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IDENTITY THEFT—Do You Know What You Would Do? 216,770,536 Security Breaches of Records in 2007 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 social security benefits, your medical records—all can be compromised through 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:
Do you know how they handle your private information? Have you asked? There are hundreds of employees and temporary workers that handle your information every day. A professional can assume your entire identity in just hours, but 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 notice charges to your account that you did not make within 60 days, those charges become YOURS regardless of ID Theft! So 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. 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
Help Yourself 1. Limit the identification you carry
2. Restrict your information to “need to know” 3. Use a service that protects all 5* areas Driver’s License As you can see, a credit card monitoring service is not enough. 4. Get the FTC’s booklet 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
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? You Do 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. How might the program you choose impact your credit and character profile with potential employers, mortgage bankers and others who need access to your files? There are some that simply put a lock on your file. 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 they offer yourself? If so, you have to ask yourself: 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:
character profile
What You Can Do To find out more about what you can do to safeguard all areas of your identity, click here.
* http://www.privacyrights.org
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Questions Email to mehaight@prepaidlegal.com Privacy Policy We respect your privacy and will not sell your contact data to anyone.
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