifelock identity theft protection service is the best on the market by a distance. Government figures show that over 30 000 of those 1 million customers would normally be expected to become a victim of identity theft.

How does Lifelock work ? Life Lock works by placing fraud alerts on your credit files on your behalf. This means that any company who does a credit check on you causes a red flag to be raised and you are informed. Credit checks are carried out when someone applies for credit, a loan, a credit card etc. Lifelock also ensure your name is removed from mail lists as the less your details are spread around the less chance of them falling into the wrong hands.

How well does Lifelock work compared to other identity theft protection companies? Lifelock stops your identity from being stolen where as other identity theft protection companies such as IdentityTrust monitor your credit and report unusual activity to you AFTER the event. Because Lifelock place a fraud alert on your credit file the only way possible for someone to misuse your name to gain credit is if the provider of the line of credit did not do a credit check and because identity theft is now a major problem (its the fastest growing crime in America) this is very unlikely to happen.

Does Lifelock work with credit experts because i have heard I can do everything that Lifelock does for myself? Life Lock Com use experts who know exactly how the system works and make sure your fraud alerts are in place at all times. The 3 credit bureau's don't like you to place a fraud alert against your name and they certainly do not like your name being removed from mail lists as it is the sale of these lists that make them so much money. For this reason they don't make it easy for you to do it yourself. Each alert only lasts a certain amount of time and for it to be effective you cannot let it lapse.

You certainly could do the work yourself just as you could walk to work this morning. Question is why would you walk when you have a car and why would you take it on yourself to protect your own identity when Lifelock can do it for a few cents a day. Perhaps the answer to the original question does Lifelock work should have been yes because Lifelock gives you peace mind. They take care of dealing with all the credit bureau's for me and they give me a $1 million guarantee that they have done it correctly and no one can steal my identity.

Many individuals use the internet every day for a multitude of purposes. You might be shopping online, participating in online chats or using information off the web for work or school. All of these situations are innocent enough, but at the same time can make us available to those who are looking to introduce scams to unsuspecting victims. Learning to avoid scams can be accomplished by being aware of the types of internet fraud.

While a large amount of scams are geared toward defrauding senior citizens and those who fall within the low-income category, online scammers develop internet scams that can dupe anyone. One of the most popular online scams involves investment fraud. The harsh fact is that those committing this type of fraud are able to do so more often because investors simply do not check out information as well as they should. It is absolutely a necessity to investigate the company that you are handing your money over to, before you invest.

A sure fire way to avoid fraud and abuse is to have good quality information. Internet scammers are smart, sly and slick. They have all of their information in place in case you ask for references and other information. Be smarter than the scammers and always rely on your own research and investigations, and remember to report fraud to your local authorities.

One great way to avoid situations of this nature is to simply be leery of any information that you receive through various online situations. Online forums, message boards and even chat rooms can be virtual playgrounds for those looking to perpetrate online scams. In order to avoid scams of this nature, you will want to be very aware of what to look for and what to avoid. Using these online mediums, scammers will put out information that is meant to entice individuals into taking part in the opportunity that they are offering.

Consider protecting yourself from the risks of identity theft by using the services of Life Lock or IdentityTruth. Learn all about the history of identity theft because the more you understand, the easier it will be to protect yourself.

Educating yourself about what scams are out there is one of the best ways to avoid being duped. Check out the sites online and get data from any other source available. Try to find a physical address and/or phone number for the company if you are thinking of investing. This is your personal information and money that you are going to be handing over to these individuals, so taking some time to avoid scams can be very worth your while.

Fraud is now a serious offence. It is stealing from another person or company and can do more than just damage a persons reputation. There is a real danger that it can happen to you and when it does it is no laughing matter. Fraud is a danger to every person who has any information they would not want another person stealing. Identity theft has become a very real problem throughout the world and the success of a company like Life Lock is testimony to how bad it now is. It can ruin your credibility, your credit and your life. In fact, identitytheft is the fastest growing crime in the world. It can stop you from getting a job and that home or car you have been wanting for quite some time. Knowledge is power and if you learn about fraud you can help save yourself a world of hurt and frustration when you have a brush with a fraudster. This article will cover some of the basic questions you may have where fraud is concerned and perhaps you can protect yourself.

