Identity Fraud Protection and Education - The Shocking Facts and Figures

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CIFAS - the UK's Fraud Prevention Service have published some rather worrying statistics when it comes to identity fraud and general theft of personal data for illicit purposes. Their data shows that there are two types of ID theft:

Identity Fraud - where personal/confidential information which has been stolen is used to obtain goods or services. Or alternatively, the stolen information is often used to forged identity documents including passports, driving licences and more. These false documents can then be used to apply for credit cards, loans or other financial services.

Account Takeover - is another sort of identity theft where an individual's bank accounts are taken over and drained dry.

Neither of these types of identity fraud is pleasant for the victim and in this time of recession within the UK (and worldwide) ID fraud is on the rise. In 2007, 2008 and 2009, there were over 65,000 incidents of identity fraud annually and a sharp rise in the number of account takeovers from 6,272 in 2007 to well over 16,000 in 2009. The steep rise in 2009 onwards, shows that not only that identity theft is becoming more prevalent but also that the knowledge about how to prevent it is not sufficiently widespread. It's not only the individual that suffers from ID theft, but society as a whole. Banking institutions, loan companies, insurance firms and the providers of goods and services all suffer as a result of identity fraud and generally the cost is passed on to the consumer. The result is - everyone suffers. It is estimated that identity fraud costs the UK economy over £1 billion per annum.

Identity Fraud Facts and Figures

The facts and figures of identity fraud are pretty shocking:

The average amount stolen from a victim through identity fraud is over £1,000, yet only 7% of people have been a victim. Despite this, 95% of Britons believe ID fraud is a direct threat to them.

25% of people in the UK do not shred confidential documents at home.

96% of people believe that organisations do not handle their data correctly and as a result they might be at risk of ID fraud through the actions of others.

In the UK, there are around 4.3 million victims of identity fraud to date and the number of victims continues to grow.

Statistics show that around 18 million households in the UK are failing to properly protect themselves from the risk of ID theft.

Yet identity theft protection is simply a matter of education in prevention methods. In many instances, this simply involves encouraging home owners and individuals to shred important and confidential documents before disposing of them in their weekly rubbish - because this is where the biggest threat lies - criminals rifling through your rubbish. Obviously shredding all your paperwork is a hassle and takes time, but there is an alternative. The Japanese have invented an ID protection stamp, which is a simple stamp that when used quickly and easily covers and obscures personal data and cuts out the need for shredding. Confidential waste can then be put to better use and recycled rather than thrown in the landfill - while you can remain confident that your data is safe and secure.

Don't be a victim of ID fraud, protect your data simply and easily with little hassle or fuss.

Adrian writes on behalf of Stamps Direct - the UK's exclusive supplier of the ID protection stamp.

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Are You High Risk for Identity Theft? Get Protection

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Identity thieves originally went after high value targets that had the most money. Nowadays, they have gone out of that comfort zone and target lower income groups who make for easier pickings. Identity theft cases have skyrocketed in the 21st century fueled by technological advancements. It is becoming easier for identity thieves to get information about people which they eventually use to carry out fraudulent activities. Although identity thieves prefer richer people, their information is not as easy to come by compared to low income earners. The following people are more vulnerable to identity theft.

Frequent users of social networks. Research suggests that people who frequently use social networks are vulnerable to identity theft due to the possibility of sharing personally identifiable information. People who have used such networks online for over five years are twice as likely to fall victim to identity theft.

People who reside in apartments in major cities. Identity theft in this case is made possible by the ease by which mail can be intercepted by identity thieves. This group of people also move house frequently. This means that mail can easily land in the wrong hands at a previous residence.

It has become fairly obvious that online shoppers have the highest risk factor when it comes to becoming a victim of this kind of theft. This is because they usually give out loads of sensitive personal information and even credit card numbers.

A proactive approach can serve as a good means of preventing theft. The following are some steps that can be taken to deal with the risk of identity theft.

Always ensure that on changing addresses, you inform the people that send you regular mail such as banks. This will prevent your mail from landing in the wrong hands.

Always shred documents that have personally identifiable information before throwing them in the trash. Even better, burn items with highly sensitive data.

Always cancel all credit cards that you no longer use. People usually get shocked to see purchases made with unused credit cards.

