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Paying Attention Can Alert You To Identity Theft Car Loan Scam

Saturday, April 26th, 2008 by <ADMINNICENAME>

There can be something unnerving about receiving a notice in the mail that your application for a car loan was not approved. Especially if you have not applied for a car loan from any companies. With the availability of online credit applications, identity theft car loan scam opportunities are growing at a surprising rate, and not only through the online application process. There are some who send unsolicited emails to offer amazing interest rates on car loans and those in the market for a new car, can simply fill out the short, online application and they will be notified of the monthly payments they may expect.

Even those without any interest in buying a new car may fill out the application out of curiosity, and willingly send their personal information into a scam site that uses their application for anything but buying a new car. The identity theft car loan scam has been increasing in use lately as most people have become educated on many of the previous scams used to harvest personal information.

If a person calls about the recent application for a car loan, even those who have not applied for a car loan, for some reason they give up their social security number and their mother’s maiden name without question. The best way to avoid the identity theft car loan scam is to only apply for a car loan in person at the dealer or bank from whom you want to do business.

Treat All Information As Need To Know Only

Part of the identity theft car loan scam involves convincing victims that that the caller needs to know certain information before they can process any applications. Especially when dealing with a company with which you have had past dealings, they should probably have your information on file. Sometimes with one of the variations of the identity theft car loan scams the caller will inform you they are tracking fraud attributed to you and unless you answer the questions properly, there is a good chance you will be arrested.

This scare tactic should be seen for the scam that it is since, if the company believed you were responsible for fraud, they would not call with a warning, the police would simply show up and effect an arrest. Scaring the victims is only one of the methods used in the identity theft car loan scam variations being used around the country.

Citibank And Identity Theft Measures Available

Saturday, April 26th, 2008 by <ADMINNICENAME>

Identity theft is crime in which one person has fraudulently obtained another individual’s personal information with the intent to steal from that victim. The information that can be obtained to allow access to another’s various personal and financial accounts. Such information can be Social Security numbers, birthdates, address information, etc. Often, with this information, identity thieves can open new credit card accounts, access the victim’s personal banking account, apply for a loan, etc.

Because of the escalation of identity theft, many financial institutions are taking increased security measures as well as providing various preventative services to their customers. One of these financial institutions is Citibank.

The relationship between Citibank and identity theft and the seriousness of this crime can be demonstrated through the measures that have been implemented. In addition, the customer services that are offered by Citibank and identity theft measures that they provide reflect the commitment they have to protect their customers from being victims of identity theft.

Citibank and Identity Theft Measures Offered

The options for the customers of Citibank and identity theft measures that are made available demonstrate the commitment that Citibank has towards its customers. One of those measures is for the customer to be the recipient of banking statements that can be viewed on line by accessing the Citibank web site.

The major benefit of this service provided by Citibank and identity theft measures that are provided is that the customer can opt out of receiving their bank statement via the U.S. mail. This minimizes the possibilities of personal banking information falling into the hands of those who take mail from individual mail boxes.

Another identity theft measure that is provided by Citibank is in relationship to their credit card department. Those within the credit card department monitor activity and have in place an early fraud warning mechanism. This means that if Citibank personnel detect any unusual activity they will immediately endeavor to contact the credit card holder to insure that the activity demonstrated is authorized.

Additional Citibank And Identity Theft Measures

There are many other options available to customers of Citibank and identity theft measures that are provided which prevent others from accessing their customer’s accounts fraudulently. One of those measures is when a new credit card or reissuing of a credit card is conducted. The identity theft measure that Citibank has put into practice is that when such a card is issued the account is blocked. This action prevents any unauthorized use of the account until it has been properly activated by the owner. This activation process requires the cardholder to dial the number on the card from the home phone number that has been established for that account holder. Once the phone number has been identified as the authorized home number the card is activated for use.

In addition, another Citibank and identity theft measure service is the provision of a specific E-mail address that addresses any possible fraudulent E-mail correspondence from Citibank. For example if a customer receives an E-mail from Citibank, the customer in turn can E-mail the specific E-mail address set up to ascertain whether the E-mail correspondence from Citibank is legitimate or not. This service helps to minimize the often used scam from identity thieves who try to trick Citibank customers in providing personal identification numbers or bank account numbers.

Identity Theft Books Spell It All Out For You

Friday, April 25th, 2008 by <ADMINNICENAME>

Are you concerned about the rise in identity theft crimes? Would you like to understand more about how criminals gain access to your personal information? There are several books on the market that spell out the details of identity theft and the many ways you can protect yourself from it. Let’s take a quick look at three of these books.

