identity theft

Guard against identity theft

by
identity theft
news.sfimg.com

Identity Theft Takes a New Turn

By Terry Savage

February 15, 2017

       “If you think your finances are safer now that you use a chip card, think again. The latest Javelin Identity Fraud Study reports the number of identity fraud victims increased by 16 percent in 2016 to more than 15 million consumers. And the amount the thieves took grew by $1 billion to more than $16 billion in the past year.
      A large part of the increase came from ‘card not present’ fraud in the first year since chip cards became widely used. Fraudsters are resorting to more invasive ways of getting your identity details than simply counterfeiting mag stripe cards.
      So-called ‘phishing’ schemes have become far more sophisticated. Gone are the days of the misspellings and clumsy grammar that made fraud emails obvious. Fraudsters have gotten better at tricking you into clicking on a link in one of these emails. Once you do that on your computer or smartphone, these links deploy malware called ‘bots’ to collect all your data, including PIN and CV authentication numbers as you shop online.

      There’s also a growing trend of identity fraud crimes enabled by victims’ social media posts. Harmless items on your pages, including celebrations of your birthday, or a college graduation or reunion, give thieves information they use to open new accounts in your name. Fraudulent new credit accounts for more than half the increase in identity theft crime last year.

So what should you be doing to guard your identity? Here are some suggestions, which mostly involve common sense and a commitment to regularly review your finances:

  • Check online accounts regularly.
  • Check your credit report at least quarterly.
  • Guard your personal information.
  • Create two-factor authentication for your banking, credit and brokerage accounts.
  • Be aware of your vulnerabilities.”

Read specifics to guard against identity theft.

Terry Savage is a nationally recognized expert on personal finance, the economy and markets.  She responds to questions on her blog at TerrySavage.com.

Identity theft–Could you become a victim?

by

I received a new ATM bank card and a new Discover credit card in the past few months which carry the new computer chip technology, EMV.  This technology is supposed to protect consumers from fraud.  At first, I was hesitant to use the new cards, but after my daughter received some unauthorized purchases on her traditional magnetic strip credit card, I activated my new cards immediately.  These types of identity theft crimes are all too common.  Read more…

Get serious about protecting yourself from identity theft

identity theft
identitytheft.org.uk

Anya Kamenetz, THE SAVINGS GAME

“Having someone else pretend to be you is now something that has probably happened to you or someone you know. And it’s not as fun as it sounds.According to Bankrate, the financial website, says that 41 million U.S. adults have now had their identities stolen — and another 49 million know someone who has.Having your credit card used without your permission is the commonest, and in some ways the mildest, form of ID theft, because your bank’s fraud alert will likely notify you, cancel the charges and get you a new card before you lose any money.Letting someone get ahold of your Social Security number, date of birth and other biographical information is much worse. You can be liable for thousands of dollars in charges, it can ruin your credit, and once the information is out there changing hands, these violations can be repeated again and again.”

For more about identity theft, click here

Start off the new year by requesting copies of your credit reports

by
credit reports
gocleancredit.com

If you haven’t checked your credit reports for a while or ever, you may want to do so this month.  It’s easy and it’s free.  By reviewing your reports you might even detect identity theft early and stop it.

Equifax, Experian and TransUnion are the three major credit report firms and you can go to AnnualCreditReport.com to receive free copies of your credit reports.  You can choose to get a copy of all three reports now or stagger them throughout the year to monitor your credit.

“A credit report is an organized list of the information related to your credit activity. Credit reports may include:

  • A list of businesses that have given you credit or loans
  • The total amount for each loan or credit limit for each credit card
  • How often you paid your credit or loans on time, and the amount you paid
  • Any missed or late payments as well as bad debts
 Credit reports may also include:
  • A list of businesses that have obtained your credit report within a certain time period
  • Your current and former names, address(es) and/or employers
  • Any bankruptcies or other public record information
Under Federal law, you are entitled to receive one free copy of your credit report from each credit reporting company every 12 months.
Make sure you recognize the information on your credit report including your personally identifiable information, such as names, addresses, Social Security Number, accounts and loans. Then check that the other information on your credit report is accurate and complete. If you find information you believe does not belong to you or is not correct, contact the business that issued the account or the credit reporting company that issued the report.”