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| IDENTITY THEFT—Do You Know
What You
Would
Do? 216,770,536 Security Breaches Recorded through 12/20/07*
If You Were Born, Your Identity Can Be Stolen Preventive measures will help, but will not stop, your non-public information from being hijacked. Every major credit card company has had data security breaches, as have banks, hospitals, unions, associations, as well as many government institutions including the IRS, Department of Motor Vehicles, the Veterans Administration, and the Social Security Administration. Putting a “lock” on your social security number, which you can do by request to the credit repositories, does not erase the many internet, government, educational, and business databases on which it has been available over your lifetime. Your driver’s license, your passport, your medical records—all can be compromised through use of your social security number. ID Theft—The Fastest Growing Crime In America (CNN, 20/20, FTC) Your non-public information is also available at these offices:
Your entire identity can be stolen in an hour! And it can take years for you to restore your character and credit standing. Don’t Credit Card Companies Take Care Of Any Fraudulent Charges? The answer is: it depends. What you may not know is that Congress has enacted legislation that states: If you don’t object to charges to your account that you did not make within 60 days, you are responsible to pay those charges regardless of ID theft! If a thief sets up an account in your name, changes your address so the bills go to a mail box account or an empty apartment, surprise! Your hard-earned financial standing can now be ruined. And you still owe the money! Check your card policy—often. Corporate policies can and do change. Five Major Areas of Identity Theft—One Can Be Deadly
Crimes have been committed using fake drivers licenses and people
have found themselves arrested for reasons unknown to them.
Medical records have been altered to reflect the thief’s blood type. Life threatening medical issues, including adverse reactions to medications, have been erased from your file. Social Security benefits have been compromised and siphoned out of accounts! Help Yourself--7 Steps To Take Right Now! 1. Limit the identification you carry Example: 1 credit card and your driver’s license 2. Restrict your information to “need to know” Does the vet need your social security number? 3. Use a service that protects all 5* areas of your identity: Driver’s License Medical records, Social Security number, Personal Character (includes Criminal files) Financial records As you can see, a credit card monitoring service is not enough. 4. Get the FTC’s booklet A good overview of what it takes to rebuild your life. Decide if you would want to try to do all this work yourself. 5. Place the directive: “Check ID” on the signature line of your credit card This does not always work, as you will see, but may stop a thief. 6. Opt out of “free” credit card offers: Call 888-567-8688 7. Opt out of and into specific catalog mailings Get More Tips Here! What To Look For In An Identity Theft Program Beware of Advertising Hype. While billboards printed with a social security number make for great marketing, always comparison shop on the benefits of a program as well as the price to determine what suits you best. Auto insurers are offering add-on ID Theft programs, while others offer stand-alone and package plans that cover identity theft and legal services needs. Many programs require a contract, while a very few allow month-to-month membership. Credit card companies monitor only credit cards. Are There Out of Pocket Costs? Some programs seem to claim marketing savvy windfalls if their plan fails or cash payouts to cover legal costs, but what is the reality behind the claim? Find out if the up to $25,000 cash programs to cover attorney’s fees and other costs related to identity theft have underwriting requirements—in other words, can you be turned down after months, sometimes years, of paying lawyers and/or other expenses out of the family budget? What does it mean when a company claims a $1,000,000 guarantee if your ID is stolen? Do you get the money, or will they use that amount as a limit on costs to restore your credit and good name? Who Does All The Paperwork? Do you actually have to try to restore your own credit with only "guidance" and a booklet from an employee, or is there a guarantee that a professional will do it for you? Ask! Can you really get your credit and character back to where it was before the theft without legal help? Have you ever tried to get the credit repositories to take an error off your credit record? What if the thief who stole your identity also committed a crime? That’s a database no one but a lawyer can change. The same can be said for your medical records. If a lock is placed on your credit files, how does that impact your credit and character profile with potential employers, mortgage bankers and others who need access to your files? You must pay each time you want someone to see your credit history and then pay again to lock it up. Can you actually do most of what the offers yourself with minimal effort? If so, you have to ask: What is the real benefit of paying for the coverage? Measures Of A Good Program—Does Experience Matter? Convenience and peace of mind doesn't have to come at the cost of good value! Experience matters as long as the program gives you:
What You Can Do To find out more about what you can do to safeguard all areas of your identity, just ask ! You’ll get more tips on how to protect you, your assets, and your family, and information about programs that you might want to compare, and more. * http://www.privacyrights.org Email: info@stopcreditassassins.com Terms of Use, Privacy Policy |
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