Always have passwords that are hard to guess. Password-protected accounts usually have personal information within them.

Memorize all important numbers such as social security numbers so as not to leave them lying around on a written piece of paper. If not, save them in a secure password-protected location.

Check your bank statement every month to make sure that all transactions were performed by you.

Always make sure that any website you use to make online purchases is genuine. Such websites are usually validated and make use of secure connections.

Britney Fuller is a writer who enjoys writing on a number of different verticals. For more on identity theft, Online Security Authority offers readers information on tips for job seekers concerned with identity theft.

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Types of Identity Theft - Things You Should Know

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What is Identity Theft?

Identity theft has become one of the most common criminal offences in Canada. This kind of theft usually occurs when someone takes possession of personal information such as your name, address, social security number, credit cards and/or driver's license along with other data. The intent behind committing this crime is to take illegal advantage of your identity, and your assets. The goal is for the thief to avoid the repercussions of their dishonest actions through impersonation of the victim. In some cases identity thieves have even gone as far as to try and sell property and embezzle the money. The largest credit bureaus in Canada receive over 1,800 identity theft complaints a month from Canadian Citizens.

1. Financial / Credit Identity Theft

Credit identity theft occurs when someone uses your information to obtain loans, goods or services and doesn't pay the bills. Their actions often include opening a credit card account fraudulently and attaining government benefits, passing bad cheques or opening a new bank account. Getting loans in another person's name is another way that identity thieves are able to attain finances. Due to the accumulation of bills the victim's line of credit is often negatively affected.

2. Medical Identity Theft

Through the use of a name and other aspects of one's identity the thief obtains medical insurance in the victim's name or uses their current medical insurance policy to obtain medical care or prescription drugs. Using the stolen identification, the thief is able to obtain consent to have medical services, or goods provided. If you are a victim of medical theft, you can be denied health coverage or lose your current health coverage because of false information being put on your medical record. This type of identity theft is the most dangerous form due to the thief's ability to change existing medical records that could potentially be life threatening for the victim, and is unfortunately the hardest theft to track, stop and fix.

3. Criminal Identity Theft

This type of identity theft occurs when someone has personal information including a valid driver's license and other forms of ID. Identity culprits are then able to obtain other false credentials to show authenticity to the stolen identity. The ID thief then impersonates the victim when apprehended for any type of crime or illegal act. They use the victim's information so that the crime will not show up on their own record and instead on the victim's. In this situation warrants could be issued for your arrest, you could be detained and end up spending time in jail for a crime you didn't commit. Often this type of identity theft is discovered when the victim is pulled over and ticketed for speeding or a smaller road violation. Criminal ID theft is just as difficult as medical ID theft since it is difficult to explain, fix and stop.

4. Social Security Identity Theft

Your social security number may be the most valuable piece of personal information a thief can steal. With this one piece of identification, a dishonest person can obtain other personal information to validity the identity. In some cases when a social security number is stolen the thief uses it when hired onto a new job. Specifically, they use your name and identity as their own. The thief's employer reports wages and the victim is forced into paying income taxes on those earnings. Another repercussion to this form of theft is that the victim will lose life sustaining benefits.

5. Synthetic Identity Theft

Synthetic ID theft is a fairly new type of identity theft and in which the criminal attempts to convince people that they are another person who is either real or fictional. In this case a thief will take information from various victims and combine it to create a new identity. In this case all victims whose information has been collected and used in the new identity will negatively be affected, although some more than others. Synthetic identities can be completely fabricated in some cases but a common technique is to obtain a real SSN number. This type of theft is more difficult to catch because the perpetrators credit report is difficult to track and obtain.

6. Child Identity Theft

Child ID theft occurs when a social insurance number is obtained and used to impersonate a child. Young children are an easily accessible target for identity theft because they are completely unaware that their information is being used, and discovery of this theft is usually not until the child is older. For this reason child identity theft has become a growing concern that can be difficult to avoid. When children are young the last thing they are concerned about is checking their credit. Often the culprit is a close family member or family friend who has stolen such information. Because the victim typically knows the person who has taken their identity, legal action is often not pursued.

Protect Yourself Against ID Theft

As long as "trusted" facilitators and have access to private information, you are always at risk for identity theft. It only takes this valuable information to fall into the wrong hands once, for identity theft to ensue and cause an uproar of liabilities for the victim.

