Archive for category Legal
Identity Theft – Guard Your Children’s Social Security Numbers
Charles Essmeier asked:
Identity theft is a growing concern among Americans, and rates among the top five complaints received by states’ Attorney General’s offices. A stolen identity can lead to tens of thousands of dollars worth of debt in the victim’s name and it can take years to completely undo the damage done to the victim’s credit report. Identity thieves can successfully commit crime with as little as a driver’s license number or credit card number, but the ideal target of such criminals is the Social Security number. With that number in hand, the identity thief can pass themselves off as the victim and open credit card accounts, bank accounts, and even obtain home equity loans. As more Americans become aware of the problems posed by identity theft, consumers are doing more to protect themselves. This has inspired thieves to look to a new source of identities to steal, and they have found one. They are now stealing the identities of children.
Established in the 1930′s the Social Security Administration was set up to provide benefits for retired Americans. Taxes are withdrawn from the paychecks of eligible workers, and each worker is issued a Social Security number in order to keep track of his or her benefits. Over the years, and despite the intentions of those who created the system, the Social Security number has become a de facto national identity number. It is difficult, if not impossible, to engage in most financial transactions without providing that number to the other party in the transaction. In fact, the number itself has become as important as the name of the person who holds it. Over the years, criminals have discovered that by obtaining the Social Security number of someone else, all kinds of illegal activities are possible, including obtaining loans in the names of the owner’s of the stolen numbers.
With more people now aware of the potential of identity theft, consumers are more carefully protecting their personal information. As a result, thieves are now targeting the Social Security numbers of children. A law passed in 1989 requires parents of newborn infants to register for a Social Security number for their child. That child will probably not need that number until he or she is a teenager, when the number might be necessary to obtain a driver’s license, open a bank account, or get a job. In the meantime, the number is not only unused, but the theft of it may go unnoticed. Thieves who obtain a Social Security number of a child know that they can probably use it for a decade without being caught.
How can you protect your child from identity theft? Treat your child’s personal information as if it were your own, and guard it carefully. Don’t give out the Social Security number of your child unless it is absolutely necessary, and if you aren’t sure if it’s necessary, ask. Some doctors and hospitals, for instance, request the number as a matter of course, but they may not actually need it.
Check to see if your child has a credit report. You can obtain one for free at the free credit report Website. Your child, if not working, shouldn’t have a credit report, so if the credit bureaus have one on file, you may have a problem. A child’s personal information is as useful to an identity thief as that of an adult. Guard yours and your children’s identification carefully.
Todd
Identity theft is a growing concern among Americans, and rates among the top five complaints received by states’ Attorney General’s offices. A stolen identity can lead to tens of thousands of dollars worth of debt in the victim’s name and it can take years to completely undo the damage done to the victim’s credit report. Identity thieves can successfully commit crime with as little as a driver’s license number or credit card number, but the ideal target of such criminals is the Social Security number. With that number in hand, the identity thief can pass themselves off as the victim and open credit card accounts, bank accounts, and even obtain home equity loans. As more Americans become aware of the problems posed by identity theft, consumers are doing more to protect themselves. This has inspired thieves to look to a new source of identities to steal, and they have found one. They are now stealing the identities of children.
Established in the 1930′s the Social Security Administration was set up to provide benefits for retired Americans. Taxes are withdrawn from the paychecks of eligible workers, and each worker is issued a Social Security number in order to keep track of his or her benefits. Over the years, and despite the intentions of those who created the system, the Social Security number has become a de facto national identity number. It is difficult, if not impossible, to engage in most financial transactions without providing that number to the other party in the transaction. In fact, the number itself has become as important as the name of the person who holds it. Over the years, criminals have discovered that by obtaining the Social Security number of someone else, all kinds of illegal activities are possible, including obtaining loans in the names of the owner’s of the stolen numbers.
With more people now aware of the potential of identity theft, consumers are more carefully protecting their personal information. As a result, thieves are now targeting the Social Security numbers of children. A law passed in 1989 requires parents of newborn infants to register for a Social Security number for their child. That child will probably not need that number until he or she is a teenager, when the number might be necessary to obtain a driver’s license, open a bank account, or get a job. In the meantime, the number is not only unused, but the theft of it may go unnoticed. Thieves who obtain a Social Security number of a child know that they can probably use it for a decade without being caught.
How can you protect your child from identity theft? Treat your child’s personal information as if it were your own, and guard it carefully. Don’t give out the Social Security number of your child unless it is absolutely necessary, and if you aren’t sure if it’s necessary, ask. Some doctors and hospitals, for instance, request the number as a matter of course, but they may not actually need it.
