Finding Ways To Identify Theft Of Identity

Although it may seem a little old fashioned to people who started worrying about fraud decades ago, it's important to remember that identity theft and credit fraud still remain to be a significant issue in the world of today. In fact, regardless of how cautious you may be with your finances and personal details, it's all too easy for people to suddenly become victims of identity fraud, and continue through life without noticing that their finances are being ravaged and their credit reputation is in disrepair.

The farther we move into the modern world of new technology, the more the ability to identify fraud becomes a crucial task, as criminals discover brand new ways of sneaking into our accounts, and getting their hands on our private data. So what can you do to identify credit fraud and stop it in its tracks?

How to Identify Credit Fraud

The best way to determine whether you may have become a victim of identity theft, is to keep a close eye on your credit rating and credit file accounts. Perhaps one of the biggest issues in place with instances of fraud, is the fact that many people forget to look at their credit data for months on end - giving criminals plenty of time to cause significant damage. With credit monitoring services, however, your credit data is monitored daily and if certain changes are detected, you receive a prompt alert enabling you to look into the activity.

Indeed, being able to identify theft of identity with the help of Identity Guard®, for instance, can help to provide a much needed layer of protection against the criminals who are looking to profit from your credit.

Caring For Your Credit

Your future credit rating will have a significant impact on the way that you live your life. In other words, without good credit, you may not be able to get the job, the house, or the loan that you so desperately want. This is why it is so important for everyone to take steps towards protecting their future, and keeping their identity secure.

Secure Your Future With ID Protect Options

Though it may not be discussed as frequently as other hot topic issues within the media today, identity theft and credit fraud continue to be some of the most significant threats in the world, particularly in association with finances. Although various methods of defense do exist, when searching for ID protect service it's worth recognizing that there is no sure way of preventing identity theft from happening to you entirely. The best thing that you can do is make use of the available tools and advice that could help to reduce your risks.

Considering Identity Theft

It's important to be aware of the impact that this kind of theft can have on your life. Many people don't even bother thinking about ID protection services, because they mistakenly believe that such a fraudulent crime will never happen to them. Some consumers are convinced that it is only gullible people and those who don't know how to use protective internet services who fall victim to such scams, but this is not the case.

Anyone, no matter who they are or where they are located can fall victim to the damage that identity theft may cause. Once you have become a victim, you may find that it is difficult to repair the destruction done to your credit, meaning that you will struggle to get your hands on the loans you need to fund your future, or a mortgage you so desperately wanted. With that in mind, it can be easier to see why services that protect ID are so important.

How to Defend Yourself

One of the best ways to help protect yourself from identity fraud, and reduce the risks associated with this fraudulent crime, is to use a credit monitoring service. By regular monitoring of your credit data, you can increase your chances of spotting potential theft before the problem becomes too large. Credit monitoring gives you regular access to your credit report information. And, perhaps, even more important is that such companies are experienced with regards to this type of crime, so they'll monitor for certain changes that occur in your data and if these are found, they will send you an alert. This will allow you to act as early as possible in thwarting potentially criminal activities.

Using A Credit Monitor For Identity Fraud Protection

Though the issue of identity theft is not covered in the media as frequently as it may have been in the past, it continues to impact a huge number of people around the world, leading to financial turmoil and long-lasting problems. Regardless of who you are, or where you live, you are vulnerable to credit fraud or identity theft, unless you know how to monitor credit data and look after your identity. No matter where you go, chances are that you'll be able to find a story about someone who suffered as a victim of this type of crime. Unfortunately, though you may be honest with your work and cash, not everyone is the same, and there are plenty of criminals willing to take your money without a second thought.

Fortunately, although credit and identity fraud can't be completely prevented, it is possible to reduce your risks and help to protect yourself against the impact of such a crime, if you know how to use a credit monitor service.

Finding The Right Defense

To a certain extent, protecting yourself against the risks associated with identity theft can be as simple as ensuring you are more cautious in your everyday life. For example, you should never give personal or sensitive information out over the phone or through an email conversation. And you should take care to shred any personal documents that you may receive through the mail before disposing of them. At the same time it is always useful to be cautious about the way you use your credit and debit cards in public, by covering your PIN during transactions and when using ATMs.

