 |
How did a Thief get my Name? Don't be a Victim of Identity
Theft
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.
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 and is
currently writing a book for the Streetwise Series, part of the
Adams Media Corporation. 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
MORE RESOURCES:
Credit - Google News
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Some Truth About
Credit
Credit is currently and has been historically an integral
component of our economy. Credit contribute a person's net
worth, and financial power.
What is Credit Card and
Debit Card Blocking?
Have you ever been told you were over your credit card
limit, or had your debit card declined, even though you
knew you had available credit or money in your bank
account? If this happened shortly after you stayed in a
hotel or rented a car, the problem could have been card
"blocking."What is Blocking?When you use a credit or debit
card to check into a hotel or rent a car, the clerk usually
contacts the company that issued your card to give an
estimated total.
What To Look For In A
Credit Card
When you are deciding what type of credit card to get it is
important to compare credit cards to each other and find
the best deal for you. There are a variety of different
credit cards available, from low interest cards, cash back
cards and even reward credit cards, it's hard to decide
what exactly the best credit cards are.
How A Prepaid Debit Card
Can Help You Rebuild Your Credit
Consumers today are up to their eyeballs in debt. And many
people don't realize it until their good credit has been
devastated.
How Your Credit History
Can Affect Your Life
Your credit history is an important aspect of your life.
Maintaining your credit rating is very important to your
future and to your lifestyle.
Like It Or Not, You Have
A Score To Settle!
Like It Or Not, You Have A Score To Settle! (Part 1 of 2 on
Credit Scoring)Just when most people finish with school and
can stop worrying about test scores, there's a new kind of
scoring that enters the picture. It's called credit
scoring.
How You Can Avoid
Becoming A Victim Of Identity Theft
To reduce or minimize the risk of becoming a victim of
identity theft or fraud, there are some basic steps you can
take.The most important one is to ask periodically for a
copy of your credit report.
What Should I Do If I've
Become a Victim of Identity Theft?
Identity thieves take advantage of everyday opportunities
to discover your personal information and use it to commit
fraud or other crimes. The good news is a victim of
identity theft has more options today than ever before.
Useful Tips On Avoiding
Credit and Charge Card Fraud
Credit and charge card fraud costs cardholders and issuers
hundreds of millions of dollars each year. While theft is
the most obvious form of fraud, it can occur in other ways.
Boosting Your Credit
Score To Get The Best Credit Card Deal
Making Your Credit Rating Work For YouOne of the basics of
getting the most competitive credit card deal in the market
is to ensure you have the best credit record possible. Few
of us are lucky enough to be earning a six-figure salary,
and many people are likely to have other financial
undertakings that a potential lender will want to take into
account.
What Are the Most Common
Ways to Commit Identity Theft or Fraud?
It's the number one source of consumer complaints at the
Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and unfortunately, it's one
of the simplest crimes to commit. Identity theft involves
information from your daily life, from shopping,
bill-paying, and even applying for a job.
3 Free Credit Reports
For You
If you were to tell someone that they can have a certain
item for free, more than likely their response would be,
"what's the catch?" In the case of credit reports there is
no catch, you can now get a free copy of this report
through the three credit reporting agencies: Equifax,
TransUnions, and Experian. Let's take a look at the law and
how you can benefit from it.
Choosing the Right
Credit Counseling Agency for You - Some Tips Part
2
Credit counseling companies come in all shapes and sizes.
Whether you are looking at working with a local credit
counseling organization or a national credit counseling
organization there are some very important factors to
calculate before choosing the right credit counseling
option for you.
Credit Repair Myths and
Facts
There are no secrets to repairing your credit. Many shady
credit repair agencies would love you to think the
contrary.
Getting Your Credit
Report and Understanding Whats On It
If you intend to apply for a loan, you need to obtain your
credit score. Understanding what this score means will
allow you to make the loan process easier and quicker.
Is it Safe to Use Online
Car Finance?
Online car finance is convenient. You can apply over the
net and shop around for a good deal from the comfort of
your home.
Credit Scoring: What You
Dont Know Can Hurt You
You've probably heard the term credit scoring. You may have
some idea that your credit score can have an effect on your
life.
How To Use Your Credit
Card For Ultimate Financial Advantage
Using a credit card wisely is an important step in building
a great credit rating. If you're trying to re-build your
credit or if you're young and just starting out, pay close
attention the next time you receive a new card offer in the
mail or online.
Warning: Free Credit
Report Imposter Websites Springing Up on the
Web
A recent amendment to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act
(FCRA) requires each of the nationwide consumer credit
reporting companies to provide consumers with a free copy
of their credit report, upon request, once every 12
months.Access to the free credit reports has been phased in
beginning last December in the West and will finally be
nationwide by 1 September.
What is a Credit
Card?
A credit card allows you to buy things even though you
might not have the money to pay for it right away. The
company that gave you the card lets you spend up to an
agreed sum and then makes additional money available to you
as you pay off what you've spent.
|
|