What are some types of fraud?

The most common types of fraud now are Ponzi schemes, romance scams, lottery scams, money order scams and of course identity theft. It does not take even an experienced con person to find out your personal information. Many people do not use paper shredders for their mail. If you think thieves will not go through your trash you are sadly mistaken and in for a rude wake up call when you get a call from collectors looking to receive payment for items you did not purchase.

What is the penalty for fraud?

The penalty for fraud is of course repaying the amount of money stolen if it is applicable to the situation. Other penalties include jail time, probation, a criminal record and sometimes community service. New laws regarding internet fraud and conviction can mean that the person is not allowed to have a computer or be on the internet. In today's digital world that is a severe punishment.

Are there types of fraud that do not involve money?

Sure there are types of frauds that do not involve money. Granted this does not occur much but there are some examples. Sometimes it is services that are stolen. Other instances could be marriage fraud where a person enters into a marriage without the typical marriage ideals in mind. They may be marrying for social position, for benefits or for whatever reason. Knowingly committing bigamy on an unknowing person is an example of fraud.

What are some notable fraudsters?

One of the most notable fraudsters had a movie written based on his life. He eluded the cops all over the world. Frank Abagnale Jr. was a master con man. He would perpetrate doctors, airline pilots and even lawyers. Some fraudsters have managed to bilk millions out of people. Take for example Martin Frankel who cheated investors, money laundered and assorted other criminal activities in the tune of $208 million dollars.

What are the penalties for people guilty of fraud?

They get to go to jail. That is pretty much the bad part. They have to repay the money. They may face criminal and social courts of law and penalties and they will probably regret it for the rest of their lives.

Identity theft has become a huge issue in America. According to research companies there have been over 210 million private records compromised in the last three years. Resulting in 10 million identity theft victims in 2007. Fortunately there are now identity protection services that are utilizing the placement of fraud alerts in your credit file to secure your finances and good name. One such company is LifeLock.

LifeLock puts a fraud alert with each of the three credit bureaus and renews these fraud alerts every 90 days before they expire. A fraud alert requires creditors to call your cell phone which is placed in your credit file before extending credit to the requestor. If you requested the credit you simply approve it and if it was an identity thief you simply turn down the request. This system has worked extremely well. LifeLock then orders your free credit report from all three bureaus and mails it to you. LifeLock also removes you from junk mail lists and stops the delivery of pre-approved credit cards which are a known cause of identity theft. LifeLock also guarantees your good name and finances with a one million dollar service guarantee. The benefit of this service is that it is proactive stopping identity theft before it occurs. Compare this to credit monitoring which only informs you after the damage and leaves you with the daunting task of clearing your good name.

To learn more about identity theft visit Identity Theft Labs. They are the best source for identity protection information, ideas and tips. They also have a Lifelock reviews that goes in to more details about LifeLock and their program. The average identity theft victim spends hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars restoring their credit and good name. Identity theft prevention from LifeLock is a great way to protect yourself and your family from this horrible crime. Protect yourself with LifeLock and enjoy the peace of mind that you deserve.

To subscribe to LifeLock you can either go to Lifelock.com or phone 877-lifelock, but before you do I advise you visit Identity Theft Labs.com first. If you do you will learn how to save 17.5% off the advertised monthly rate each and every year you are a subscriber. Furthermore you will get 30 days free to evaluate if it is the right program for you.

The following article is from a series of security-related articles, tips and information on preventing id theft …

You may be asking yourself, "Why do I have to protect myself against identity theft?" Everyone is a potential victim of identity fraud, and if rates continue to rise, soon everyone will know at least one person who has been a victim of identity theft. This is the sad truth of the world today. Protecting yourself against identity theft is every person's obligation.

