subject: Free Identity Theft Protection Planning [print this page] Identity Theft is reaching near Epidemic levels with close to 10 Million reported cases a year in America. The financial and emotional costs are hard to calculate, it is one crime you want to avoid. The true stories listed below help us understand what we are dealing with and maybe how to avoid.
1. A person's Social Security number may be the most valuable and easiest number for criminals to use. Income Tax season is a busy time for criminals who will fill out a fraudulent tax return in your name and collect your refund. To add insult to injury the IRS is no help; often times the IRS is not too concerned because they have sent the refund to some one.
2. Violent gangs like the Crips, Bloods and MS-13 pay $5 to $10 to fast food restaurant employees to SWIPE your credit card number.
3. Child Identity Theft occurs when a family member or friend has access to private information that is abused and may not show up for years.
4. SMISHING is where you get a text-message from your BANK reporting: there is an error on your account at ABC Bank, you are directed to call a number, a message says to leave the last 4 digits of your social security number and your pin code. People do it everyday.
5. The lowly mail box that has not changed in hundreds of years is a rich source of data for experienced thieves to take advantage of.
6. In hospitals and nursing homes the records of the elderly are easily available to all.
7. Every one, you would think, as seen the Nigerian Theft Scam where an e-mail promises a lot of money for a little help getting papers signed in the US.
8. ATM setup involves inserting a trap devise in machine and the next customer comes by and can't get his card out. The thief just happens to be in the area and offers assistance because the same problem happened to them, they then take the card when the frustrated customer leaves. Of course the thief does see your pin code in the process of this ordeal.
9. One un-nerving form of identity theft occurs when the criminal calls you and wants to know why you did not report for JURY DUTY and maybe a warrant will be issued for your arrest. To prove who you are they have the nerve to ask for your Social Security number and credit card information.
10. One area of extreme risk is your local FITNESS CENTER where your personal identification is secured by a flimsy lock. Gym-Rats are known for breaking in when no one is around and taking what ever they want and no one sees a thing; every one knows your identification is probably in the locker.
11. Believe it or not, it is very common for a person with a little inside information about you and your real estate holding to go to the County Assessor's Office and file fraudulent GRANT DEEDS and change ownership of the property to themselves. With this they can get loans against the properties and disappear with the money.
12. One of the most dangerous forms of identity theft is Medical Identity Theft because it can affect your medical treatment. Organized Crime loves this form of identity theft because of the huge amounts of money made, they use crooked doctors and people on welfare quite often.
13. Every time you make copies of private information on a Copy Machine at work or a copy center there is a copy saved on the machine's hard drive. The hard drives are seldom wiped clean and tech savvy criminals know where to find these used machines with your sensitive data.
14. Facebook has over 500 million members and identity thieves know how to break into networks and DATA MINE personal information they can use.
15. Every retired person in America has a Medicare Card, with their SS# on it, they have to take on doctor's visits and hospital stays for criminals to use.
16.Utility companies have a big problem with thieves calling customers and threatening to cut off their service if they don't make a modest payment with their credit card.
17.A scam using FREE REVERSE CELL PHONE lookups allows criminals to get personal information they can use against you, even directions to your home.
