Identity Theft is a sin

Identity theft is such a big crime that it would not be wrong to call it a sin. It ruins the victim’s life form upside down. It occurs when a criminal gets illegal access to the victim’s personal data in order to get finance.

Identity theft is one of the most extensively mounting crimes in the world. The worst thing is that one may get victim of this crime even if he or she is extremely careful. Even a single mistake can lead you to damage of your credit. These criminals are really difficult to catch because they play with your identity.

There are million ways to get access to your personal data starting from your social security number to your credit card and your web databases. Similarly these thieves have billion tricks to steal your personal information. All of your personal information like your security numbers, your credit card number, your account number, telephone number and home address can be leaked out and if it does, it can be misused in many ways.

In many countries like United States and Canada, there are many cases when people reported that some one has used their account without their permission. They have lost their money due to someone illegally using their credit card. In worst cases, the fraud has not only stolen the money from their accounts; they also have taken loans and opened new accounts under victim’s name. In these cases, poor victim not only lost his/her money but also has to fight for his damaged reputation.

Internet is a blessing for all of us. But for some people it has been a curse. Hackers and Phishers know how to hack your passwords and get access to your credits on web. It is easier to play fraud on web than in real world. Sometimes they send you spam emails to trap you. These emails carry attractive packages for people. They direct you onto some new link and when you want to enter into that link, they will ask your personal information. Never be a fool to give away your information to these links. You will be entering your data right into their databases.

If you have received mailed in applications for "preapproved" credit cards, but you have thrown them in the bin without tearing up the enclosed materials, criminals may retrieve them from the garbage and activate them without your knowledge. (Some credit card companies, when sending credit cards, have adopted security measures that allow a card recipient to activate the card only from his or her home telephone number but this is not yet a universal practice.) Also, if your mail is delivered to a place where others have ready access to it, criminals can just cut off and redirect your mail to another location so that they will receive them.

In these cases, the criminal might change the billing address of you credit. The billing reports will be received on a new address which will keep you unaware of all the explosive activities being done by your credit card. You will get to know when it is too late for you to act against the criminal.

Tips to Prevent Identity Theft

Anticipation is always considered better than treatment. In case of identity theft, it is considered highly recommended. To call identity theft a sin would not be wrong as it has totally ruined many people’s life. Identity theft takes away the money and the reputation as well.

Identity theft can ruin your money and can misuse your name in many illegal activities. The thief might take loan under your name and/or even open a new account(s) with your name. Thief will disappear as soon his game is over and you will be the one suffering all the consequences like answering to police and other agencies.

These criminals are smart enough to get access to your data without you noticing that. All they need is your social security number, name and residential address to ruin your credit. With all this precious data in their hands, they may get your date of birth; mother’s maiden name and every necessary statistics require opening a new account.

If the above information is already leaked out, criminal might get several credit cards under your name. These cards are the easiest to get; all they need is your driving license with a picture ID and your social security number.

Awareness is the key to success to prevent your self from being a victim. There are many steps which you might take to minimize the risk up to a great level.

To protect your identity with credit cards: you must check the credit card application process of the stores where you are applying for credit cards. Check how much secure their process is. Only apply for the credit card at a store if you are fully satisfied.

You also need to check and discuss this matter with all private companies or business organizations you deal with. Ask them how they dispose of the documents from their clients and how much secure their database is.

Never entertain such queries on phone when they ask you for the verification process claiming to be your bank manager or someone like that.

If you have any intention to dispose of your documents, always use the paper shredder so that no one gets this stuff from your bin. Do not carry all of your credit cards or checkbooks along with you in your wallet.

Never write your credit card number on checks. Have a regular check on your bank statements and if you have applied for a credit card and it is taking too long to receive you, you better ask your bank again, Do not use one credit card for high bills and do not throw away your receipts after shopping.

These ordinary sounding guidelines will save you from lot of trouble at the end.

Safeguarding your Social Security Number

Social security number is an identification number which is owned by every person starting from a business tycoon to an employee in ordinary organization. With the raise of communication technologies, the number identity theft is increasing rapidly. These social security numbers are being used in every financial transaction, billings, savings and daily shopping. Social security number alone is sometimes enough to get loan, deposits or cash credits.

There exist some other security numbers like your Automated Teller Machine number, credit card numbers and master card numbers but these are used for high end potential credibility. These are approved and released only on the strict and stiff screening process. With the help of these cards, the card holder may not need to carry bulk of cash while traveling abroad and can access his/her account from anywhere around the globe.

