| |
| |
|
|
Personal Finance |
|
How To Protect Yourself Against Identity Theft
Identity theft is a serious crime that continues to grow. If you become a victim of identity theft, you may spend months, or years, trying to repair the damage. A compromised credit report can ruin your chances of getting a new job, a loan, insurance or even housing. It's true that it is possible that you could be arrested for a crime you didn't commit if someone else has used your identity to break a law. Unfortunately, many of the methods that thieves use to steal identities are completely beyond your control. Although it's rare, some store clerks have been known to use their position to give or sell information to identity thieves. There are some measures you can take, however, that will make it harder for them to steal your identity. Protect Your Credit Card Number When Making Purchases: After you make a purchase and your credit or debit card has been swiped through a credit card terminal, check to make sure that the printed receipt hides all but the last four digits of your credit card account number (there will usually be an x in place of the first twelve digits). Some credit card terminals do print receipts that show all sixteen digits of an account number, and may even include the expiration date! After your card is swiped, you're permitted by law to hide the first 12 digits of your account number on the copy of the receipt that the vendor keeps. Use a pen or marker to cross-out the other numbers completely. When dining out, it's important to make sure that the first 12 digits of your credit card number are hidden on the receipt. You might be in the habit of signing it and then leaving the restaurant's copy on the table after your meal. An identity thief can steal the signed receipt before the waiter comes back to pick it up from the table. Do You Really Need To Give Your Social Security Number? Avoid giving out your social security number unless it's absolutely necessary. Although you need to share your social security number when you apply for credit or for a bank account, sometimes a store or an organization will want to use it as an ID number. This is a fairly common practice even though the law says that social security numbers aren't to be used as ID numbers. In these situations, use your judgment. There's usually an alternative if you ask. Destroy Documents That Contain Sensitive Personal Information: Buy an office paper shredder and use it to destroy documents you're discarding which contain personal information like credit card numbers, social security numbers, phone numbers and birth dates. Do this both at home and at work. Identity thieves frequently go through someone's trash to find personal information that can help them obtain credit in the victim's name. If It Happens To You, Take The Following Steps Immediately: 1: Contact your credit card companies, close your accounts and ask to have new cards issued to you. 2: Place a fraud alert on your file with the three major credit bureaus (Equifax: 1-800-525-6285, Experian: 1-888-397-3742 & Trans Union: 1-800-680-7289). 3: File a report with your local police department. You may need it to show to creditors a copy of the report as proof of the crime. 4: File a complaint with the FTC: http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/ - They maintain a database of identity theft cases used by law enforcement agencies for their investigations. Mike Nalbone Is The Webmaster At: http://Online-Background-Check.net Which Provides News, Information And Resources That Anyone Can Use To Do Online Investigations And Criminal Background Checks. This Article Is © 2005 & May Be Published Solely In Its Entirety, Un-Modified, Provided The Above Resource Box Is Included Along With An Active (Clickable) Link To: http://Online-Background-Check.net Mike Nalbone Is The Webmaster At: http://Online-Background-Check.net Which Provides News, Information And Resources That Anyone Can Use To Do Online Investigations And Criminal Background Checks.
