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Identity Theft Protection: What You Should Know

Everyone has heard about identity theft because it has been in the news very often. Most people think it can’t happen to them but this is far from the truth. Identity thieves don’t care whether you are rich or poor and they don’t care whether you have good or poor credit. The good news is you can do some things for identity theft protection.

There are a variety of simple things that we don’t think about that can do for identity theft protection. When you think about it, people are very used to certain habits that can make them targets for identity theft. What do you do with your junk mail? Do you throw it away or recycle it? Either way you are leaving it around for someone else to pick up.

Thieves will take from a variety of sources. It is not just credit cards they are after, but social security numbers, debit cards, and even phone calling cards. Recently, a General Accounting Office report said that the estimate at least 750,000 people are victims of identity theft every year.

There are many ways that thieves can take your identity. One of the easiest ways is to send you an email from what appears to be your bank or other institution you know that asks you to verify your information. Before you do, get on the phone and ask the bank if they do this because usually they do not.

Another way thieves have gathered information is to go to a restaurant and make a deal with a waiter. The waiter is guaranteed $50 for every credit card they send through a skimmer, which is supplied by the thief. The skimmer is as small as a credit card and a good waiter can process 100 credit cards a night giving your information to the thief.

Although most people have heard how to avoid identity theft there are still people who may not understand what to do. Here are a few ideas for identity theft protection:

-Destroy your private records, credit or bank statements or anything that comes to your home that includes your name.

-Have a locking mailbox or p.o. box for your mail and don’t mail anything to do with money from your home.

-Mail envelopes with checks in them at the post office not at home. Thieves can grab your information easily and use the checks again.

-Take your receipts with you. If you don’t need a receipt at the gas station or at the ATM, click the no receipt button. If you need a receipt take it with you or it can fall into someone else’s hands.

-Put your name on the National Do Not Call Registry list at 1-888-382-1222. This will not keep everyone from calling you but it will cut down those who do. Those who call can be told you are on the registry and they need to stop calling you.

These are simple things that you can do for identity theft protection that are will frustrate identity thieves and help to keep you safe.

Greg has experience with identity theft and has provided ways for you to have protection against identity theft. Visit Identity Protection Now to learn about different forms of Identity Theft Protection, information, and solutions today.

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Things You Should Know About Identity Theft

Identify theft is becoming a very real concern for many of us. Initially little could be done after the fact to restore your name and police officers did nothing, because there were no laws in place to protect consumers. Legislators enacted laws to assist consumers to restore their good names and to expedite the investigations by way of the creditor.

This type of crime continues and is increasing and this means more and more people’s credit is at risk. This complicates every day life in that an individual may have trouble obtaining a job, getting phone service, buying a cell phone, renting, buying a car, renting a car and many other everyday transactions. Identity theft complicated things and hurts a consumer’s credit until the mess is cleared up which often can take two years. This could mean higher rates for mortgages and loans and any other type of credit, especially when the consumer does not have a choice and cannot wait a few months or a couple of years. In effect a person may lose his good credit for up to two years. There are many statutes intended to protect consumers, but often these statutes are not enough.

Despite these statutes designed to assist the consumer to restore his or her good name and to expedite resolution, when a person’s identity is stolen the victim is still confronted with a very serious problem. The statutes specify what the consumer needs to do and if the consumer does not follow the rules to the letter, the creditor can continue its efforts to collect on debts not owed by the consumer. One of the worst things about identity theft is that often the debts are too small such that it is not worthwhile to hire an attorney, but at the same time the debt is too big for the consumer to absorb.

Some creditors quickly investigate and are able to determine whether or not the debts where in fact incurred by the consumer or if someone else used the consumers identifying information to obtain credit. Some creditors go the opposite way and exploit the fact that the consumer cannot afford to hire an attorney and fight a smaller debt. These creditors often file a lawsuit relatively quickly and then seek to settle the claim for a fraction and if the consumer does not accept they seek a judgment. These creditors in effect are essentially victimizing the consumer twice.

There is no magic number as to what attorneys charge, but generally speaking attorneys routinely seek retainers of $2,000-$3,000 and when the claim is for $3,000, it makes little economic sense for the consumer to hire an attorney. California and probably many other states have statutes that are designed to turn the tables on the creditor when the creditor fails to investigate incidents of identity theft. In these cases the consumer is required to follow certain steps and request certain things from the creditor. The creditor then has to investigate and respond within 30 days.

If the creditor does not have a good basis to pursue the claim, the creditor most not make any further efforts to collect on a debt. If the creditor decides to pursue the claim and files a lawsuit the consumer can then prove his identifying information was used without authorization and may be able to obtain not only attorney fees, but also an additional award for money damages.

The intent of these identify theft statutes is good, but consumers must still come up with a lot of money to fight these claims and more often than not the claim will not result in any advantage to the consumer. Collection efforts may stop and the lawsuit dropped, but the consumer will still be out of pocket for attorney fees and court costs.