To protect your assets including your property, credit rating, insurance and finances from being taken from you by an identity thief, avoid giving out personal information as much as possible, shred all unwanted mail, and never carry your SSN card with you. As well, keep private information out of eye sight and monitor your credit regularly.

Ann Jolliffe believes that it is important to have piece of mind when it comes to your family's overall well being and safety. It is a good idea to invest in Insurance London Ontario so that those we hold dear to us will always have financial security. Read up on What does home insurance cover

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Lesser Known Facts About Identity Theft

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Many facts about identity theft are now common knowledge. Identity theft has been rising every year for at least a decade, and it has exploded wildly along with the growth of the Internet. Some hackers steal personally identifiable information and then sell it in private forums to other, would-be thieves. Phishing websites collect your personal information to facilitate identity theft, the list goes on.

Yet there are lesser known facts about identity theft that may help shape your plans to prevent it and how to monitor for it.
Many, but not quite a majority, of cases of identity theft involve family members and close friends. Parents have used a child's Social Security Number to get credit cards and even home mortgages after their own credit is shut down. Unfortunately, this ruin's their child's credit just as they are starting their own lives. And many financial institutions won't let the loans be forgiven unless the child presses charges against the relative.
Making up a Social Security Number (SSN) on a credit card application is identity theft as well as fraud. Since credit reporting is based on the Social Security Number, using a false one results in them checking someone else's credit.
Illegal aliens using your Social Security Number are committing identity theft as well as fraud, whether they use your name as well or only your SSN along with their name. This is done to pass background checks and determine if they are legal to work in the United States. Identity theft has also involved American born children of illegal aliens. Once the child has a Social Security Number, the parent uses that SSN to work and apply for credit. Unfortunately, the teenager can discover they now have a long work history and are at risk of audits by the IRS when they try to work at a fast food joint. The IRS may say they owe taxes on another job or have to explain the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) claimed when they were a minor.
Impersonating someone's identity is increasingly used to gain access to health benefits. From using another's Medicaid card and ID to listing the health insurance information of a friend, this permits someone not entitled to the benefits to get free or discount care. Unfortunately, it also adds incorrect information to the correct person's medical records. This can result in bills sent to someone who never even received care. In rare cases, the medical insurance cap is reached and the person paying the health insurance premiums is unable to get care due to the health insurance fraud.
If someone is working using your Social Security Number and then claims retirement benefits, the payments go to whomever retires first. If it isn't you, you will face an uphill battle to prove the money is going to the wrong person. And there are as of yet no court cases in which the person received the benefits paid to the identity thief.
Basic shredding of your bank statements is sound advice but of limited use. Anywhere your Social Security Number and contact information are listed is vulnerable to ID theft. Your doctor's office can be hacked and your personal information stolen as easily and reliably as the Department of Motor Vehicles. An attorney's records include the SSN, address and phone number, allowing those who steal legal records to gain access to even more information for identity theft. You cannot control the information security of all of these hundreds of locations where this information is stored.

While you can never be 100% safe from identity theft, it's important to remain alert. Catching identity theft early is the key to preventing financial ruin. There are services to help protect your identity, but everyone's situation is different, so this may not be the best option for you.

Jason is the Founder and Creative Director of StartProducingWealth.com. For more resources and information on wealth creation and wealth protection, visit Start Producing Wealth.

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ID Theft Prevention and Recovery Service: Are You Protected?

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Identity theft is the fastest growing consumer crime in the United States. According to the Federal Trade Commission, approximately 9.3 million individuals are victimized by the crime every year, so it's no wonder that more and more people are turning to ID theft prevention services to safeguard their identities. But consumers aren't the only ones at risk. Any size business, whether a giant corporation or a small business, must be vigilant to protect themselves from ID theft.

ID Theft Prevention Service Vs. ID Theft Insurance Vs. Credit Checks:

Identity theft experts agree that using an ID theft prevention service is the most effective way to protect against ID theft, but note that consumers and companies can also take matters into their own hands by using common sense to protect their identities. Some preventative measures include keeping copies of credit card information in a safe place, obtaining their credit reports from the three major credit bureaus once a year, and implementing credit freezes.