Stealing Your Life

Perhaps one of the best books detailing identity theft is Stealing Your Life- The Ultimate Identity Theft Protection Plan by Frank W. Abagnale. The author’s life story was featured in the movie Catch Me If You Can, and demonstrates his unique experiences involving check fraud and various other scams and cons. As one of the leaders in the identity theft prevention industry, he makes a valuable contribution to thwarting thieves with his book. Many readers have benefited from the realistic tips he offers and appreciate the anecdotes that he includes that reveal the craftiness of the criminal mind. Buying this book will help you develop a safe hedge against identity theft.

Identity Theft Inc.

Identity Theft Inc. was written by Glenn Hastings and Richard Marcus. Although this book tends to be more focused on the former illegal activities of the authors, they do offer practical advice about safeguarding your personal information. If anything, this book will alert readers to the complexity and the cunning involved in identity theft and therefore provide them with the motivation to diligently protect their personal information.

Identity Theft

Identity Theft, written by Gavin Mills, appears to mainly target a reading audience in the United Kingdom. Although many of the tips offered in this book are standard in the identity theft industry, the small size of this publication makes it a concise resource. The basic steps are excellent starting points to increase your protection.

Knowledge Offers Protection

Knowledge is the first weapon against the crime of identity theft. Understanding your weak points and vulnerability will help you strengthen those areas. Buying and thoroughly reading books that expose the methods criminals use in identity theft will significantly decrease your chances of becoming a victim. Before purchasing an identity theft book, shop around for one that was written by someone with experience in this field. Flip through the book and notice if there are checklists and concrete procedures that will protect you from identity theft. Knowledge is the key that will release you from the fear of this crime and give you the power to be victorious.

Identity Theft Close To Home: Identity Theft And Mailboxes

Thursday, April 24th, 2008 by <ADMINNICENAME>

Identity theft is a crime in which an unscrupulous individual takes on the identity of their victim with the purpose being financial gain. Generally the thief is able to access sensitive personal information which when gathered gives the thief the ability to assume the other individual’s identity. This type of crime is reaching epidemic proportions and it is therefore important for individuals to be watchful when it comes to securing their private and personal information.

Ways that an individual can steal another person’s identity is through the stealing of sensitive personal information. Such information can be found on birth certificates or Social Security cards. Or, an individual may use modern-day technology to “hack” into a company’s database with the purpose being to access the personal and financial information of the company’s customers.

In addition, identity theft and mailboxes can go hand-in-hand as low-tech thieves may simply steal their victim’s mail. To minimize the chances of being victimized by identity theft and mailboxes being accessed there are some precautions that an individual can take. Also, if a person has reason to believe that they might be a victim, there are several actions that can be taken.

Minimize The Risk

Identity theft and mailboxes can be the perfect crime and location of such a crime for those who wish to steal another person’s identity. This is because so much of our personal information, monthly bills, offers to open new credit card accounts, etc., arrive at the home through this standard method of correspondence. To minimize the risk of being a victim of identity theft it is important to keep in mind a few simple precautions.

Practically speaking, when it comes to identity theft and mailboxes, it is important to make sure that the delivery of outgoing and incoming mail is secure. Therefore, it is of extreme importance that outgoing mail never be left out in the open for the postal carrier to pick up. The most secure method of having mail delivered by the postal service is to deposit the outgoing mail in a secure U.S. postal mail box.

In addition, make sure that delivered mail is deposited in a secure mail box receptacle. Also, if away from your home for any extended period of time, make sure that a trusted neighbor picks up your mail on a daily basis.

Actions To Take If Victimized By Identity Theft

First of all it is important to take immediate action if an individual feels that they have been victimized by identity theft and mailboxes being violated. One of the primary steps is to take advantage of the fraud alert system offered by Experian, Equifax and Trans Union. Once the service has been activated these three companies will flag the individual’s name and report any suspicious activity or the opening of new accounts will be blocked and reported.

Also, if you have reason to believe that your personal mail has been taken by others, it is important to report that possible theft to the U.S. Postal Service. This will accomplish two things.

The first thing is that it is a federal crime to tamper with the U.S. mail, therefore the mail service will activate their resources to investigate this activity. In addition, the reporting of this possible crime will ensure that there is a record of this criminal activity. This may help to minimize any potential damage that is done by another individual utilizing your name.

