Am I At Risk?

In a recent report by Javelin Research, ‘women were 26% more likely than men to be victims of identity theft. When identity theft first started taking hold, thieves would get your social security and credit card information by digging through your trash. Nowadays, stealing your identity is cleaner and quicker. Today, thieves use high-tech equipment. Many times there are whole rings of hackers that do nothing but try and break into large databases that hold sensitive information. All this personal information is then used to create credit cards or sold to other enterprising scam artists. It has become in effect an assembly line into identity theft.

How Can They Steal My Identity?

Thieves get their data from all sorts of places, from online retail sites to phishing schemes asking you to update banking or personal information. But that’s not all, last year in a targeted attempt the house of a data analyst was broken into and a laptop containing the records of 26 million U.S. veterans.

It used to be that thieves were after cold hard cash or jewelry, that still happens. But the identity thieves, they are after something much bigger-your life. Why risk getting caught burglarizing a home, when you could take out a new home mortgage in someone else’s name? Then turn around and refinance to get an even bigger chunk of money.

Why Identity Protection and Credit Monitoring?

In the mid 90’s there was a movie titled The Net. In it, Sandra Bullock’s character’s identity, drivers license, and whole life is deleted. Sadly, 15 years ago this was science fiction. Today it’s cliché and rampant.

Luckily in this day and age there is something you can do to protect yourself against having your life stolen and your credit ruined. Here are some benefits of having your identity protected:

* Reduce or Eliminate Junk Mail
* Reduce or Eliminate Telemarketers
* Instant Fraud Detection Alert and Prevention
* Free Credit Report From All 3 Agencies
* Average Losses Covered-$1 Million +
* Personal Support and Advice
* Online Security Protection For Online Shoppers

What Happens When They Steal My Identity?

The crime of identity theft occurs when someone impersonates you by using your personal information to gain valid drivers licenses, passports, and other forms of ID. They use this new ID to apply for jobs, start utility services, and to steal your government benefits such as social security. The person can apply for home loans, declare bankruptcy, and event commit crime using your name. Just to name a few.

{ 0 comments }

Identity theft and credit fraud are major concerns of consumers. These crimes are becoming more commonplace with thousands of people affected by them each year. Criminals steal your identity in order to use it to get loans or credit cards. By the time you learn of the problem you may be held responsible for thousands of dollars of debt and your credit score may be lowered. The best way to prevent harm is to view your credit report often.

Trans Union Credit is one of the main three credit reporting companies in the country. They gather information that is provided by lenders and credit card companies. Trans Union Credit also keeps your credit score and will provide it to lenders when they review your credit history such as when you apply for a loan.

In order to protect your identity you should look at your credit report and credit score often. Many experts suggest that you review it on a monthly basis. The easiest way to do this is to subscribe to a monthly service. Trans Union Credit offers several products that allow you to view your credit every month. They also monitor your credit report and alert you by email whenever any changes are made that can affect your credit score.

The result is that you’ll have immediate knowledge when any possible id theft or fraud has occurred. You can then act quickly to reduce or eliminate the damage and report the problem. Trans Union Credit also offers support in case you do encounter fraud with your identity.

{ 0 comments }

ProtectMyID.com

March 1, 2010

Identification theft is a growing problem. Id theft can cause credit problems that can be difficult or impossible to correct. There are ways to protect yourself from id theft so you can stop thieves before they damage your credit. ProtectMyID.com is a security identity protection service that helps to ensure that your [...]

Read the full article →

Plus Score

March 1, 2010

Consumers often have difficult understanding credit scores because they are complicated. Experian, one of the top three credit score reporting companies in the country, created Plus Score. Plus Score is an easier way for people to understand their credit scores. Rather than looking at the FICO credit score the Plus Score, a scoring [...]

Read the full article →

Myfico.com

March 1, 2010

Everyone has a credit score. Your credit score, also known as your FICO score is determined through the reporting of your credit and loan payment history to the credit reporting companies. There are three main credit bureaus. Keeping track of all your information can be tedious and time consuming if you try to [...]

Read the full article →

Lifelock.com Review

March 1, 2010

Identification theft is a big concern for people in the new millennium. As the Internet becomes more widely used id thieves are becoming more sophisticated in finding ways to steal your identity. Identity theft can have serious consequences. Not only can you have money stolen but your credit can also be ruined [...]

Read the full article →

Know Your Score

March 1, 2010

Your credit score is one of the most important numbers that you can have. Your ability to get future credit, loans and even employment can depend on having a good credit score. With identity theft on the rise its imperative that consumers take steps to ensure that their credit score stays intact. [...]

Read the full article →

IPlace

March 1, 2010

Monitoring your credit is an important part of protecting your identity. Identity thefts occur every day, particularly to unsuspecting people. Become aware of your credit score and keep your eye on your credit reports in order to protect yourself from fraud. One way to help monitor your credit is through a credit [...]

Read the full article →

I’m Thinking of a Number

March 1, 2010

Consumers need to understand what their credit score is and how it’s used. The credit score is the single most important factor used when determining a new credit card loan, car loan, mortgage or bank account. The higher your credit score the better. When you have a low credit score you’ll find [...]

Read the full article →

Identity Guard

March 1, 2010

Consumers are becoming the targets of identity theft on a regular basis. The best ways to stop id theft is to prevent it from occurring and to be alerted immediately if any id theft is attempted. ID theft can occur more easily with the Internet. If you are concerned about ensuring that [...]

Read the full article →