Some ID experts also recommend purchasing ID theft insurance, but the benefits of an ID theft prevention service far outweigh the benefits of ID theft insurance. The insurance covers some of the expenses to deal with the aftermath of identity theft, but it does nothing to prevent it. Even the National Association of Insurance Commissioners states that ID theft insurance "cannot protect you from becoming a victim of identity theft and does not cover direct monetary losses incurred as a result of identity theft."

Instead of insurance, consumers, corporations, and small businesses should invest in an ID theft prevention and recovery service that is proactive and provides comprehensive protection against ID theft. There are many competing identity theft prevention services out there, and not all of them offer the same level of service.

The Most Effective ID Theft Prevention and Recovery Service:

The Identity Advocate has been researching the best of the best services for preventing ID theft and what to do if it happens to you. We believe the most proficient and comprehensive identity theft prevention and recovery service in the marketplace is Entrust America. It is the only ID theft protection company with a 100% track record of recovering stolen identities over the past five years of providing ID theft prevention services to corporations and consumers alike.

One of the most unique things about Entrust America is that the company has a proprietary partnership with law enforcement nationwide. The company's network of law enforcement professionals recovers identities and ensures clients across the entire United States get back to pre-theft status. As law enforcement professionals they also have the ability to get fast and accurate results that would be nearly impossible for victims to achieve on their own. In addition to providing ID theft protection and recovery services, Entrust America pursues and assists with the prosecution of ID theft perpetrators.

Entrust America's ID theft prevention services include:

• A 24/7 hotline for members to call if they suspect they have been a victim of ID theft. Most competitors do not offer round-the-clock support. These on-call identity theft specialists quickly determine whether a fraud has occurred and, if so, which of the over 40 different kinds of identity theft have been committed.

• Overnighting an ID Theft Resolution Kit that includes forms to be submitted to the IRS, DMV, Social Security Administration, and the three credit reporting agencies. An identity theft affidavit and forms specific to the type of ID theft are also included.

• Reporting the identity theft to members' local authorities and creditors, requesting that creditors cancel existing cards and issue new ones, and placing a security freeze on members' credit records that lasts for seven years. Other ID theft prevention services only place a credit freeze on records for 90 days (if they offer this service at all).

• Contacting members with status updates whenever there is activity on the case, and following-up with creditors to ensure that they properly repair the members' accounts.

• Recovery specialist who are all law enforcement professionals. They have the time and expertise to immediately launch a full investigation into the identity theft, completely reverse damages, and bring the identity thieves to justice.

• 100% recovery of members' identity to pre-theft status. No other ID theft prevention and recovery company has a better track record of reducing the likelihood of a member's identity being compromised. Entrust America gives members total peace of mind.

These are just a few of the many ID theft prevention and recovery services Entrust America provides its members. Learn more about Entrust America and the comprehensive services the company provides consumers and corporations to prevent and recover from identity theft by visiting http://www.EntrustAmerica.com.

Entrust America is the only ID theft prevention service endorsed by The Identity Advocate, a leader in the education, training, consulting, and investigation of ID theft. Visit http://www.TheIdentityAdvocate.com or call 310.831.4400 for more information.

Linda Vincent, R.N., P.I., is an identity theft, medical identity theft, and healthcare fraud prevention expert specializing in medical consulting and investigations. She is the president of The Identity Advocate, which teaches corporations, professional practices, and consumers how to stop identity theft, medical identity theft, and healthcare fraud. Visit http://www.theidentityadvocate.com/ or call 310.831.4400.

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Amazon Protects Against Fraud With Multi-Factor Authentication

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Amazon.com has not only become the largest online bookstore, but is also a multinational ecommerce company. The company has been spreading its reach like branches of a river while supplying goods to countries across the world. Amazon.com started off by profiting from being an online book brokering system and later offering many products. Amazon.com grew its business through online associates in the form of users.

When scaling a company by having users contributing to both ends of business, buying and selling, fraudulent and malicious activities become inevitable. Amazon did not become one of the largest ecommerce websites in the world by lacking in security though. In 2009, Amazon started to offer multi-factor authentication to protect its users against fraud. They now offer free identification through any mobile device or computer which can run a Time-Based One-Time Password application. They also offer paid multi-factor authentication through a third party proprietary authentication token from Gemalto which is supposed to offer higher security.