World of technology has indeed provide us with convenience but it brings along some problems too. Identity theft is the biggest problem people are facing nowadays. You need to be really careful if you do not want to face this situation. Follow the instructions given below to minimize the risk:

• Never give away your telephone number and residential address without any specific reason to just any body you have just met. Blind trust on strangers can cause big trouble to you.
• Do not use transparent bag for your important document; keep these under key and lock even in your home and in your office room. Sometimes you may have some employees spying on you. Friends and/or close relatives with financial needs can misuse your secured information to get access to the money.

• Some accidents are beyond our control like hacking of your website or the company’s database which carries your information. In these cases, you can minimize the risk by keeping a regular check on your bank reports. In these report every single money transaction is given and you may check if something is not correct.
• If you receive any call for the verification process of your identity number and account information, do not entertain the queries. If insisted, tell them to hang up the call, and call back your bank to confirm if they have asked for any such verification.
• Never provide your personal information to any website if that is not protected with a Security socket layer.

We owe it to ourselves to be on guard against anyone seemingly of doubtful character. There are many reasons why Identity Numbers Social Theft does exist. Some start this just as a habit to deviate from the usual norm of conduct, and insist on doing things negative. Some wants it because it is the easy way to earn. Remember it is harder to recover this damage if it’s done once. Having attained full control in the “hide and seek” from the law games, it is futile to get immediate solutions.

Safeguard Against Identity Theft

Prevention is better than cure; If you have ever witnessed someone suffering through identity theft, you must believe on this quotation. The very first requirement to avoid this theft is awareness. Identity theft in broad sense covers many categories so everyone must be aware of all the categories and how one can fall in that to stay away from it.

Identity theft may occur online as well as in any utility stores. One may lose their identity if personal documents are stolen or were not disposed off properly.

When you talk about online identity theft, you must be aware of Phishing. It is a widely growing way to steal one’s identity online. In phishing criminals take help from spam or pop-up messages which appear on you screen while you are browsing web. These messages promise you any attractive offer but ask for your personal information including your credit card number or social security number.

In some cases, these spammers send you scam emails pretending to be from your bank or online payment services. They warn you to immediately update your credit information otherwise you will loose your account. These messages or emails ask you to follow a specified link to check the authenticity. This website might look like the original one but it actually is a fraud to trap you.

These online hackers trick you to put your personal information on their links and you will be passing over your secured data right in their hands. Always avoid such scams to keep yourself safe.

You can be victim of identity theft even if you do not use computer. There are million of other ways from where your personal information might be leaked out. Like, you did not shred your important documents before throwing them in bin and someone stolen information from them or you lost your wallet with your credit card. You might have left your receipt at a restaurant with your account number on that.

Some companies keep data of their clients in huge databases and most of the time these databases are linked with internet as well. These online hackers may get access to these databases to leak out precious information of your clients. On internet, it is harder to check the person’s identity as he himself is not available. So if the credit card number is stolen; the thief can easily sell or purchase items from web with your money.

In crowd these thieves may engage in “shoulder surfing” where they will catch you sharing your personal information with your friend or putting your information in any machine. Your name, telephone number and address are the easiest things that these criminals can get.

Just remember if you ever become the unlucky victim of this crime, you should contact Federal Trade Commission and police station as soon as possible. They have trained investigation teams to help you catch the fraud and guide you in other matters.

Identity theft versus plain robbery

Identity theft can not be compared to an ordinary theft. It covers many categories. This is not just stealing of one number or a mistake done or misunderstanding of any data which might be common to salesperson. It is actually a fraud which is done by deception behind the stealing, misunderstanding and lie.

Identity theft is the perfect combination of robbery and fraud which is done in order to create crime in the immigration, spying, access to someone’s property for financial gains. It can not be compared with plain robbery where rob

ber takes away just the money.

In case of identity theft, a victim not only loses his/her money but his social reputation is also on stake. These criminals will take control over victim

’s credit card, telephone number, website passwords and social security number. All of this information is enough for a fraud to misuse person’s name in many different ways.

These criminals may get the authority over name an

d can do millions of crime under your name. They are fearless than normal robbers because their own identity is hidden in this case. They play behind the stage with your name on the board. Identity theft and fraud is one bundle of gigantic crime package that could start with a concerned demand of one’s social security, or telephone number.

These crimes do not end here. Once they are finished with your money, they will start misusing your closed friends and trusted relative’s data. These criminals get greedy every coming day and you and your family will suffer badly. It is highly recommended to avoid getting you and your family into such painful situation.

You must perform every single step which is required to keep these notorious criminals away.

1) Never give away your social security number to anyone unless the person proves his/her identity to you.

2) It’s uncommon that someone asks for your middle initial (mother’s surname). If it happens never give away until you have all your satisfaction. Banks and other organization already have this information in their records so it is not possible that they would call you to ask this information again.

3) If you have any intention to discard your card and important document copies, always use a paper shredder before throwing them in bin.

