Identity Protection - Identity Theft Help » credit card

10 Ways To Proctect Your Identity

Melissa — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 15:19:07 +0000

With the age of technology and the recent recession looming, protecting your identity is of crucial importance. Each year, more than half a million people find themselves victims of identity theft. Many people lose their life savings and it takes them years to build up that nest egg. The best protection is prevention. Here are 10 ways to protect your identity from would-be thieves.

10 Ways To Protect Yourself From Identity Theft

Limit the amount of credit cards you carry. The more credit cards you have in your wallet the harder it is to track them.
Purchase a cross shredder to shred all important documents and credit cards.
At ATM’s, phone booths, and check-out kiosks be watchful for people watching you input your pin or phone number. Make sure you shield your pin number from outsides views.
If shopping online, only buy products that have a private policy.
Do not give out your SSN, bank account number or credit card number to solicitors over the phone. Make sure they tell YOU that information.
Never carry your SSN around with you. Keep it in a safe spot and memorize the number.
If you applied for a credit card and it hasn’t arrived in the suggested time frame, call the credit card company right away.
When mailing bill payments, take them to the post office and don’t leave them in your mail box. This is only inviting thieves to steel these payments.
Make sure to get a credit report at least once a year. By doing this you can clean
Monitor your credit card bills carefully. Note any missed payments or double billing.

Top 5 Tips To Protect Yourself Against Idenity Theft

Melissa — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:50:43 +0000

Here’s a shocking fact: every 3.5 seconds in the U.S. an identity is stolen. Not only do you have to be safe online but you have to be safe in the real world. It is true that identity theft is thought of an online crime, but thieves are going low-tech and stealing your identity right under your nose. Here is 5 tips to protect yourself against identity theft.

Limit How Many Credit Card You Carry – This will help against ones being stolen and you not knowing about it.
Mix Up Your Passwords – Never use the same password for your online accounts. It’s a good idea to keep a tab of them on a “keychain” program where all you need to know is the master password and all your accounts and passwords are saved.

When Vacationing Stop Mail and Newspaper Services – A good sign for robbers is a pile full of newspapers and a full mailbox. Get a neighbor to gather up mail and newspaper or get a stop on these services.
Keep Your Wallet And Purse Close – Don’t place your purse on the floor in a restaurant
Use A Cross Shredder To Shred Receipts, Bills And Other Personal Information – It’s important to cross shred your personal information.

By using these simple tips, you will less likely be a victim of identity theft. Stay safe and protect yourself.

Fraud Alert – When You Become A Victim Of Credit Card Theft

Melissa — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 17:36:14 +0000

It’s one of the worst things that can happen to anyone: you find out that your credit card number has been stolen and is being used to purchase items or open accounts. It can be a scary thing but knowing the steps to take will ensure a quicker outcome.

Once you become aware of someone using your credit card, the first thing you should do is put a fraud alert on your credit file. This is a precautionary thing to do in case you feel that identity theft could be a problem. Putting out a fraud alert will not be the only thing to do. Some creditors simply ignore a fraud alert so it’s best to also consider a credit freeze which is a stronger precaution than a fraud alert.

What a fraud alert does is add an extra step to ensure safety. If you or someone who has stolen your card wants to open an account in order to get a cell phone or a new credit card, the lender will contact you by phone to verify that you really want to open an account. If they are unable to reach you, the account won’t be opened. Note that once a fraud alert is issued it is attached to your credit report.

Become safe in today’s world.

Protect Yourself Against Credit Card Theft

Melissa — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 01:58:03 +0000

I found this useful article on credit card theft. Credit card theft is becoming a huge problem in the US and all over the world. Everybody should know how to protect themselves from identity theft because you definitely don’t want it to happen to you.

Guarding your credit card against theft is a first defense against identity theft, yet many people leave their cards where a thief can easily have access.

Do you do any of these things:
- Leave your credit card in a desk drawer at home?
- Leave your credit card in a “handy” spot – like the kitchen cupboard or the top of your dresser?
- Leave your credit card in your purse or wallet in your car?
- Leave your credit card in a gym locker?
- Leave your purse in a grocery cart while you go into a cooler?
- Leave your credit card in your purse on a restaurant chair while you get up to visit the salad bar?
- Leave your credit card in your pocket or purse when you’re in a night club and get up to dance?
- Leave your wallet laying on the checkout counter while you run back to get a missed item?

If you do any of those things, you’re inviting theft.

You may think your cards are perfectly safe at home – and they probably are, unless you’re burglarized. If that happens, finding your card is like finding a gold mine – although your thief will have to act quickly if they’ve made a mess of your home.

Those other “loss spots” can be even more dangerous. Because you may not use your card every day, you might not notice the loss immediately. That gives your thief time to use the card extensively, as well as use it as a guide to stealing your identity.

One other danger spot that most people don’t even think about is restaurants. Most of the time, when you use your card, you either scan it yourself or the clerk does it while you’re standing right there, watching. But when you go to a restaurant, the practice is usually different.

First, the wait person brings your check – if it’s an upscale establishment, it will be in a tasteful fold-over binder. You then place your card in the binder and that person takes it away to process. And that’s where the danger lies.

It takes only seconds to photograph both sides – thus the thief has your numbers, your expiration date, the code on the back, and a copy of your signature. And you have no clue that anything has been done until you begin getting bills with strange charges.

It wouldn’t even occur to the majority of restaurant personnel to do such a thing, but all it takes is one to ruin your day. Or rather, a lot of your days. Because you don’t know about the theft, you won’t report it immediately, so you’ll be in the position of proving that a lot of fraudulent charges weren’t yours.
That’s easy enough if they leave town, but if they happen to live in your neighborhood, you’ve got a bigger problem.

What can you do? Wait to pay the bill until you’re leaving the restaurant. Then take it to the counter and pay it in person. A little inconvenient, yes, but worth the safety.

One more thing about restaurant charges – they usually include a space to add in a “gratuity.” If you prefer to leave cash on the table for your server, make it a habit to enter a zero in that spot and bring the total down to the bottom line. If you don’t, a dishonest person can fill in any amount they choose.

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Just be careful everyone! I know now after reading this article what could happen at a restaurant.