Often, the mail leaves the average consumer at a disadvantage. All those papers in envelopes might be necessary bills and/or pre-approved credit card offers that make you think someone is taking notice of your hard-earned credit rating, but it could be undesirable people paying attention. Mail can come from thieves looking to steal your personal information and make you the victim of identity theft. The best way to reduce this danger and prevent identity theft from happening to you is to keep a close eye on the routine times your bills are mailed, as well as reduce the amount of information you receive in the mail. However, knowledge of the kinds of information that come from the mail office is the best weapon against Identity Theft.

Telephone and other utility bills always display customer addresses, account numbers, and telephone numbers. All this information can be useful to an identity thief, as can the information stolen from a driver's license renewal or monthly credit card statement. Remember one of the best rules to prevent identity theft: what you discard can hurt you.

You can also prevent identity theft by keeping a watchful eye on bank statements that come through the post. These often include your name, address, bank name, contact information, account number and even type of account. All this information is dangerous in the wrong hands. Pre-approved credit card offers also give would-be thieves the upper hand, and paycheck stubs from direct deposits give away your employer's name and address as well. Sometimes, even your pay rate and social security number will be included on the stub. Rather than crumple these documents and throw them away, invest in a shredder to fight against identity theft.

"Dumpster Diving" is a common practice of thieves collecting information. This requires them to scrounge through your last night's leftovers in the garbage in hopes of finding that one golden nugget: your bank statement, your credit card receipts, or anything that has anything personal about you. So beware, do your due diligence against identity theft, and shred anything that has information about you. If someone is diving in your dumpster, all they should find are food scraps.

For more information on id theft prevention, visit: Preventing Id Theft

Are You at Risk for Identity Theft? Learn How to Protect Yourself

Identity Theft is America’s fastest growing type of robbery. There have been an estimated 9.9 million victims on America and over 40% of all consumer complaints in the U.S. involve identity theft. About half of the victims do not know how the thief obtained their personal information. The Boston Globe and Newsweek have both covered Identity theft recently telling us how important it is for us to educate ourselves on preventing and protecting ourselves from this type of robbery. Identity theft can happen anytime, anywhere and to anyone, individuals or businesses. Everyone must be educated and aware so it can be avoided. Michael Blanchard, US Postal Inspector says postal money orders and business or certified checks are one way you can be at risk. Most identity theft involves the U.S. Mail which is why the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is a lead agency in investigating Identity Theft. Identity Theft is a criminal offense.

Some scams are internet related, you go into a chat room and chat with people there, someone approaches you as a friend, or about an auction. You become comfortable with these people you are chatting with and start a “friendship”. The person who has befriended you may tell you such things as, “I am in the Peace Corp, and I have a money order that I can’t cash where I am”, which is Lagos or Nigeria. They might ask you if they send you the money order, if you will cash it and send them the money. This is a scam. The money order you receive can be fraudulent, once you cash and send the money you are out this money once the bank realizes the money order was no good.

Another scenario might be if you sell items at online auctions. Someone may email you about your item that is for sale. They will tell you they want to purchase your item, and they are in Nigeria so they will send you extra money to pay for a shipper to send the item to them. They will send you a counterfeit money order or check and ask you to cash the check and wire the extra money to them so they can pay the shippers to ship your item. They may even ask you to go to a bank to cash the money order rather than the post office. The reason for this is that the post office has a machine that can tell if the money order is fake, and they have much more experience with money orders than banks.
Many of these types of scams originate in Nigeria, London and Toronto. If you are aware of this, you can prevent this from happening to you. Most thieves still obtain personal information through traditional rather than electronic channels. In the cases where the method was known, 68.2% of information was obtained off-line versus only 11.6% obtained online.

If you receive a fraudulent money order and take it to a bank, rather than the post office, a bank can take a month or more before they notify you that the money order is fake. If this happens, you are then responsible for the funds. If you do get caught up in this situation, take your money order to a post office rather than a bank, it is not guaranteeing you will not be “taken” but it lowers your chances.

How can you tell if a money order is fraudulent? Fake money orders do not have a water mark. Hold up the money order to the window or light, can you see the portrait, on the left side? This portrait needs to be backlit by light to be seen and cannot be mimicked. Some producers of fake money orders try to use fake pictures as a water mark; you will be able to tell if you hold it to the light. These money orders are generally printed in Nigeria, they use the same offset press we use to print real money orders, so check your money orders! You can also check for type size, color and fonts. Another step you can take is to call or go online to the Post office and give them the serial number off of the money order; they can tell if it is real. If you receive a counterfeit money order, you will want to give it to the post office or police. Possession of a counterfeit item is a felony.