MORE RESOURCES:
Personal-Finance - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Basic Bank Accounts Failing the Basic Needs of Consumers The lists of bank and savings accounts that are available to most people are bewildering. A quick look at a comparison site like Moneynet or Moneyfacts will reveal thousands of different products. Personal Finance - Why You Should Compare, not Despair Sorting out your personal finances can be a tricky and exasperating time. Whether you are looking to obtain money through a loan, protect your finances with life insurance, medical, travel or car insurance, save some money through an individual savings account (ISA), apply for a credit card or a mortgage, change a telephone or fuel utility supplier, or simply decide what the best current account is for your needs, the choices are seemingly endless as well as being extremely complicated. Is There A Retirement Crisis? When people speak about the increasing age expectancies, they generally do so with positive connotation. This author agrees-there's nothing wrong with living longer, especially if we can sustain our quality of life at each period throughout our lifespan. The World is Not Enough - Calling for a More Ethical Approach to Personal Finance At a time when the entire world's attention is focused on the problems of world debt, with the Live 8 concerts, the G8 summit in Scotland, the Make Poverty History Campaign (MPH) and the various anti-poverty marches, it seems that everyone wants the world's governments to behave more ethically towards the manner in which international finance is conducted. This is obviously a laudable attitude to take, and has gained immense momentum with such a groundswell of public opinion that even the UK Chancellor, Gordon Brown, has stated he is planning to participate in the Make Poverty History demonstration in Edinburgh during the G8 summit. Financial Readiness: Preparing for BRAC (Base Realignment And Closing) The recommendations for military base closings have been released and the news is not good. If the recommendations are accepted, you will lose your job. Budgeting -- The Critical Flaw That Causes Most Budgets to Fail Budgeting. It's a word we're all familiar with. Planning Your Financial Future Millions of people give a lot of thought to financial planning but get frustrated and give up before ever making any progress. Making yourself aware of the most common reasons people fail to make a viable financial plan is the first step in reaching your financial goals. Reporting Identity Theft Would you know what to do if you suspect that your personal information had been stolen and used by thieves to open new accounts? It's important that you take the right actions to clear your name as quickly as possible.In 2005, the laws were changed to allow anyone to review their credit report yearly without having to pay a fee. When do You Need a Financial Management Company on Your Side? We live in a crazy world. Someone ought to sell tickets. Succession Planning Have you ever thought about what you are going to leave your children when you pass from this earth? Wouldn't it be a great feeling to be able to give them a really good head start in life - without actually spoiling them?It really doesn't matter how old you are, it's something that you need to be thinking about and planning for now. In the process of planning your inheritance and blessing your children, you are really making YOUR life better and more financially secure because you'll enjoy these benefits before you pass them on. Do You Know What Tomorrow Will Bring? I've been sharing the following idea with people for a few years now, and realized recently that I had never written specifically about it. So here it is:"I cannot predict the future. Chex Systems - Why Every American Needs To Guard His Checking Account With His Life Most Americans have been brought up to be concerned about a good personal credit rating, because of the role a positive rating can play in your long term plans; purchasing a home, buying a car, getting a business loan, etc. They have also been made to understand that the premier organizations that pretty much hold the key to their financial futures are Equifax, TransUnion and Experian. 10 Steps To Improve Your Financial Situation Here are ten steps you can follow to help improve your personal financial situation and inevitably save more money:1. Pay Yourself WeeklyThis may seem a bit odd, but this is an excellent way to start building a substantial savings. How Electronic Checks Work - Will Paper Checks Eventually Go Away? Traditional checks probably won't disappear anytime soon, but processing checks electronically is sure to continue! Have you ever been asked to fill out your account and routing number when paying for something online or over the phone - or have you provided a paper check to pay for something and it is given back to you after it is run through a machine? Did you scratch your head like I did the first time that happened?Here is how electronic check conversion works. Instead of writing out a check the old-fashioned way, the new way of using checks use digital signatures for signing and endorsing and have digital certificates to authenticate the bank account. Personal Finance - Have Consumers Had a Belly Full of Personal Debt? For months, we were trigger-swipe happy, putting our groceries, clothes, holidays and service charges on our credit cards. We wanted mortgages, we took out loans, we watched Property Ladder and What Not To Wear. Debt Management - More Ways to Save on Gas Consumption The price of gas continues to climb, and with continued uncertainty in the Middle East, they will probably continue to do so. In California and elsewhere, prices for some grades of gas have now reached the previously unthinkable three dollars a gallon. Money Matters - Really! One of the biggest challenges facing black RELATIONSHIPS today are finances. Many people mistakenly feel that money does NOT matter. Why You Should Seek Professional Help With Asset Management Everyone needs to maintain their lives. What I mean by that is that we all need to take certain measures to make sure that we have a home, transportation, food, entertainment etc. Single Mother and Learning how to Save Saving may seem easier if you were saving for a new car, or a vacation however when it comes to saving in general it may prove to be more challenging because you may not necessarily feel you are receiving a reward from it. However saving pays off, especially as a single mother. How To Protect Yourself Against Identity Theft Identity theft is a serious crime that continues to grow. If you become a victim of identity theft, you may spend months, or years, trying to repair the damage.
|
|||||||||||||||
