We all understand how important it is to protect you identity, but sometimes even the most careful of us can fall prey to increasingly equipped identity criminals. If you feel your identity may have been compromised, then here are the steps you should follow:

*Get in touch with credit card companies, banks, eBay, PayPal or similar organisations to let them know you think you have been compromised and ask what you can do. Be specific about what has happened and do anything they ask,

* Contest any payments you believe to be unauthorized on any of your accounts. You may have a fight on your hand, but at least you have taken the first step to resolving the problem.

* Advise the police so they can begin an investigation of any criminal activity.

*Cancel your credit cards and get them replaced with new card numbers.

* Change all PIN numbers and passwords. This may stop your accounts being hijacked completely if they may have been compromised.

* If you have lost documents like your driver’s license, passport or social security card- get them replaced.

* Scan your computer for spyware or viruses and change all account passwords.

* Make a file of all correspondence and evidence relating to the alleged identity theft that you can produce if needed.

They always say that prevention is the best cure, one way to prevent identity theft is to enroll with a company like Lifelock.  More about Lifelock here.

The proliferation of technology in society has created many benefits for citizens. However, it has also benefited criminals and made it easier for them to steal identities. The purpose of this article is to provide you with some tips in ensuring the security of your information.

They are:

1. Destroy, or safely store bank or credit card statements- The first step for an identity theft criminal is often to try and get hold of a bank or credit card statement. This gives them access to many details that can start a criminal on their path to stealing your identity. Ensure these statements are safely stored, and when you are finished with them, make sure they are properly destroyed.

2. Secure your mailbox- Empty your mailbox daily, and if you are away, make sure you organize someone to empty it for you. You should also ensure your mailbox is secured with a padlock so your mail cannot be stoled during the day whilst you are at work.

3. Ensure the safety of your social security number- memorise your number so you don’t have to carry your card on you. Don’t write it down unless you have to. Your social security number is what identity thieves are really aiming for because it can enable access to your credit report and bank accounts.

4. Avoid a paper trail- Never leave ATM, credit card or gas station receipts behind. These receipts can contain information like credit card numbers which can be used by identity thieves. (more…)

If one were to flip through the pages of any major daily, some news of an identity theft crime would be sure to show up. That’s right, identity theft has become THAT common and it can happen to you too. Being a victim of identity theft can mean complete destruction of your credit rating. This can greatly impact your chances of purchasing a house, a car or even getting a credit card.

Thus even the idea of being hit by identity theft can be unnerving. Fortunately, a company called Lifelock provides an identity theft protection program that can prevent such an incident from happening in the first place.

Based in Tempe, Arizona, LifeLock was founded in 2005 by a group of professionals with several years of experience in the credit and banking industry. It is the first organization of its kind that works with all three major credit bureaus as well a ChexSystems. Even though Lifelock is a privately owned company, it works in alignment with the National Crime Prevention Council, Verisign and the Better Business Bureau among others. 

LifeLock also is the first consumer protection business in the world to achieve ISO 270001 certification.  This is the highest security standard for handling and processing data provided by the International Organization for Standardization.  This means that customers can feel confident in LifeLocks ability to keep their information safe. (more…)

There are many scams out there on the internet, and criminals do come up with new ideas everyday. However, many scams are rehashed, and this article contains 4 of the most common scams on the internet to steal your identity or money.

• Online Auction Scam - With the advent of eBay, this scam really took off. You win an auction on a site like eBay and send off your money. Unfortunately you receive a fake or, even worse, nothing at all! Luckily, eBay has improved things with their seller ratings and with buyer protection measures. (more…)

Did you know?

According to law enforcement agencies, identity theft has been one of the fastest growing crimes during these past couple years. What’s worse, criminals now take advantage of highly sophisticated technology to lure innocent victims into revealing all of their private and personal information. This article will focus on identity theft statistics, in order to give you a clear picture of this vicious crime and the importance of protecting yourself from it.

The first mention of it was in the 1990’s - identity theft statistics showed that in the period between 2001 and 2002, identity theft increased by 11-20%, while this figure leaped to 80% somewhere between 2002 and 2003. The survey conducted by the Better Business Bureau and Javelin in January 2006, indicated a slight decrease in the number of identity theft attacks between 2003 and 2006 though. In 2003, identity theft statistics highlighted the fact that the number of American adult victims was approximately 10.1 million - this number dropped to 9.3 million in 2005 and further decreased to 8.9 million in 2006. (more…)

Identity theft is obtaining another person’s personal information for your own personal gain. It is more than just stealing someone’s social security number. It includes mail fraud and credit card fraud. With the right information, an identity thief can completely take over a person’s financial life and have it ruins in no time. The amount of time and money that it takes to restore this life back to normal is astronomical. This article will give you an overview of identity theft and what you can do to prevent it.

Identity theft in America is on the rise. This is due to advancing technology and people taking advantage of the ease of online shopping and using debit and credit cards in the stores. Identity thieves are developing new ways every day to obtain your personal information. Don’t assume that just because someone is a thief that means that he is stupid. Most identity thieves are highly intelligent and can gain access to your information without you being aware. It may be months before you realize that someone has stolen your identity. By this time, your financial life is ruined along with your credit. (more…)

Identity theft is a growing concern for Americans today. Thieves are able to hack, steal and obtain your personal information in ways you can’t even imagine. Once this information is compromised, your financial life and your good credit can be ruined for years. It takes a lot longer to get it fixed than it did for the thief to ruin it. Most of the time, the thief is never caught and he is free to move on to the next victim. This article will give you some useful information on how these thieves can obtain your identity so that you can protect yourself.

 Dumpster diving has long been a favorite way for thieves to obtain personal information about you. They will simply go through your trash for old utility bills, credit card statements, credit card offers and any other piece of mail with your personal information on it. Once this information is obtained, the thief can then use it to obtain new credit cards, apply for loans in your name and even wipe out your checking and savings account. The best defense against this is to shred all documents, even your junk mail. Use a cross cut shredder instead of a straight line shredder. These thieves have been known to be able to piece together the strips from the straight line shredders to get your information. (more…)

In today’s world, almost every aspect of our life is heavily dependent on technology. In fact, technology is now so deeply woven into DNA of our daily lives that even who we are or our own identity is now encrypted in the digital world. This is why it’s no small wonder that identity theft isn’t only a reality but a fast growing threat even to the common man, especially in the

The concept of identity theft can be simply put as a situation where the thief is able to acquire access to your personal information such as birth date, social security number, bank account number, driver’s license number, address etc. Once a thief has this information in hand, they can use it in innumerable ways to harm you and more often than not leave your credit history in tatters.

At such a juncture, anyone with a basic sense of self preservation needs a way to protect themselves from identity theft. One company that provides identity theft protection is LifeLock. (more…)

LifeLock is a massively popular Tempe-based company that specializes in identity theft prevention. In fact, the quality of service has been so good, LifeLock is now the undisputed leader in this fiercely competitive industry.

Which brings us to the question….

How can you benefit from LifeLock?

Well, here are 4 good reasons why you should choose LifeLock, as your identity theft protection service provider:

* Reason #1:- It’s no secret that identity theft is on the rise….not just here in the United States, but all over the world. And with the variety of sophisticated technology available, committing identity theft has become much easier for unscrupulous thieves out there. Doesn’t it make sense to get the best possible identity theft  protection service?

Think about it - As long as you’ve got your savings account, credit card, social security number, driver’s license, etc. you are open to identity theft attacks. Subscribing to LifeLock’s identity theft protection service, will finally give you the  peace of mind to get on with your daily life, *without* having to worry if you are going to be the next victim of an identity theft attack.  (more…)