Check to see if your child has a credit report. You can obtain one for free at the free credit report Website. Your child, if not working, shouldn’t have a credit report, so if the credit bureaus have one on file, you may have a problem. A child’s personal information is as useful to an identity thief as that of an adult. Guard yours and your children’s identification carefully.
Todd
How to Freeze Your Credit Report, and Protect Your Iidentity Immediately
Mike Clover asked:
Red Tape Chronicles has a good guide for how to set up a credit report freeze at each of the three major credit bureaus. A freeze means no one can access your credit report unless you “thaw” your report. This means no new credit cards, loans, or mortgages, either by you, or by a potential identity thief. You will need to freeze the report with each bureaus. Not surprisingly, after fighting with Congress for four years against allowing for consumer freezes, the bureaus have made it difficult, requiring the mailing of certified letters, utility bills, different kinds of personal information, and charging fees.
Here’s the step by step:
EquifaxGeneral infoState-by-state information to get a freeze, Equifax wants you to send a certified letter with seven specific elements to Equifax Security Freeze/P.O. Box 105788/ Atlanta, Georgia 30348. The elements are spelled out clearly on the general information page, but they are, basically — name, address, date of birth, SSN, utility bill for proof of address, payment and a police report if you are a victim.
ExperianGeneral info and state-by state information to get state-specific information, scroll to the bottom of the page and pick your state from the drop-down menu.Before giving you the information you need, Experian will warn you that a security freeze may make your credit life very difficult. Take that with a grain of salt, and then pick your state. You’ll send the request by certified or overnight mail to Experian/ P.O. Box 9554/ Allen, TX 75013. Again, the recipe is listed on the firm’s Web site, but it will call for a name, SSN, date of birth, current and past addresses dating back two years, a copy of your driver’s license, and one utility bill.
TransUnionGeneral info and state-by-state information send your freeze requests to Trans Union/Fraud Victim Assistance Department/ P.O. Box 6790/ Fullerton, CA 92834. A few state residents can call instead of write — check the link above. Trans Union wants the following on the letter: name, address, Social Security Number, a copy of your driver’s license and payment.
Freezes will cost usually $10 per bureau, depending on your state. Also, if you want to take out a new line of credit, you’ll have to pay to unfreeze your report, and then again to refreeze it. Credit report freezes are free for identity theft victims. For everyone else, it’s a preventative measure, that, considering the possible monetary and psyhic and time cost of untangling identity theft, could be a wise investment
There is also a quicker resolution to all of this at http://www.my720fico.com/theft , this software is revolutionary in the IDfreeze solution for Identity Theft. Check it out.
Erica
Red Tape Chronicles has a good guide for how to set up a credit report freeze at each of the three major credit bureaus. A freeze means no one can access your credit report unless you “thaw” your report. This means no new credit cards, loans, or mortgages, either by you, or by a potential identity thief. You will need to freeze the report with each bureaus. Not surprisingly, after fighting with Congress for four years against allowing for consumer freezes, the bureaus have made it difficult, requiring the mailing of certified letters, utility bills, different kinds of personal information, and charging fees.
Here’s the step by step:
EquifaxGeneral infoState-by-state information to get a freeze, Equifax wants you to send a certified letter with seven specific elements to Equifax Security Freeze/P.O. Box 105788/ Atlanta, Georgia 30348. The elements are spelled out clearly on the general information page, but they are, basically — name, address, date of birth, SSN, utility bill for proof of address, payment and a police report if you are a victim.
ExperianGeneral info and state-by state information to get state-specific information, scroll to the bottom of the page and pick your state from the drop-down menu.Before giving you the information you need, Experian will warn you that a security freeze may make your credit life very difficult. Take that with a grain of salt, and then pick your state. You’ll send the request by certified or overnight mail to Experian/ P.O. Box 9554/ Allen, TX 75013. Again, the recipe is listed on the firm’s Web site, but it will call for a name, SSN, date of birth, current and past addresses dating back two years, a copy of your driver’s license, and one utility bill.
TransUnionGeneral info and state-by-state information send your freeze requests to Trans Union/Fraud Victim Assistance Department/ P.O. Box 6790/ Fullerton, CA 92834. A few state residents can call instead of write — check the link above. Trans Union wants the following on the letter: name, address, Social Security Number, a copy of your driver’s license and payment.