Other scams include receiving an email or letter stating you have won a lottery, or a prize notification. Some letters or announcements will arrive with a counterfeit check and you pay a processing fee to get the prize. These checks are counterfeit; never send money to anyone who is asking for money from you in order to give you money, whether it is disguised as a prize or lottery. Any prize that requires you to pay anything is no prize.

How do these people get my name? If you have a credit card, your name is sold to third parties, if you do not want this to happen, you must contact your credit card companies to inform them that you do not want your information sold. Check the privacy notice that comes with your bill. If you enter contests, your information becomes public. Also, when you buy a new product, and fill out the warranty cards, those companies sell that information you provide to other companies. Since when does your toaster manufacturer need to know you households’ annual income to extend a warranty on your toaster? Thieves use dumpster digging, phishing, and pharming to obtain your information. Things they steal from your trash include:

• Pre-approved credit card offers – they complete them and have the card sent to them at a different address

• Loan applications- they complete the application and have the money sent to a phony address.

• Bank statements- they then have your bank account number and can print counterfeit checks

Becky Palmer, a Consumer Credit Counselor, knew of someone who had their wallet stolen, and they used the credit card to buy a $5000.00 gift card at Wal mart, this then become very hard to trace.

People that are more at risk are senior citizens, people with disabilities and immigrants, but remember that everyone, including children are at risk. Senior citizens are home all day; they might get a phone call from a fake charity asking for money. Immigrants are desperate for credit, they may have just arrived in the US and know they need credit to do anything and are not aware of these scams. People with disabilities are home, and may become a victim of phone or online fraud. There have also been cases of home care providers taking advantage of their clients. Remember, it is not always a stranger that can steal someone’s identity. Did you know children can be victims of identity theft? This could affect or ruin their credit before they even are able to build up credit for themselves. There have been cases of parents using a child’s name for their electric bill or phone bill when they have bad credit or owe the utility company money. Thieves will obtain the social security number of these children then use that number to get credit cards and rack up purchases.

Some of these scammers will call you and say they are from a fictitious charity. They will offer to have your contribution automatically deducted from your checking account and will ask for your routing number, bank name, and account number. DO NOT GIVE OUT THIS INFORMATION! If you pick up a call from a telemarketer, ask them the following questions and if they are a fraud, they will hang up quickly.

• Who do you work for? They will try to give you the name of the fake charity here, so ask them “who pays your salary?”

• How much of my donation (percentage) goes to this charity and what is the rest of the money used for?” If they are for real, they can easily give you this information.

• What is the charity’s full name, address and phone number?

Once you have the above information you can check with the state attorney generals’ office or secretary of state to see if the charity is registered. Also check the charity’s rating thru the Better Business Bureau at www.give.org.

How can I prevent Identity theft from happening to me? Never leave your receipt or slip in the ATM or gas pump. Pay attention to your habits, lock up or organize and file your bills, and bank statements. Shred them using a cross shredder before throwing them away.

In a recent article in MSN Money their research showed that 32% of people said they had been a victim of identity fraud by a friend or family, and 13% were victimized by a co-worker. Beware! These people know your patterns and habits.

Some steps you can take to avoid becoming a victim of Identity theft are:

Get a copy of your credit report from all three credit bureaus. (FREE as of 9/1/05!)

Experien, PO Box 2002, Allen TX 75013 www.experian.com 888-397-3742

Equifax, PO Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30348 www.equifax.com 800-685-1111

Trans Union, PO Box 4000, Chester, PA 19016 www.transunion.com 866-887-2673

Opt out of mailing lists by contacting the credit bureaus above.

Opt out by reading the privacy notice that comes with your credit card and following the instructions.