All these protective statutes have a good intent to protect the consumer, but generally speaking they afford little protection when the consumer does not know precisely what the consumer needs to do. Even though each situation is different the first thing a consumer should do is file a police report where the consumer resides. The consumer should then contact the three major collection bureaus and place restrictions on who can access the consumer’s credit or if at all.

The consumer should then contact the creditors directly in writing, preferably by certified return receipt or some sort of proof of delivery. If the creditors refuse to investigate or fail to investigate, or continue collection efforts, then the consumer should consult with an attorney. There is no one perfect way to go about restoring a consumer’s good name, but delay or doing nothing is the worst way to go about it.

The author represents primarly consumers visit his website for valuable information.
Personal Injury Attorney Escondido, San Marcos, Vista, Oceanside, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Fallbrook, and Rancho Bernardo.

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The Best Identity Theft Protection

The best identity theft protection can be hard to find and incorporate into your daily habits. Identity theft is becoming a crime of choice these days because it is so easy to get away with. It is approximated that over 7 million individuals fell victim to identity theft last year and this year is supposed to reach close to 10 million. Scary huh?

The good think is, you have a few options when it comes to protecting yourself from becoming an identity theft victim. Most of the thing that can, and will protect you, have to be done by you all the time. There are also services you can purchase that do a lot of the work of protecting your identity for you. No matter what, to get the best identity theft protection, you need to do some things yourself.

Here are a few things you can and need to start doing today.

You need to watch your mail like a hawk. Mail is one of the easiest ways for a thief to get a hold of your personal information. All they need to do is get a bank statement, medical bill, credit card bill, or others and your identity is toast. They can also steal other things out of your mail like money and items purchased over the internet or phone and are mailed to you.

Have you ever shredded your personal documents that you don’t want to keep around the house? How about those pesky credit card offers that you get in the mail every day? If you are already in the habit of tossing those in the mail, you are giving a dumpster diver the perfect opportunity to find and steal a new identity for him or herself. Go out today and buy a good shredder, not just a regular shredder, but a cross cut shredder that can shred up to 6 pages at a time. Shred everything! Even stuff that doesn’t need to be shredded. Better safe that sorry!

Be aware of shady store employees when paying by debit or credit card. You should never let your credit card be out of your sight. This has mostly been a problem in the restaurant industry when the individual serving you takes your card away to run it. How easy would it be for them to quickly write down your credit card information and start stealing money from you?

Never, never, ever give your personal information out over the phone, this is called phishing. This happens when someone calls posing as someone from your bank or credit card company asking you to verify your social security number. Don’t do it! They already have it and would never ask for that over the phone. Immediately hang up and call that institution and verify that it was not them and report it.

You just need to be aware of everything that is going on around you and in your personal life. You are smart and can protect yourself, but some people get lazy. Remember, the best identity theft protection can be done by you! Work hard to protect everything you have worked so hard to build.

Greg has experience with identity theft and has provided ways for you to have the best identity theft protection. Visit Identity Protection Now to learn about different Identity Theft Protection Services, information, and solutions today.

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Identity Theft Protection Services – Assistance Is Waiting For You

Everyone should be well educated in identity theft protection. They should also know what their options are when it comes to identity theft protection services. Being a victim of identity theft is something that we all should dread. It is no fun, time consuming to clean up and has serious consequences if not taken care of in a timely manner.

When your identity is stolen, your personal information can be used for all types of crimes including the theft or money (definitely the most common). When your identity is compromised, a criminal can establish a new life and possibly a career with all of your information. It pays to take the necessary steps to keep your identity safe and to protect yourself from becoming another victim. Identity theft protection services are a great way to help assist you in this never-ending battle.

Keep in mind that you need to take an active part in fighting and protecting yourself identity theft as well. If you ever see any strange transactions or unusual behavior in any of your financial details or transactions, you should look into it immediately. If you find that your identity has been compromised, you need to keep calm. There are definitely ways to get things cleaned up and back to normal.

The very first thing that you need to do is repot it to the proper authorities. If you reside in the United States, you need to immediately report it to the Federal Trade Commission. By telling them that you have become a victim of identity theft, they will notify the other agencies and future problems and issues will be eliminated.

You will also need to contact one of the credit reporting agencies. They are Equifax, Experian, and Transunion. Once you have notified one of these agencies, they will notify the other two and your accounts will be immediately frozen from further activity.

If you are curious to know how many accounts have been opened without your knowledge, you can order a credit report from each agency. Once you know this, you can take whatever action you need to close any of those account that have been opened by the thief.

You should also take a few minutes to notify your bank, credit card companies, and the Social Security Department that your identity has been stolen. They will be more than happy to help you with whatever information you need to begin the clean up process.

It is never fun being a victim of identity theft. By taking the proper precautions and educating yourself, you can prevent identity theft from happening to you!

Greg has experience with identity theft and has provided ways to have protection from identity theft. Visit Identity Protection Now for Identity Theft Protection Services, information, and solutions today.

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