| Picture yourself walking down the street, all alone. It's | | | | contact the Better Business Bureau (BBB). A visit to |
| late at night. It's a bit brisk, and the wind is blowing | | | | the BBB's web site reveals this statement: |
| through the tall buildings on both sides of you. Suddenly, | | | | "If your complaint is against the identity thief, it is unlikely |
| from out of nowhere, someone runs by you, knocks | | | | that the BBB can assist you. We urge you to report |
| you over, grabs your wallet, and takes off. | | | | the identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission. |
| It sounds like a scene from a movie, and there may | | | | So you visit the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) |
| come a time in the future where this type of | | | | web site, where you read the statement: "The FTC |
| person-to-person crime is only found in movies. Why | | | | serves as the federal clearinghouse for complaints by |
| would anyone rob a bank, or rob an individual, when | | | | victims of Identity Theft. While the FTC does not |
| they could simply use a person's information to obtain | | | | resolve individual consumer problems, your complaint |
| employment, credit cards, and lines of credit? | | | | helps us investigate fraud, and can lead to law |
| By now, everyone knows what Identity Theft is. | | | | enforcement action." |
| Identity Theft has been showing up in the news for | | | | In other words, the BBB and FTC will give you |
| several years, and there has been a large public | | | | information on how to spend 200 hours and $1400, |
| awareness campaign since the FTC Report in | | | | and will let you report information to them which can |
| September 2003. | | | | "lead to law enforcement action." |
| In their report, the FTC shared that the average | | | | Beyond that, you're on your own, because they will not |
| Identity Theft victim spends over $1,400.00, and more | | | | work to restore your individual credit. But they will send |
| than 200 hours, just to clear their good name. Reports | | | | you a 25 page book with some very helpful |
| now are saying that victims can end up spending | | | | information. Good luck. |
| much, much more in terms of time, money, and | | | | This is not to fault the BBB or FTC. It's only to say that |
| frustration. | | | | they do not have the resources to, on a daily basis, |
| Other people may be willing to spend that kind of time | | | | help over 27,000 people restore their good name and |
| and money, but if you don't have an extra $1400 or | | | | credit. Clearly, Americans need a different kind of help |
| 200 hours, read on! | | | | to resolve this issue. |
| What is Identity Theft? | | | | Identity Theft Insurance? |
| Identity Theft couldn't happen to me, right? | | | | Several companies, including Citibank and the three |
| What can I do to protect myself? | | | | credit repositories, are offering different kinds of credit |
| There is good news. | | | | monitoring services. You have probably seen the very |
| Identity Theft Insurance? | | | | funny Citibank ads, promoting the protection of your |
| What is Identity Theft? | | | | information from thieves, and as a result of the ID |
| ID Theft happens when someone takes any piece of | | | | Theft epidemic, Citibank now offers protection for their |
| your personal information, and fraudulently uses it to | | | | credit cards. This is an excellent idea, but credit card |
| obtain access to your credit, bank accounts, or to | | | | fraud only accounts for approximately 40% of Identity |
| obtain employment. | | | | Theft cases. |
| How can it happen? | | | | What about the other 60% of identity theft cases? |
| There are literally thousands of ways your information | | | | Well, most often, they happen when someone is using |
| can be stolen, and, as Harris County district attorney | | | | your name to obtain credit or employment. The three |
| Chuck Rosenthal knows, if it can happen to him, it is | | | | credit bureaus have stepped in to offer you credit |
| proof that identity theft and fraud can happen to | | | | monitoring services, which will let you track what is |
| anyone. "Rosenthal said nearly $8,000 was stolen from | | | | going on with your credit on a daily, weekly, or monthly |
| his account before it was discovered [...] He said that | | | | basis. This way, if your information is being used by |
| he still has problems because of the crime -- his check | | | | someone you don't know, you will know about it the |
| was refused when he tried to buy supplies for his | | | | day it happens and, ideally, you'll be able to do |
| daughter." | | | | something about it. The cost ranges from $4.95/month |
| There are thousands of stories like this one, which you | | | | to $19.95/month. With these services, you're generally |
| have already been hearing about in your local or | | | | still on your own to get the issue resolved, but hopefully |
| national news. | | | | the early detection will help you be able to resolve the |