But in addition to common sense forms of protection, you may need to access a more specialized service that monitors credit information.

What Do Credit Monitors Do?

With an automatic credit monitor your credit report data is monitored on a regular basis for certain activity going on in your accounts. When these changes are detected, they will send you an alert so that you can act promptly to protect yourself, for example, by canceling those credit accounts that have been opened.

How You Can Benefit From Fraud Protection Services

You can never be too careful with your personal information.

The reality is that millions of consumers are victims of identity theft every year. Attackers can use your information in a number of ways from making large purchases with a new credit card to opening new accounts in your name. Both of which can negatively affect your credit score or even prevent you from applying for a loan.

It is critically important to take preemptive measures to protect your identity. The good news is there are fraud protection services available that can help do exactly that. The following is how you can benefit from these services and what you can expect.

Credit MonitoringFraud protection offers a number of features you cannot get anywhere else. One feature is monitoring your credit data from the major bureaus. If certain types of activity are detected, you receive a prompt alert so you can take immediate action. This might involve contacting the credit issuers to close a fraudulent account or filing a report with the local police.

Many of the services also provide regular updates of your credit score. This feature is useful especially if you are applying for a mortgage or other credit in the near future.

Security Software ToolsKeeping your computer secure is absolutely important. Many identity thieves use sophisticated software and other sly tricks to access sensitive information stored on personal devices. With a fraud protection service, you can expect to receive a number of security software tools to install on your computer. These include antivirus software, password protection, and even keystroke encryption.

Personal Recovery AssistanceAnother benefit of fraud protection services is the personal recovery assistance that you get. If your identity is ever stolen, you receive personal guidance on the next steps to take with your credit issuers and the local police. This is particularly useful to help recover your identity and minimize certain financial damage. Many services now also offer identity theft insurance to cover any expenses that occur from identity theft.

These are some of the many benefits that you can expect with an identity theft protection service.

Social Security Identity Theft--Monitor your Identity

Your social security number is the most important piece of identifying information you have if you live in the United States.  At one time, it was used only for employment purposes.  Now, it is used for everything from college admission to professional licensing.  Social security identity theft is a real and growing problem, along with all types of identity theft.  So, what can you do to try and prevent social security theft?

1. First, you will want to take good care of your actual social security card.  Not only could it cause a lot of problems if it fell into the wrong hands, but it is also a lot of trouble to replace.  Do not carry your social security card with you on a daily basis.  Your driver's license is generally enough for your daily needs to identify yourself.
2. Second, be careful who has access to your social security number and also those of your family members.  You may be surprised to learn that around a third of all identity thefts are committed by a known person like a family member or close friend.  It is also surprising to learn that children are frequent targets of these kinds of identity thieves.  That is because they have "clean" identities with no credit history, employment history, marriages, divorces, bankruptcies and so forth.
3. Last, consider using an identity monitoring service to help you protect your social security number and other valuable personal information.  Identity Guard® is an excellent identity monitoring service that will help to avoid social security number identity theft.  The Identity Guard Total Protection® service will monitor the internet continuously to see if your social security number or any other sensitive personal information is turning up on black market websites, secret chat rooms or underground forums.  If certain activity is detected, you will receive a prompt notification.  With Identity Guard, you can always choose how you will be notified--by email, text message or via a convenient mobile application that can be downloaded to your device.  Check out Identity Guard for all of your identity monitoring needs.

Identity Theft Protection Reviews

What is really important to customers when it comes to identity theft protection reviews?  

Here are some of the things that people who use these services have noted in reviews of identity theft protection companies:

• Customers want to receive regular credit score updates. Some people are not aware that they have not just one credit score, but credit scores from three major reporting bureaus.  In addition to providing credit score updates and credit reports on at least a quarterly basis, it is extremely important that services for credit monitoring provide this information from all three bureaus, not just one.

• Timely updates are a must.  Receiving reports at certain intervals is extremely useful when there are no outstanding issues with your personal information.  If there is a problem, it is imperative to be notified promptly.  The convenience of this notification is also a big factor.  It is important to customers to be able to choose how they would like to be notified--by email or text message.