4) Do not trust any service man that came to you with the renewal of your credit card and ask for your personal information. If they insist tell them to prove their authenticity or bring along the letterhead of the original office.

5) Keep a regular check at your mail box; so your letter with plenty of information may reach only your hands.

Cure to Identity Theft

If you have been the victim of identity theft, do not consider yourself alone. There are many helpless people like you who have been the injured party of this cruel crime. So if you have been the victim of this crime, do not stay quiet, share it with the right people who may guide you in right direction.

If you have fallen prey to this crime, contact police and/or authorities as soon as possible. They can direct you to right path telling you what is right for you. Never ignore this theft and do not deal it like a normal robbery. Identity theft has its long term after effects. Identity theft does not mean that you lose your property and money but it also takes away your good social reputation. Money is hard to earn but it is recoverable, but if reputation is broken, it is hardest to get back.

You can report authorities to tell them the real situation because without that, they might be considering you the culprit. They will never be able to figure out that someone else is illegally using your data and credit card. To tell them the real story, you will have to be super active and fight this growing criminal bandwagon.

Reporting your area police is the first step in this regard. You will have to visit the closest police station and tell them what happened to you. Some people have this feeling that police will misunderstand them and would not trust their story. This might be the rare case because these authorities are handling such situations almost daily. They might not help you recover from trauma but they will help you catch the criminal.

You should take all the documents required as evidence. You must bring along bank statements which prove the misuse of your credit card without your consent. Also take the documents which show the opening of new credit card without your authorization. Take all accounts and credit lists which have been affected by this fraudulent act.

In addition to police, you must also report this theft to the Federal Trade Commission. They are the one who have expert investigation team which search the crime in more depth. In most of the cases, police takes help from this investigation team to examine the felony.

Go to http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/ to register your complaint and for additional steps to take if you’ve been victimized by identity theft. The Federal Trade Commission may not be able to help you regain what was lost when your identity was stolen but their far-reaching investigations and statistics analysis can be helped if you report identity theft.

Your creditors also get affected by the accident which strokes you. After you have reported into Police Station and FTC, you must send copies of police report to these creditor and financial institution you work with. Attach a letter of explanation along with that explaining you have been the victim of identity theft. They are your business dealers so they have the right to know to get them protected.

How to act against Identity Thieves

In all crime reports at United States starting from Federal Trade Commission, government bureaucracies; Forensic Accounting firms, credit report agencies, investigators to other private companies identity theft is considered as the world’s biggest crime. The main reason behind that is a person who owns credit cards, driver’s license and even a social security number can be a reluctant victim of this crime. These criminals find their prey near ATM machines, in utility stores, phone booths and garbage areas. Some of them exist in the cyber world in form of hackers.

Once this criminal gets access to the person’s secured information, this may be the start of a long term nightmares for that person’s whole family. The scandalous will use this information for his many illegal purposes which will cause many troubles to the victim. These troubles include bad credit report due to the unprecedented debts which is not easy to recover immediately in any case.

If you have become the victim of this cruel theft, there is no need to waste your time in order to take help from some authorities. These processes are only time wasting and you will end up answering millions of irritating questions like how, when, who and where. If you are thinking to contact any private agencies, just remember they are going to demand heavy fees and you have already lost much. You must only get proper forms of your complaint at any government agency.

If you have filed the proper complaint with FTC, they are the leading and core authority to follow-up of credit records trespassing, and have full control to detect, through consistent monitoring of your financial accounts as well as your current billings; in order to deter, with caution to safeguard any personal information under their safekeeping. They may defend your identification from any continuous manipulations of the suspected theft.

If you have lost your credit account to a thief, you will have to hire a certified Forensic Accountants. They will investigate the depth of the identity theft case and will help you in all angles of your financial loss to the offender. The team is composed of CPA’s CrFA’s, and other investigators. The best thing it offers is the defense in case of repetition of identity deception.

Government agencies usually make collaboration with many investigating companies like FBI, U.S postal inspection services and U.S secret services to act against identity theft crimes.

A lot of paperwork is involved when you are filing your complaint to a definite authority of theft crime. You’ll need a series of contact files, actual conversations and written messages, discussions at the agency, dates, and witnesses, if there are any. Original copies of all documentations should be included in your files.

Paperwork is involved when you want to file complaint. You will need lot more information like contact files, actual conversation and written messages, witnesses, dates and discussion at agency. Keep original copies of all documentations with you as this will be required.

The detailed procedure will be provided to you. But remember to send or hand over the photocopies of your documents to only the concerned person. Write a proper application with a detailed note of what actually happened. This process is very long term so it needs your patience.

It would be too hard to repair a lost spirit on your part for having lost some of your economic gains that can’t be recovered in years, alongside a weakened morale. Be serious in shielding yourself against identity thieves before becoming their prey.