Freezes will cost usually $10 per bureau, depending on your state. Also, if you want to take out a new line of credit, you’ll have to pay to unfreeze your report, and then again to refreeze it. Credit report freezes are free for identity theft victims. For everyone else, it’s a preventative measure, that, considering the possible monetary and psyhic and time cost of untangling identity theft, could be a wise investment
There is also a quicker resolution to all of this at http://www.my720fico.com/theft , this software is revolutionary in the IDfreeze solution for Identity Theft. Check it out.
Erica
Free Triple Score – Protecting Your Credit Check Report Rating From Identity Theft
Marc Marseille asked:
Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America. The effects of identity theft can be a very hurtful experience that mostly occurs during the important moments of your life. Many victims of identity theft do not even realize that someone or in some cases several people have been violating them by getting access to their personal credit bureau report. Protecting your credit bureau report can easily be achieved by getting a copy of your free triple score from all three credit bureaus.
Your free triple score report will provide you with all the information you have reporting with all three credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and Trans Union. Once you have received your credit bureau report, it is crucial that you do a thorough investigation to make sure that all your information is reporting correctly. If you find that you have been a victim of identity fraud, the best thing to do in that situation is to seek professional legal help through a reputable credit attorney.
It is unfortunate if you find yourself dealing with the situation of having your identity stolen, but there several steps you can take to prevent identity theft before it happens. The first step is to arm yourself with identity protection. Many credit card companies offer identity protection through a small monthly fee on your credit card, but if you have several credit cards, you may want to consider getting a more universal identity protection policy. Getting a universal identity protection policy includes using a company that works hand in hand with the 3 credit bureaus to create a lock on your credit bureau report.
Once you’ve create a lock on your credit report, no one can make any purchases using your information without having to verify some very vital information. To secure yourself even further, it is important to shred all important personal information before disposing of them. Information that should be shredded is bank statements, credit card statements, and anything that shows your Social Security Number.
Another precaution you can take is to never give your Social Security Number over the internet through an unsecured server. One way to find out if the website you are viewing is insecure is by looking at your browser window. All secure internet websites start with https: and not just http:. To make it even safer to surf the internet, you should get virus protection, spyware and a reliable internet explorer like Firefox.
My last recommendation to protection your free triple score report sounds simple enough, but a lot of people fall victim to it everyday; you should never give your Social Security Number over the telephone to a company you do not trust. Unless you have a long lasting relationship with a certain company, it is better to deal in person. If you must give sensitive information over the phone such as banking, try to establish a relationship with one particular individual in that department before you do so.
Grace
Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America. The effects of identity theft can be a very hurtful experience that mostly occurs during the important moments of your life. Many victims of identity theft do not even realize that someone or in some cases several people have been violating them by getting access to their personal credit bureau report. Protecting your credit bureau report can easily be achieved by getting a copy of your free triple score from all three credit bureaus.
Your free triple score report will provide you with all the information you have reporting with all three credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and Trans Union. Once you have received your credit bureau report, it is crucial that you do a thorough investigation to make sure that all your information is reporting correctly. If you find that you have been a victim of identity fraud, the best thing to do in that situation is to seek professional legal help through a reputable credit attorney.
It is unfortunate if you find yourself dealing with the situation of having your identity stolen, but there several steps you can take to prevent identity theft before it happens. The first step is to arm yourself with identity protection. Many credit card companies offer identity protection through a small monthly fee on your credit card, but if you have several credit cards, you may want to consider getting a more universal identity protection policy. Getting a universal identity protection policy includes using a company that works hand in hand with the 3 credit bureaus to create a lock on your credit bureau report.
Once you’ve create a lock on your credit report, no one can make any purchases using your information without having to verify some very vital information. To secure yourself even further, it is important to shred all important personal information before disposing of them. Information that should be shredded is bank statements, credit card statements, and anything that shows your Social Security Number.
Another precaution you can take is to never give your Social Security Number over the internet through an unsecured server. One way to find out if the website you are viewing is insecure is by looking at your browser window. All secure internet websites start with https: and not just http:. To make it even safer to surf the internet, you should get virus protection, spyware and a reliable internet explorer like Firefox.
My last recommendation to protection your free triple score report sounds simple enough, but a lot of people fall victim to it everyday; you should never give your Social Security Number over the telephone to a company you do not trust. Unless you have a long lasting relationship with a certain company, it is better to deal in person. If you must give sensitive information over the phone such as banking, try to establish a relationship with one particular individual in that department before you do so.
Grace