| What can you do to protect yourself? | | | | issue in less than 200 hours, and with less than |
| To be proactive, here are what the "experts" are | | | | $1,400.00. |
| telling you to do. Read this list carefully, and while you | | | | Another company has stepped in, because they have |
| do, think about what it would mean in added time and | | | | seen this trend, and the need that consumers have for |
| frustration for your life: | | | | protection from identity theft. Kroll Worldwide is the |
| Avoid giving out your Social Security number...Shred or | | | | world's foremost risk consulting company. They've |
| destroy bank and/or credit card information...Shred or | | | | been responsible for things like: |
| destroy any credit card or other direct mail | | | | Tracking Saddam Hussein's money after the first Gulf |
| offers...Create passwords containing numbers and | | | | War, creating an evacuation plan for the Sears Tower |
| letters...Avoid buying or making donations via the | | | | and many of the world's tallest buildings, and handling |
| phone...Buy goods online only from a reputable Web | | | | high profile cases such as the Enron debacle. |
| site...Install a computer firewall at home... Read the | | | | Kroll has created a product which not only monitors |
| privacy statements for all your accounts and your | | | | credit on a daily basis, and (like the credit repositories) |
| bank's liability clauses...Check your credit report more | | | | gives you credit reports in a way that you can |
| frequently... Use only one credit card for purchases... | | | | understand them, but they also assign a personal |
| Avoid shopping online... Update your computer virus | | | | licensed investigator to you, who will do the work along |
| protection daily... Install Spyware software on your | | | | side of you, to get your credit and identity restored and |
| computer to be sure that you're not accidentally having | | | | to track down the thief who committed the crime. This |
| your keystrokes recorded... Drop your mail in the blue | | | | saves you time and money |
| post boxes, not in your mailbox... Don't leave mail in | | | | Identity Theft shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, |
| your mailbox overnight or on weekends... While you're | | | | many state and federal law enforcement agencies |
| at it, sign up for a locked mailbox, because you can't | | | | are predicting that the problem will get worse before it |
| trust that your mail will stay in your mailbox... The list | | | | gets better. Other companies are sure to follow the |
| goes on...and on...and on... | | | | lead of Kroll in providing Identity Theft solutions. |
| The "experts" are telling you to rearrange your entire | | | | Probably no other company will be able to match the |
| life to proactively defend yourself against Identity | | | | background and experience of a company like Kroll, |
| Theft. However, what no one is telling you is this: | | | | but they will create similar products to help consumers, |
| There is no 100% guarantee that your information | | | | and within the next 3-5 years, Identity Theft protection |
| won't be used. No matter what you do, you are as | | | | will become an important part of the insurance-type |
| likely a target for Identity Theft as any other person | | | | products we use to protect ourselves on a daily basis. |
| you know. | | | | In short, what the experts aren't telling you is this: |
| Approximately 2,500 Washington County (Maryland) | | | | There is no guaranteed way to protect your |
| Board of Education employees discovered this when | | | | information, |
| their Social Security numbers, names, birth dates and | | | | In an advanced age of rapid and electronic banking |
| other private information were accidentally posted on | | | | and communication, your information is publicly available |
| the school system's web site for up to 45 days during | | | | to anyone who wants to find it, |
| 2004. | | | | If you've been a victim before, you're more likely to |
| Consumer Reports states, "It is an equal-opportunity | | | | become a victim again, and |
| crime, affecting victims of all races, incomes, and ages. | | | | Identity Theft, as a crime, is here to stay. |
| Overall, more than 33 million Americans, about 1 in 6 | | | | Changing the way that you do things reduces the |
| adults, say they have had their identities used by | | | | likelihood that you will become a victim, but you have |
| someone else sometime since 1990." | | | | no way of being sure that your information will stay |
| There is good news | | | | your information. |
| If you become a victim of Identity Theft, you basically | | | | The real state of affairs today is that you are walking |
| have two choices. You can try to handle it on your | | | | down that dark street on a windy night, and someone |
| own, or you can let a professional help you. | | | | robs you, but you don't know it, or feel it, for days, |
| If you try to handle it on your own, you might try to | | | | weeks, or months. |