identity theft: Tips to Protect Your Identity from Cyber Thieves
- 07/01/21 12:11 PM
There are several tried and true ways that you can use to protect yourself from ID theft, and some of them you might have never even considered:
Check Your Passwords – Every online account you have should have a different password. Never use the same password for more than one account. You can easily fix this issue by using a password manager. Also, don’t use specific words/phrases or keyboard sequences when creating passwords. A password manager can even generate passwords for you.
Don’t Post Personal Information on Social Media – This including things like your kid’s school or teacher, the town your parents … (5 comments)
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identity theft: When its Tax Time, Protect Your Identity
- 02/25/21 10:21 PM
Tax time comes around every year, and though you technically have until April 15th each year, if you can, file earlier. There is a good reason for this; you can avoid putting yourself in a position to get your identity stolen.
How Filing Your Taxes Can Compromise Your Identity
You might be wondering how you can become a victim of an identity thief just by filing your taxes. There are a couple of ways scammers do this. First, the thief will use your Social Security number to file taxes, but plug in their mailing address and then when your refund comes around, they … (9 comments)
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identity theft: The Ultimate Guide to Spotting Fake News
- 12/16/20 08:49 AM
Do you know when something is “fake news?” If you have half a brain, you should. However, when someone in authority makes a claim, the masses who elected that person into that authoritative position, automatically trust what has been said and spread that fake news. That needs to stop. My mother one said believe nothing of what you hear and half of what you see. And today no matter what, don’t automatically believe what you read.
There has been a lot of talk about fake news since the 2016 presidential election, and a lot of controversy from those who spread fake stories … (19 comments)
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identity theft: Freeze Your Credit Now, Before it is Too Late!
- 09/30/20 05:31 AM
Do you know what a credit freeze is? It is an action that you can take to lock your credit report down. A lender will be unable to see your credit score, which means that your credit rating and Social Security number will be useless. In other words, they can’t tell if you are a lending risk.
When an ID thief can get access to your Social Security number, they can also apply for credit in your name. However, if the credit file is frozen, the bad guys cannot access it. When you freeze your credit, the file is not accessible.
To gain … (12 comments)
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identity theft: How to Protect Your Parents from ID Theft
- 09/23/20 05:20 AM
According to research, people who are older than 50 years old, usually in the 65 to 85-year old range, are common targets of ID thieves. These criminals have no issue taking advantage of these people. They know that they are trustworthy, that they don’t know much about the internet, and that they are not savvy about scams. The bad guys also know that these people have more savings and retirement cash than others, and they are ready to take it. Here are some ways that these criminals scam your parents:
They often send emails to older people saying they are from … (12 comments)
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identity theft: Is Identity Theft Protection Really Necessary or is it a Waste?
- 09/02/20 06:27 AM
I am constantly seeing articles and blogs that ID protection is not a necessity. These might be called “The Poor Man’s Guide to Identity Theft Protection,” or “Identity Theft Protection Doesn’t Work.” Though some of the things mentioned in these articles are true, overall, they are totally missing the point.
Here is the situation. You cannot possibly protect yourself from every type of identity theft out there, and when you can, it really requires a lot of work. No matter what, it’s going to be time-consuming, can cost you money, and even make you pretty anxious.
For those who have chosen not to … (6 comments)
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identity theft: Protect Your Identity From Thieves
- 04/15/20 06:36 AM
There are tried and true ways to protect yourself from identity theft—ways that you may not have even considered.
Evaluate your passwords. Does every online account have a different password or are you using the same one for multiple accounts? Fix this problem immediately by investing in a password manager software. Avoid using actual words or names, or keyboard sequences. Password managers facilitate the password creation process.
Never post anything personal on social media.This includes your pet’s name, name of your kids’ school or teacher, where you’re going on vacation, the town your parents live in, etc.
Ignore e-mails whose senders you don’t know. … (4 comments)
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identity theft: It’s Tax Time: Play it Safe or Lose Your Identity
- 03/12/20 05:33 AM
Once again, tax time has rolled around, and though you technically have until April 15th, it’s always best to file a bit earlier…especially if you want to avoid setting yourself up for ID theft.
How Could Filing Taxes Compromise Your Identity?
Here’s how you could become a victim of ID theft just by filing your taxes: the first method is that a thief uses your Social Security number to file taxes, and then they steal your refund. The second method that they use is they take your Social Security number, get a job while using your Social Security number, and then their employer … (7 comments)
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identity theft: What is Synthetic Identity Theft?
- 02/20/20 08:37 AM
Identity theft is when a person steals another person’s private and personal information, generally to make money from it. You probably already knew this, but have you heard of synthetic identity theft? This is a bit different.
With synthetic identity theft, a person creates a new and very fake identity by combining the real information from a person with made-up information. You might not think this is a big deal, but it can be very bad for anyone who has their identity stolen.
Here are three ways that ID thieves can create synthetic identities:
Creating a New Credit Profile
The most common way to create … (17 comments)
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identity theft: Louisiana Woman Tries to Buy a Million Dollar Home with False Document
- 12/11/19 06:27 AM
Have you ever seen a house and thought…I wish I could afford that? Some people actually try it, but let this story be a lesson learned: if you can’t afford the cost of a house, you probably shouldn’t try to buy it.