• There is more to identity theft protection than just credit monitoring.  A comprehensive identity theft protection service will offer you identity monitoring. This includes Social Security number monitoring; monitoring the Internet to see if personal information is detected on black market websites, secret chat rooms and underground forums; account takeover alerts; and other sophisticated data monitoring to keep your identity safe. 

• Online identity protection is important.  Customers want software products that will protect them from viruses and malware.  Optimum online security will include a different passwords and login credential for each website you use.  This is a lot of information to remember, so it is good to have a place to store your valuable login information. That's where a password manager can help by storing all of your passwords in one secure "lock box."

How to Protect Your Credit From Identity Thieves

Money is essential to many parts of life, but it is not always guaranteed. People grow up learning that money has to come from somewhere, and that “somewhere” is often working to make a living. Unfortunately, there are people out there that don’t want to work for what they make, and so they choose other methods of obtaining money... Like committing identity theft and stealing from those that truly work for their wages.

With more people choosing to use credit and debit cards to make purchases via mobile devices, there are an increased number of chances for your identity to get stolen. As this use is sometimes unavoidable, you should choose some form of protection just to ensure that even if you’re taking part in this type of transaction, you’re a little safer. To help protect your credit, you could consider a credit monitoring service. This type of service monitors your credit information at the credit reporting bureaus. They monitor for certain types of activity - applications for credit or address changes, for example - and send you prompt notifications when detected. This gives you a chance to either confirm the activity as your own, or investigate and take action if not.

Knowing how to protect your credit is the hardest part of the process, because not everyone knows what they are getting into - or what their options are. Educating yourself about the different programs, services and decisions that you can make will help you in the future, as it can be a way to protect your credit from people that want to misuse it. This type of protection is enough to help many people feel a lot more comfortable with what their account status is, the security of their information, and the ways that things look when compiled over time. Not only will a credit monitor alert you to potential misuse, but it will provide a history of your accounts, giving you things to look for in the future - and a way to see whether or not the accounts are compromised in any way.

Combatting Credit Card Theft

You may love the ease of convenience of paying with plastic, but identity thieves love it even more.  After all, they are using someone else’s money and have no intention of worrying about the bills that will soon be rolling in.  You don’t need to cut up all of your credit cards and start paying only with cash, but you do need to take steps to help protect yourself from credit card theft. One of those steps is to take steps to protect not only your credit cards, but consider using identity theft protection for a holistic approach.



One way to protect yourself from credit card theft is to examine readers before you insert your card.  Gas pumps and ATMs can be altered using devices called skimmers to store your card information so that it can be used to make purchases or to create a counterfeit card.  Companies are trying to fight this kind of theft.  Have you noticed many gas pumps lately have security stickers fixed on the credit card units?  They are easy to miss, but keep an eye out for them the next time you fill up your gas tank.  They are there to help prevent the card reader from being tampered with.  If you ever see one of these labels that has been broken or that reads “VOID,” do not use that gas pump.



Skimmers can also be handheld.  While I am sure that most restaurant employees are honest, there have been many credit card theft cases of waiters collecting customers’ credit card information when they walk away with the cards.  Consider using cash in restaurants.



Identity theft credit card can also happen online.  Only give your payment information when you are on a reputable website and a secure connection.  Never shop (or log into any personal accounts) when you are using free public wi-fi.  Criminals can use these connections to steal information that you send and receive.  If you are unsure about a site, do some research before you enter any payment information.  Often, retail sites will ask you to create an account and save your payment information.  Make sure that you choose a secure password because it is likely that all anyone will need to do in the future is log in if they want to make additional purchases.

For more tips on how you can help prevent identity and credit theft, visit www.identityguard.com.

Avoiding Credit Card Identity Theft During the Holidays

You may already be checking names off on your gift list, but while you are racing around the mall or shopping online, make sure that you are not being careless with your identity.  More shopping means more opportunities for thieves to commit credit and identity theft, and you should be taking these protective steps:

Clean out your wallet.  Only carry one credit card at a time.  Never carry your passport or social security card in your wallet.  Carrying too much in your wallet can increase your chances of credit theft.  Also, carry your purse under your arm or keep your wallet in your front pocket to avoid pickpockets.

