You may think your identity is perfectly safe and that identity and credit card theft could only happen to someone else, but take a few minutes to answer this Identity Theft Quiz, and see how safe your money and identity really is. Each answer is worth between 1 and 5 points, which you can tabulate at the end of the quiz to see how well your identity is truly protected:
1) What is your primary method of disposal for personal finance information?
A) For the most part, I tear the information up, and then dispose of it.
B) I tear some of the information and shred some of it before I dispose of it.
C) I use a cross-cut shredder to destroy my documents every time, before disposing of them.
2) What method do you use for disposal of unsolicited, pre-approved credit card direct mailing information?
A) I simply dispose of them in the garbage can.
B) I always destroy them in some fashion – either I tear them up, or I shred them.
The following post in our Reader Question series is an actual user submitted question.
“Q: I found out that someone used my grandson’s Social Security number to get phone service. How can I stop this? He’s only 11 years old.
A: If someone has used or is using a child’s Social Security number to secure a service, the child is a victim of identity theft. You should file a report with a local police department immediately. Having a police report will make it easier to have the fraudulent item or items removed from the child’s credit report. You should also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.
You should also call the phone company to inform them that the service has been fraudulently obtained using a minor’s Social Security number. If you are your grandson’s legal guardian, you can request a copy of his credit report from all three credit bureaus, and ask that fraudulent items be removed and that his credit report be frozen until he turns 18. If you are no
Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert
In 2003, an estimated 1.5 million laptops were stolen worldwide. Today, that number has climbed to 2.6 million. That’s a 70% increase in just a few years. That’s one stolen laptop every 12 seconds.
Laptop computers have been the source of some of the biggest data breaches of all time. 800,000 doctors were recently put at risk for identity theft when a laptop containing their personal data went missing from the Chicago-based Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
As the years pass, laptop prices come down and their computing power goes up, making them increasingly vulnerable.
According to yet another interesting Ponemon Institute study, more than half of IT and security professionals worldwide believe their companies’ laptops and other mobile devices pose security risks, and only half of them have CEOs who are strong advocates and supporters of data security efforts. Kelly
15 Dec
Posted by admin as Financial Articles
Identity theft can happen to anyone in this world. It comes exactly like a thief in the night. You wake up and learn that somebody has assumed your identity and depending how savvy or quick these thieves are, they can wipe all of what you have earned for in life.
Thieves work full time and more to try and get anybody’s identity. They do not care what effect it can give to their victims. Their main focus is their gain after stealing your identity and nothing else. Here are the heart-breaking effects of identity theft that can happen to anyone from a small one to a devastating life breaking effects.
1. Charging your credit card from just a small amount to a hefty one that you can ever imagine.
2. Open an account under your name and maximizing the limit in no time at all.
3. Thieves using the internet can use up all you have from your line of credit in just minutes. They can come from different countries and not just from your own country. They are worldwide.
4.