double t asked:


if so, then what is your solution. the ftc just announced that there are over 9 million cases of identity theft last year alone
this is good for the financial part of identity theft but what about the other portions of theft like medical and drivers license

Doris

Simon Z asked:


Is there any drawbacks if I put up alert at Credit Burearus , when I suspect i am victim of identity theft?

Jeremy

g_divo asked:


I AM A VICTIM OF IDENTITY THEFT, AND JUST FOUND OUT MANY CREDIT CARD ACCOUNTS ARE EITHER OPEN, OR CLOSED TO DELIQUENT ACCOUNT AND IS IN COLLECTION AGENCY. THE REPORT STATES THAT CREDIT CARDS HAVE BEEN ISSUED SINCE 1995, AND SOME ARE ONES THAT I REALLY HAVE BUT MOST ARE NOT WHICH I STILL PRESENTLY CARRY AND USE. I WANT TO KNOW ONCE I GET THE FRAUDULENT CHARGES AND ACCOUNTS REMOVED FROM 3 BUREOUS, HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO CLEAR AND BRING UP CREDIT SCORE. MY CREDIT SCORE IS PRESENTLY IN “POOR” STATUS-564? I GOT A POLICE REPORT AND GOING TO FAX POLICE REPORT WITH ALL HIGHLIGHTED CREDIT CARDS THAT I DONT/NEVER HAD.OPENED ACCOUNTS WITH FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

Robin

Peek A Boo asked:


I want to apply for a passport to leave the country for Australia next year for a honeymoon. How does a person go about to see if their identity was stolen? Who do you contact, who do you talk to? Thank you!

Terry

The Wonderful Man asked:


i never really thought of it that much, but now i realize that it is extremely easy for someone to commit identity theft on you. i mean all someone have to do is get your wallet and ur done. how can i guard myself from identity theft?

Beatrice

domryan22 asked:


Ive been hearing about synthetic id theft, also called ssn-only theft a lot lately and I was wondering how someone could open a bank account just by building a fake identity around a ssn. It just doesn’t seem possible to me. Here’s an article about it http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/pf/identity_theft_20070516_a1.asp

George

Bernard Pragides asked:


Many people do not realize that there are different types of identity theft. There are indeed several ways in which the identity thief can take advantage of your personal information, while leaving you to deal with the repercussions. Here’s what you need to know about the 5 types of identity theft.

The type of identity theft you are probably most familiar with is Financial Identity Theft. It is when the thief uses your information to set up financial accounts in your name without your permission or knowledge. The thief may obtain credit cards, loans, merchandise, homes, vehicles, vacations and more, all in your name. Financial identity theft can definitely cost you thousands of dollars in debt, not to mention the painstaking process of clearing your name and credit.

Another type of identity theft is Medical Identity Theft wherein the thief uses your information to obtain health and other medical benefits and services. Being a victim of medical identity theft can result to fraudulent billing and having erroneous medical files. Your ability to get a health and life insurance may also be affected. Imagine the nightmare of having an actual medical emergency and having your insurance company refusing to cover the bills as records show you’ve already had the procedure done or you’ve depleted your insurance coverage.

An identity thief can not only leave you with tons of debt, but leave you with a criminal record as well. With Criminal Identity Theft, the thieves use your information to obtain employment, to commit or distance themselves from crimes, or provide your information when questioned by law enforcement. Repercussions can range from undeserved tickets to outstanding arrest warrants and even temporary imprisonment. Victims can also be fired from their jobs due to an “undisclosed conviction”.

An identity thief can also use your identity to begin a “new life”. Basically, the thief openly lives and works as you. This type of identity theft is called Character Identity Theft or Identity Cloning. Using your name, the thief can collect tax refunds and receive your benefits, obtain professional licenses, be married, have children or file for bankruptcy. The thieves are usually criminals, fugitives, illegal aliens, or people with poor work or financial history.

Identity theft can not only be devastating to individuals but to businesses as well especially in cases wherein the business’ credit and the owner’s credit are one in the same. With Commercial Identity Theft wherein criminals get credit by charging it to another business’ name, business operations may be severely affected due to a loan being denied or called early or if interest rates on key credit accounts are increased due to a universal default cause.