Free Amazon Multi-Factor Authentication

If you are able to run a time-based one-time password application on your smart phone, tablet or computer you can utilize the free AWS MFA process. Using this method, when you log into your account with your traditional username and password, a token will be delivered to the application. The token is a one-time password that is generated from an out-of-band network separate from the user's login network which reduces the chances of man in the middle attacks and makes the authentication process more secure.

Gemalto Multi-Factor Authentication

To increase security even further, Amazon's users may pay for service through Gemalto which offers a keyfob device for authentication. Amazon states Gemalto's third part proprietary token device offers better security than the free process. After the RSA hard token breaches, many people are skeptical about the proprietary OTP token's security.

Secure Cloud Computing

Amazon, like many companies, is run on a cloud of servers which allows remote access of data to many users at once. Amazon.com and its cloud network offer financial information to its publishers so they can track their earnings. A publisher's user account could display earnings and options for payment to the user. This is one of the reasons why the need for authentication security using a multi-factor process was necessary.

One of the most secure forms of protection for any company storing data on the cloud is by using an out-of-band, multi-factor authentication process which Amazon has implemented. This is especially true for ecommerce websites which may be storing financial data and personal information belonging to thousands of users. This added layer of security could be the very reason why the multinational electronic commerce corporation has not been present on recent data breach lists.

2011 was the year of data breaches and more companies are becoming like Amazon and are starting to utilize cloud computing. Will these companies follow suit to provide better protection and privacy to their users that are accessing information on the cloud or will there be a bigger data breach list containing more corporations in 2012? Companies utilizing the cloud to store and access information need to add additional layers of security to protect the information and the best way for them to do that is to utilize multi factor authentication.

Adam is a network security professional who believes out-of-band authentication is the most secure form of two factor authentication utilizing a one-time password. He writes to inform businesses about upcoming changes to government regulatory compliance and remote access security.

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Credit Report Monitoring - Keeping Consumers Safe From Identity Theft

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Credit report monitoring has become an important aspect in the lives of many people today. It is regarded as an essential service to have to help ensure protection from identity thieves. These days, perpetrators of identity theft are seldom caught by the authorities. With technology giving them the ability to conduct their illegal business, they can continue conducting their unlawful acts and victimize more people each year. But this same technology can also be used to thwart these criminals. To protect oneself, he has to properly monitor his accounts through services designed to detect suspicious activities. By doing this, he can protect himself from the grave consequences of identity theft.

Getting adequate protection from ID theft is the best defense to stay safe. Through a service that provides monitoring, consumers can take advantage of effective procedures implemented to keep identities away from the hands of thieves. As of recently, a lot of people have already benefited from these services. These specific programs have been instrumental in monitoring the personal credit files of each customer. More importantly, the emergence of these services has protected people from attempts that were made to steal their identities. Some others have been given assistance after they have fallen victims to identity thieves while enrolled in the program. These show the benefits of having such services.

The advantages of getting a credit report monitoring service

Companies that offer protection for identities give consumers a number of benefits. In addition to getting the best service to monitor credit reports, anybody who subscribes to these services can look forward to obtaining certain benefits. One of them is a comprehensive credit report. One's credit report is a highly essential document. It is his ticket to getting services that give him the most privileges. When this is compromised, he loses the benefits attached to having good credit. Therefore, it is crucial that this document be monitored to ensure that there is no illegal movement going on that will put one's identity in trouble.

Another advantage is getting identity insurance. With a good program, a subscriber can take advantage of insurance that will provide assistance to its members who have become identity theft victims. This is usually through done through financial resources that will cover lost income, attorney fees, as well as other expenses related with the restoration of their identities. Along with this service must come identity reestablishment to help them get their credit ratings to good standing.

With an identity theft protection program that offers credit report monitoring service, one is able to access various important files. People who have subscribed to these programs are given easy accessibility to files that are important in monitoring their accounts. With some plans, a member is able to get full access to these documents. Through this, he can easily assess the activities that are going on, specifically the movements that have transpired for any given period. This allows easy detection for any unauthorized changes. Therefore, it is a wise move to have such a service as it works to help enhance security for one's identity.

Credit report monitoring services are incredibly vital in preserving the protection of your identification. By way of the best credit monitoring service, you can benefit from features like identity theft protection provided by companies such as lifelock and TrustedID.

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