Call the national Do Not Call Registry at 1-888-382-1222 or visit www.donotcall.gov be sure to call from the number you want to register

Do not carry your Social Security Card in your wallet

Do not print your Social security number on your checks

Do not get your social security number printed on your drivers’ license

Do not carry your medicade card with you, Medicade #’s are your Social security number

Delete any emails from Nigeria, or lottery or prize notifications before opening

Stop credit card offers 888-5-OPT-OUT

Remove your name from national mailing lists by visiting www.the-dma.org or write to:

Mail Preference Service
PO Box 643
Carmel, NY 10512

Install firewall and virus protection software on your computer

Password protect your computer and private personal files

Format your hard drive or physically destroy when disposing of your old computer

When you order new checks, get your first initial printed on them instead of your first name

Use a cross shredder to shred your bills and bank statements or any junk mail

Bring your mail to the post office or secure mail box rather than leaving it in a rural box.

Use only one designated credit card for online purchases

Be sure all online purchases are made through a secure server – notice the “lock” icon and how the URL address changes from http to https. The S means SECURE.

Do not carry your PIN # in your wallet

Do not use your date of birth as a password or PIN.

Do not give out personal or financial information over the phone.

Grind up or shred back up CD’s you are throwing away.

Check your online banking account at least 3 times a week and change your password often.

There is a new bill that is being passes, it is a very weak bill but if passed, it will prohibit using a social security number for identification purposes. This bill should take affect in 2006.

If you feel you have been a victim of identity fraud, contact the Department of Justice, consumer protection division. They offer mediation with identity theft; they also have a hot line for consumers that is available 8-5 Monday – Friday. They maintain a database of written complaints that goes back to 1998. They offer seminars to school, seniors or your group.

Be aware that 40 million crooks obtained credit card numbers this past year, “Be Suspicious”. Also be aware that most identify theft is not reported, especially when it involves family members, so the statistics are off. These statistics show that consumers lost $5 billion last year when in actuality it is closer to $50 billion. There have been an estimated 9.9 million victims in America.

What can I do if I am already a victim of ID theft?

• Contact the fraud departments of the three major credit bureaus, to place a fraud alert on your credit file.

• Close all accounts that have been affected and request copies of fraud-dispute forms and complete and return immediately. Keep copies!

• File a police report in each jurisdiction the theft occurred

• Send copies of the report to your creditors or anyone that requires proof of the crime

• File a complaint with the FTC (800-IDTHEFT or www.consumer.gov/idtheft) and Post Office

• Contact the Identity Theft Resource center at 858-693-7935 or www.idtheftcenter.org

• Request a new driver’s license from the state of motor vehicles and have a fraud report attached to your driving record.

• Notify check-verification firms about any fraudulent checks:

International check service 800-526-5380
Telecheck 800-927-0755
Certegy Check Services 800-437-5120

• Call 1-888-CALL-FCC and file a complaint.

• Change your passwords and PIN immediately.

What is “Phishing”?

If you get an email or letter or form that looks like it came from your bank, credit card company, the IRS, online auction or bill pay service asking you to verify information so they can update their records, verify this with your bank or credit card company. Never click on the link in an email; it will take you to a fraudulent website that is disguised to look like the companies. If you call to verify and your bank or credit card company wants this information, give it to them over the phone, if you initiated the call and are sure it is the correct number, or stop by in person if possible.

Warning signs you can look for to identify “Scams”

If someone tells you: “Poor or no credit – No problem!”
Offers you a “Bargain loan”
Rushes you through signing up for anything
Wants you to pay a fee
If a salesman comes to your door and says “I was just in the neighborhood”

Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it is!

Michelle Dunn has over 17 years experience in credit and debt collection. She is the founder of Never Dunn Publishing, LLC, is a writer, consultant and the Editorial Advisor for Eli Financial Debt Collection Compliance Alert Newsletter. Michelle started M.A.D. Collection Agency and ran is successfully for 7 years. She owns and runs Credit & Collections.com a free online community for credit and business professionals.

She has written 5 books in her Collecting Money Series. For more information on Michelle’s services or to order any of her books please email her at michelle@michelledunn.com or visit http://www.michelledunn.com & http://www.credit-and-collections.com

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