ComputerHunter.org |
|
|
|||
|
 |
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.
Google News - Top Stories
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Bankruptcy Laws Get Tougher - More Expensive If you've been thinking about filing for bankruptcy, your best bet might be to file now. 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. The uncertainty of the stock market, social security, and the declining world wide economy have made appropriate financial planning a must for every individual and family. Here are some tips that can make planning for your financial future a more successful experience: Should You Borrow From Your 401(k) Account? If you have a 401(k) account, it can be very tempting to borrow from your account especially when your balance is very high and a loan could easily pay off existing debt, fund a home purchase, or pay for college tuition. Before you make the decision to borrow money, there are several things you must keep in mind to avoid risking your funds. Retirement Income Needs---Less Than You Think? It is widely written that you need 75% of your present income to maintain your present life-style in retirement. If you make 100 thousand now, figure 75 thousand in retirement. Tips To Save Money At The Supermarket Are you interested in saving money off your grocery bills? If so, then a few "Smart Shopper" tips are all you need to start saving hundreds off your grocery bills! UK Parents Inactivity Harming Their Children?s Future University and Mortgage Savings The British government at the beginning of this year officially launched its Child Trust Fund (CTF) initiative in an effort to encourage parents and children to develop the savings habit and to teach children the value of saving their own money. Knowing Me, Knowing You: Why ID Protection Plans Are Flawed For Fraud ID theft is a major consumer concern, though there is apparently much confusion about proactive protection initiatives and apparently safe and unsafe spending behaviour. For example, many consumers remain reluctant about shopping online, but they may still give out personal details over the phone in a cold call, or they may have redundant or dormant accounts and financial products which are susceptible to fraud. Budgeting Made Easy Well, dang! From what I've heard and read, it looks like we've reached an all-time world-class new record in the amount of personal debt on the books. Now it's probably not quite as bad as we've been led to believe, however many of us have managed to tromp further than we should have into the financial swamp. How well we'll be able to find our way back out to dry ground will depend on our knowing just where the heck we are in the first place. And that takes us right to the "B" word. Save On Food - Ten Tips To save on food, be an opportunist. Buy what you like, but buy on sale. Do you need oranges every day? Buy them when they're cheap, then buy grapefruit or orange juice when it's on sale. Opportunism is the key to low-cost living in general. You get everything you like, and lots of variety, because everything goes on sale once in a while. Here are ten more ways to get cheap food. 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: 5 Steps to Healthy Spending Habits Next to our physical health most of us are primarily concerned with our financial health, and with good reason. Although our intentions are usually great our follow-through and discipline generally isn't. Mere mention of the word budget or cutback sends us into fits. Improve Your Professional Image Using Address Labels One of the simplest ways to improve your professional image is by using address labels. Self-adhesive business labels are THE way to go when it comes to a professional image. Why handwrite addresses when you can get preprinted ones cheaply and easily? Benefits of Personal Finance Software In this age of information, keeping track of your finances does not mean an archaic jumble of ledgers, calculators, and papers filled with calculations in chicken scratch. Now everything can be taken care of on your computer through personal finance software. Risky Business: You May Not be as Daring as You Think I thought I was through with exams when I finished college. Then my financial adviser (a.k.a. stockbroker) had me take a test to measure my tolerance for risk. He said, there were no right or wrong answers, but I knew better. Why Live Frugally What is it about being frugal, why do it at all? Actually, some people don't do it at all, they have decided that what they want and desire is what they are going to get and they feel they deserve it. I have no trouble with that; more power to ya, live long and prosper and may you die with the most toys. However, for me, I find little value in the things around me. A Fresh Start for Family Finances in 2005 While 40% to 50% of us make New Year's resolutions on January 1-a ritual that has existed since ancient times-approximately 60% to 80% of us have already broken them by the end of February, according to researchers. What Are We Teaching our 2005 Graduates about Money? Now that we are in the month of June I can't help but wonder if we have prepared our new graduates for the responsibility of managing and budgeting their money. What is a Traditional IRA? With a traditional Investment Retirement Account (IRA) you pay taxes when you take the money out at retirement in the future. Make sure that this account is really worth opening in your situation because what you put in the account today may be fully deductible, partially deductible or non deductible, depending upon your income and other retirement coverage. If you contributions are not fully deductible then this account is probably not for you. Top 10 Ways Managing Your Money Is Just Like Riding a Bike An avid cyclist and bike racing fan, I sit transfixed during the many hours of Tour de France coverage every July when the race rolls around. This year, during some of the less-than-scintillating early miles of the sprint stages, my mind wandered a bit, and it occurred to me that there are some interesting parallels between winning the Tour de France and winning at personal finance. Having watched Lance Armstrong pull off the win for 7 years in a row, I've compiled this list of the Top 10 Ways Managing Your Money Is Just Like Riding a Bike: 1. If you take safety precautions (e.g. helmet/emergency fund), you'll feel a whole lot more relaxed and confident on the journey. 2. The better prepared you are, the greater your chances of succeeding. It's important to learn from the past, but you must also scout out the road ahead and evolve with the constantly changing environment. 3. Crashes happen. The actions of other participants, bystanders, and the media can sometimes distract you from your goal. If you expect the unexpected and are able to respond with a level head, you'll be better off. 4. If you take too many unnecessary risks, you might end up out of the race, and sometimes it can take quite a while to recover. 5. But you'll probably have to take at least some calculated risks to come out ahead. For example, you might improve your performance by using cutting edge products, e.g. ultra-light wheels for big uphill climbs or, in the financial world, Health Savings Accounts (HSAs.) But you also make some tradeoffs, e.g. less stability going downhill or, with HSAs, penalties if you withdraw the money for something besides health care. 6. There will be rainy days, and there most certainly will be ups and downs. The one who weathers the tough days the best usually comes out ahead in the end. 7. You don't have to come out on top ("beat the market," so to speak) every day ? or any particular day, for that matter ? to win the overall race, the race that really matters. 8. You can go a lot farther if the team you surround yourself with has skills, experience, a well-defined goal, and the right motivation. 9. Even if you start at a huge disadvantage, you can emerge victorious if you have the right attitude, understand the rules of the game, and persist despite setbacks. 10. A little bit of luck never hurts! So the next time you're in doubt as to which road to take on your personal financial journey, consider looking to the peloton for guidance and inspiration. Whether your goal is a yellow jersey on the Champs-Elysées in July or a secure retirement, there's a surprising amount to learn from watching a bunch of bike racers circumnavigate France. Congratulations, Lance! Live Green; Save Green! Have you seen the recent article on a new "green" residential high rise in Battery Park? It's called The Solaire. For a look at the hopeful future of architectural efficiency, check out the myriad of cost saving and environmentally-friendly features of the building:
|
|
|
|
|