Keep an eye on your cards.  Card skimming often occurs when you have to hand your card to someone.  Keep an eye on what they do with it and how long they keep it.  It is also a good idea to write “check photo ID” on the back of your card so if the card were to be stolen, hopefully it will remind cashiers to ask for identification.  If they do not ask, remind them to so hopefully they can start to get in the habit of looking at the card.  After I got married, I continued to use a card that had my maiden name on it for almost a year.  The card said to check ID on the back, but even when the cashiers did ask to see ID, not once did they say anything about the last names on the card and my ID being different.  As more people are writing “check ID” on their cards, I hope cashiers are becoming more vigilant so they can help prevent credit theft.

Designate a card for online purchases.  Have one card that you use only for online purchases.  This way if there are fraudulent charges, they will be easier to identify.

Shop on recognized sites.  Those sites that you have never heard of that claim to have once in a lifetime deals are so tempting – but they can also be scams.  Try to stick to reputable sites to avoid credit theft.  If you are unfamiliar with a site, do some research before you make a purchase.  Be especially wary if the site is missing any one of the following: a phone number, a privacy policy, or a return policy.

Identity Monitor Useful as Theft Becomes More Common

Identity theft is known as the fastest growing crime in America.  It occurs when someone uses another person’s personal information for their own gain.   Anyone can be a victim – age, race and income don’t matter to an identity thief.  Anyone who is concerned about their financial future should help protect themselves with an identity monitor.

Why has identity theft become so common?

It is easy to pull off.  A name, birthday, credit card number or social security number are all a thief needs to get started.  These can be obtained countless numbers of ways, from high tech mass data breaches to stealing mail and wallets.  Once they have the information, all they need is a phone and a cheap computer to get started.

It is very profitable.  Identity theft gives a criminal access not only to your financial accounts, but also to your ability to borrow and spend.  Because they are not going to be concerned with keeping current with their credit, they can just take and take.

There is little that law enforcement can do.  Technology enables the identity thief to operate behind a keyboard nowhere near their victims.  Because the crime is perpetrated from a distance and usually has multiple components, it is often difficult for law enforcement to investigate.

What can you do?

You cannot prevent identity theft completely, so your best defense is to detect identity theft as soon as possible.  When someone commits identity theft, it often results in changes to your public records and credit report.  Identity monitoring services protect you by monitoring for certain changes and promptly alerting you.  You can check your credit report yourself for free from each of the three credit bureaus once per year, but doing that alone leaves you vulnerable between checks.  The best identity monitoring services will check your credit report year-round from all three credit bureaus.  When they alert you to a change, if it appears to be fraudulent they will also help advise you on what to do next.  Cleaning up your credit report can be a long, complicated process, so their help can be very valuable.

Theft Identity: Keep Your Info to Yourself

You have probably heard a lot about identity theft, but do you know how to protect yourself?  Identity theft occurs when someone uses another’s personal information for their own gain.  This information can include name, social security number, credit or debit card number, birthday, driver’s license number, or bank account number.  Because theft identity requires a bit of personal information to get the thief started, the logical first step is to protect your personal information to make it less likely that it will fall into the wrong hands.

Only give your social security number when absolutely necessary.  

Just because a form asks for your social security number does not mean that you have to give it away.  There are some organizations that have the right to demand your social security number – your employer, the motor vehicle department or welfare departments, for example – most places do not.  When asked for a social security number, too many people just rattle it off without really thinking about it.  Remember that the more people and places that have your social security number, the more likely it is that it will be compromised.  Before you give it away, ask why it is needed and what it will be used for.  Often, another number will do.

Don’t carry more than you need.  

Only carry credit cards that you actually plan on using.  To help protect yourself from identity theft, never carry your social security card in your wallet.  Leave it at home in a secure location.  If your wallet were to get lost or stolen, you have to cancel every single credit card that was in that wallet, and you cannot cancel your social security number.

Invest in a shredder.  

There are many high-tech ways to steal personal information for identity theft, but that doesn’t mean that criminals have given up on dumpster diving.  Shred any documents or papers that contain any personal information before you throw them away.

Monitor your credit report.  

One of the most effective ways to identify if you have been a victim of identity theft is to check your credit report.  Look for anything suspicious such as accounts that you don’t recognize, inquiries from companies that you don’t know, or inaccuracies in your basic information.