Pamela Chandler was arrested and now faces forgery charges after she tried to purchase a home with a million-dollar price tag. How did she do it? She used false documents. Chandler, who also goes as Pamela Goldwyn, was arrested by a special Financial Crimes Task Force in Bossier City, LA. She also has several warrants out for her in Texas … (3 comments)
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identity theft: 6 More Places to Put Your Identity on Lock Down
- 08/15/19 06:05 AM
If you have been thinking about a credit freeze, you probably should know that the process is designed so that a creditor cannot see your credit report unless you specifically allow it. This process blocks any potential creditors from viewing or pulling your file, which makes it much more difficult for an identity thief to apply for new credit using your name or information. For links to freeze your credit at the 3 major bureaus go to How to Freeze My Credit. However, there have been reports of people complaining of having accounts opened in their name while having credit freezes. … (7 comments)
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identity theft: How to Protect Your identity When Buying or Selling a Home
- 05/21/19 07:42 AM
If you are in the process of buying or selling a home, at some point, you are going to have to disclose personal information when you go through the process. Because of this, a home buyer, especially, is much more likely to become a victim of identity theft.
Here are some ways to protect your identity when buying or selling a new home:
Ask if Communication is SecureOne thing to do is to make sure your mortgage and real estate professionals are using secure electronic communications. If they can’t articulate their security, such as they use two step verification, etc, then they aren’t … (11 comments)
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identity theft: How to be a Grandma Identity Thief Murderer
- 10/30/18 05:47 AM
Lois Riess is a woman from Minnesota who police say shot her husband, went on the run, and then killed a woman in order to take on her identity. Here are some shocking facts about her:
Riess Looked Like her Victim
The woman Lois Riess killed, Pamela Hutchinson, looked like her. This is why Pamela lost her life. When the body was found, police said her ID, credit cards, cash, and car was gone. Police put out an arrest warrant for Riess, and then started hunting for her. Police say the women did not know each other.
Lois Riess Allegedly Killed Her Husband, Too
Pamela … (0 comments)
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identity theft: DNA Tech is Catching Bad Guys and its Great and Scary
- 10/09/18 08:15 AM
In 1996, a 12-year-old Washington state girl was raped and murdered. However, it wasn’t until June 2018, that an arrest was made in the case. How did this happen? DNA technology.
The man arrested is Gary Hartman, and he is accused of killing and raping 12-year old Michella Welch. Donald Ramsdell, the Tacoma Police Chief, has said that computer modeling, police techniques, and advances in DNA identification has led his team to arresting Hartman on June 20th.
This case goes all the way back to March 26th, 1986. Welch and her sisters were in Tacoma’s Puget Park. She left her sisters there and went … (12 comments)
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identity theft: 2017 Was the Worst Year for Identity Theft EVER!
- 09/26/18 07:34 AM
Javelin Strategy & Research recently released its Identity Fraud Study, and it revealed that the number of identity theft victims rose by 8% in 2017 when compared to 2016. That’s almost 17 million people, which is a record high. Despite more information and industry efforts to make people aware of these practices, $16.8 billion was stolen due to ID theft in 2016.
The study also showed a shift in how ID theft fraud was being done. Credit card accounts were the most common targets for new account fraud, we also see that there is a big uptick in other accounts being targeted, … (4 comments)
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identity theft: Tips for Preventing Embezzlement and Employee Theft
- 02/26/18 07:32 AM
If you are a business owner, you might be concerned about employee theft. If you aren’t concerned, perhaps you should be.
There are a number of ways that an employee can steal:
Embezzlement money, inventory or materials Skimming – Diverting funds Stealing business opportunities, data or trade secrets Fraudulent disbursements like check tampering or billing schemes Larceny – absolute theft It might surprise you to find out that employees who steal are not usually new employees. Instead, they are those who have worked for a business for a number of years. (Three years is the average.) So, what can you do to … (1 comments)
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identity theft: Understanding and Stopping the Criminal Identity Theft
- 02/23/18 05:29 AM
The definition of criminal identity theft is a crime where the criminal impersonates the victim in order to protect their innocence. This can lead to victims getting fines or even getting arrested and charged for crimes they did not commit.
How Does This Happen?
There are a number of ways that a criminal can pull this off, and it generally occurs when the thief steals someone’s identity. This is true and pure identity theft, often involving a drivers license with the thieves picture and the victims information. Once they have that, they are pretty much free to commit crimes in their victim’s name.
Stopping … (6 comments)
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identity theft: Protecting Your Parents from Identity Theft
- 01/25/18 06:23 AM
According to statistics, those who are 50-years old and older, like 65-85, are often targets of identity thieves. The bad guys have no issue taking advantage of your parents. They violate their trust, and understand that they are often naïve about the internet and scammy phone callls. Cyber criminals also know that older people have retirement money and more savings, and this money is ready for them to take. Here are some of the common scams that the bad guys use:
Common Scams Against Older People
The bad guys might send them an email saying that they are from the IRS, CIA, … (9 comments)
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identity theft: Do You Really Need Identity Theft Protection or is it a Waste of Money
- 12/20/17 05:27 AM
I see a ton of articles that say identity theft protection is not something you really need. These articles have titles like “ID Theft Protection Does Not Work,” or “The Poor Man’s Guide to ID Theft Protection.” Though some of these articles have a bit of merit, they totally miss the point.
Here’s the deal – You can’t protect yourself from every type of ID theft out there, and the types you can protect yourself against require a ton of focus. One way or the other, it will cost you money, time, and probably a bit of anxiety too.
Those who have elected … (15 comments)
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identity theft: Second Hand and Discarded Devices Lead to Identity Theft
- 05/10/17 05:07 AM
A new study was just released by the National Association for Information Destruction. What did it find? Astonishingly, about 40% of all digital devices that are found on the second-hand market had personal information left on them. These include tablets, mobile phones, and hard drives.
The market for second hand items is large, and it’s a good way to find a decent mobile device or computer for a good price. However, many times, people don’t take the time to make sure all their personal information is gone. Some don’t even understand that the data is there. This might include passwords, usernames, company … (6 comments)
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There are several tried and true ways that you can use to protect yourself from ID theft, and some of them you might have never even considered:
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