Avoiding Identity Theft Is Exercise In Common Sense

Thursday, April 24th, 2008 by <ADMINNICENAME>

If you had a hundred thousand dollars in cash, chances are you would never leave it unattended on a table in a strange restaurant or on a department store counter. Yet that is essentially what a person with good credit is doing if they leave behind their credit card slips. There are some simple things people can do in avoiding identity theft, and most of them are just taking a common sense approach to protecting your information.

While a large focus on identity theft revolves around the use of the internet, the telephone is still a common method used for identity theft crimes. One of the ways in avoiding identity theft is to never give out personal information over the telephone regardless of the threatened ramifications for refusing. For example, if someone claims to be from you bank calls and reports they are investigating potential identity theft of your account information, they may tell you they are just verifying the information.

Most scams will ask you to give them social security numbers and other information, ‘just for verification’ but common sense tells you they already have it. Having them give you the information and you will tell them if it is accurate is one way of avoiding identity theft, but usually just hanging up and calling the bank’s listed phone number will reveal it was a scam attempt at theft.

Keep Information Hidden From Potential Thieves

Any requests for information from financial institutions with which you do business will never ask for account names or other information. When you receive an email asking you to log onto the bank’s secure server through the included link, forward the email to the bank’s fraud reporting email. The best methods of avoiding identity theft is never send important information over the internet since there is no guarantee of the recipient being who they claim to be.

Your identity can be used to get financing for cars, houses and credit cards as well as to make arrangements for a variety of costly items. If you consider the potential for financial loss, avoiding identity theft can become just as important as protecting your wallet and checkbook.

One of the best ways for avoiding identity theft is to take the approach that you never give information to someone you do not know, and never over the telephone or through an unsecured internet address. Learning about the many scams going around on the internet, on the telephone and some even in person, avoiding identity theft is possible.

Forewarned Is Forearmed: Identity Theft Alerts

Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008 by <ADMINNICENAME>

Identity theft is the stealing of another person’s identity generally for the purpose of stealing another person’s financial resources. In today’s society this is often accomplished by tricking people into giving Social Security numbers, personal identification numbers, financial account numbers, etc. Or the personal information needed can be gained by sorting through people’s trash or by stealing pieces of mail meant for others. In addition, there are those knowledgeable thieves who “hack” into computer databases in an effort to download the needed personal information to steal another’s identity.

In an effort to counter this identity theft epidemic there are many measures that have been taken. For example, legislation has been passed that allows individuals to freely access their credit reports on an annual basis to determine if any fraudulent activity has occurred. In addition, there are services that are provided through a membership basis that contract with individuals to help monitor their credit activity. Also, there are many agencies that circulate identity theft alerts to help minimize the damage of identity theft.

Of the three, probably the most practical and empowering ways to prevent identity theft is by paying attention to identity theft alerts. Therefore, it is important to understand what an identity theft alert is and the methods that these identity theft alerts utilize.

What Are Identity Theft Alerts?

Identity theft alerts are informational pieces of correspondence that are provided to the public to make them aware of identity theft scams or methods that identity theft crooks utilize to access the personal data of others. The intent of this information is to educate individuals of the dangers of identity theft, caution people about sharing personal information and alert others to new methods that are being utilized by identity thieves.

Methods of Broadcasting Identity Theft Alerts

There are a number of ways that identity theft alerts can be disseminated to the public. One of those ways is through a local identity theft alert release from various law enforcement agencies. Often these law enforcement agencies are privy to the latest scam in which unscrupulous people try to gain personal information from others. As a public service to the community often radio stations and television stations broadcast these alerts to their audiences.

For example a theft alert notice from a law enforcement agency can include the latest scam by internet identity theft scammers posing as the IRS. The scam may include E-mails sent to unsuspecting individuals posing as the IRS and asking that individuals respond to the E-mail with their bank account number and PIN. The message may be that the fraudulent IRS E-mail wants to deposit an IRS refund amount into the account of the individual.

Another way that identity theft alerts can be made available to the public is through the Internet. Often reputable web sites will post theft alerts on their web site. These alerts are for the protection of the Internet user and are there to remind, explain and caution individuals about sharing personal information to others. Often a reputable web site can be a person’s personal banking web site or web sites that have an extension of dot gov or dot org attached to them.

Specifically these identity theft alerts will talk about protecting various numbers associated with your personal identity. These numbers can include Social Security numbers, personal identification numbers (PINS), bank account numbers, etc. Also theft alerts will talk about shredding personal mail, accessing credit reports, reviewing bank statements, etc.

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