Identity Theft - It's Only Funny In The Commercials
You've probably seen
the commercials on TV where the people are talking in a voice not their own
about purchases they would never make. Sure It's funny to see the old ladies
laughing about motorcycles they purchased or the big manly man talking about
getting his hair and makeup done, but if you ever become a victim of identity
theft, you will know it is no laughing matter.
Identity theft is a
growing problem - one that affects between 250000 and 750000 people each year.
One in 25 Americans will fall victim to it and if it happens to you, you might
find yourself in the frustrating position of having to prove that you are ...
well .. you.
Two of the most prevalent identity theft scams are crimes
that happen on the internet. These crimes called phishing and spoofing which
make use of email to try to get personal information. Typically the email will
"pretend" to be an institution that you may have an account with like a bank or
investment company. Even eBay has criminals posing as it in emails to try to get
your account information.
Phishing fraud can be very sophisticated and
the criminal will typically create a website that looks just like a site you
usually use. This way you will think you are logging into your bank when you are
really logging into a place where someone can then record and steal your
username and password. Usually they get you to go to their site by sending an
email claiming that there has been unauthorized activity on your account
unauthorized and you must login or you will not be able to use your account.
They provide a link in the email to the fake website. Paypal and Ebay are two
institutions that Phishers often use to try to scam individuals out of password
information.
Spoofing fraud consists of an email that appears to come
from someone you know. This is used to try to get you to open and then respond
to the emailed solicitation, providing private information.
Identity
theft doesn't just happen over the internet, however. Your personal information
can be stolen from a phone call pretending to be an institution you do business
with or even from bills or receipts you throw away in the trash.
With so
much identity theft going on these days, you must remain vigilant to protect
yourself. Never give out personal information, passwords or account numbers
unless you are 100% sure of who you are communicating with. You should also
monitor your credit card statements every month and check your credit report
once a year. If you find anything that looks out of place, call your credit
company and take steps to make sure it is a valid charge.
If you do find
that you have been a victim of identity theft, you should first off cancel all
accounts and change all passwords that you have. Then report the theft to your
credit card companies and other financial institutions. Finally, notify your
local police and one of the big three reporting bureaus TransUnion, Equifax or
Experian, of the crime. Notifying one is sufficient as it will notify the other
two for you.
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About the Author
Lee Dobbins writes for
http://identitytheft.pagechic.com where you can learn more about how to protect
yourself from identity theft.
Victim of Identity Theft? Steps to Take Immediately
If you are a victim
of identity theft, you will definitely need legal advice. Everyday millions
of
people are affected by identity theft-from credit cards to social security
numbers-which is precisely
why identity theft legal advice is in higher
demand than ever.
The first step to take if you are an identity theft
victim is to file a report with the police. Once you
have filed a report,
immediately call and notify your bank, notify and close credit card accounts
and
other related sources that the thief would be able to access.
Next, you will need to file a report with the appropriate government
authorities and identity theft
experts, including reporting lost Social
Security Number to the Social Security Administration
office. You will also
need to contact the three major credit unions--TransUnion, Equifax,
and
Experian--to report theft, and request a freeze on your account, rather
than a fraud alert.
The best identity theft legal advice to follow these
steps have been taken is to continue battling
charges added to your credit
reports. Keep updated copies of the reports and save all documentation
that
you receive that you do not feel belong to you. You will also need to contact
creditors regarding
any suspicious bills sent to your address and dispute the
charges, alerting them that you are an
identity theft victim. There may come
a time you will need the assistance of an attorney, but for the
most part,
you should prepare to fight ongoing without a break.
Unfortunately,
identity theft is one of the leading crimes in America and around the world
today.
When you become a victim of identity theft, legal advice is ongoing,
since in most instances, the
problems continue and the perpetrator is rarely
caught. If you do not seek the proper identity theft
legal advice, you may
end up with piles of bills and no real means of proving you didn't spend
the
money yourself.
About the Author
Emanuele Allenti offers valuable tips and help about
legal advice at http://www.incredible-legal-advice-4-all.info and
http://www.incredible-legal-advice-tips.info websites. Enter now!