Truly, an awareness of these different types of identity theft is helpful in protecting ourselves from becoming a victim of the crime. Given that identity theft has now become more common, it’s definitely wise to know what we are up against in order to take the appropriate preventive measures.



Ethel

Pennywise asked:


I had a relative use my info to obtain a credit card in my name and they put themselves on the card as an “authorized user”. They have had this account open since March and I just now found out. I got a copy of my credit report from all 3 agencies and seen that nothing else has been going on except for they applied for another credit card that was denied the same day that they were approved for the one they got. They kept the account in good standing (though that is besides the point). I closed the account, changed the contact info and also password protected it. I confronted them about it and they apologized but said they were in a tight and needed a credit card for gas/bills and could not get approved themselves. They agreed to pay back the current balance. Anyway, I am undecided on what to do, I don’t want to see them in trouble but I do want them to learn a lesson. What is the statute of limitations on identity theft in Texas incase I do decide to file charges?

Thanks.

Susan

Smothers65 asked:


I asked a question about closing accounts for credit score reasons and have been educated on that topic. My next question is if you have open accounts that you don’t use or if you have many open, does it raise your chances for identity theft? Also how do they get your information?

Karen

Bernard Pragides asked:


Identity theft monitoring is a mechanism that helps us effectively prevent incidences of identity theft . And identity theft monitoring prevents internet fraud and also helps you protect your personal information.

Most often, identity theft occurs whenever the user’s personal information is compromised. In fact identity theft usually involves using the victim’s personal information to commit frauds.

There are some guidelines that can help us prevent identity thefts; these guidelines are useful to minimize the potential damage that can occur from identity theft:

1) Blocking disclosed credit card numbers is a part of identity theft monitoring process.

2) Monitoring credit reports is necessary to monitor identity theft.

3) Contacting government agencies is another way to prevent identity theft; this will also prevent the assailant to use licenses or credit cards.

There are many symptoms of identity theft such as:

a) Getting late or missing bills

b) Sometimes receiving an unknown credit card bill is another symptom of identity theft.

c) Other symptoms of identity theft include being contacted by unknown debt collectors or receiving bills for purchases that you have not made.

There are some steps that are necessary to minimize and prevent identity theft, these preventive measurement are known as identity theft monitoring mechanisms.

Identity Theft Monitoring Mechanisms

Identity theft monitoring includes a mechanism that will ensure that identity theft will never occur in future. There are many measures that help to prevent identity theft such as securing Social Security number (SSN), credit card numbers or other personal information. These preventive measures will help to tackle fraud or other identity theft crimes.

Identity theft monitoring includes the thorough verification of your personal accounts, which also cover all your credit card accounts. If identity theft occurs then it is necessary to close the credit account immediately. Consulting with financial institutions and banks is one of the best way to prevent identity theft. Changing passwords of credit cards and ATM cards frequently is another way to prevent identity theft. Avoiding parents names, date of birth and last digit of social security number in passwords to aid the process of identity theft monitoring.

Identity thefy can be even be done by using anybody’s social security number which is generally a four-digit number. If this happens, then it is necessary to inform one of the three nation wide consumer reporting companies. Placing initial fraud alert is part of Identity theft monitoring process, this will restrict the fraudster from opening a credit account by using a duplicate name. This alert will stays on credit card report for 90 days.

Monitoring suspicious activities are also part of Identity theft monitoring process. This process includes checking accounts that have never been accessed previously, debits on such accounts that cannot be explained and inquiries from unknown companies. Sometimes checking name, surname, and social security number and employers name is also important to monitor identity theft.

Putting a flag on file can be a part of Identity theft monitoring mechanism, which will prevent anyone else from getting duplicate license or other authorized documents. Carefully reading and monitoring credit card reports and financial statements is also part of Identity theft monitoring system. This is useful to prevent and tackle identity theft. Many financial companies and insurance companies are offering identity theft insurance, which cover every aspect of identity theft.



Laurie