Archive for the ‘Electonic identity theft’ Category
Identity Theft Through Obamacare Signups
This is an example of how identity theft can take place with the new Healthcare sign ups . We have been informed the navigators have not had criminal background checks completed on them. Their training is 20 to 30 hours, and after that training, they are expected to know the ins and outs of the 1200 page document of the Affordable Care Act. The Healthcare.gov site is not secure; has not had all the testing done before implementing the sign up pages; and now, your information can be viewed by anyone working there?
Seriously!
Plus the data can be accessed by not only the IRS, Dept of Homeland Security, Dept of Health and Human Services, Social Security Administration, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, but the navigators themselves.
Whom should you trust? Watch the news clip below.
Remember, The Identity Advocate is here for your needs in providing education, information, solutions, and a fully managed identity theft recovery product at a cost of less than a car wash a month. Contact Linda at 310-831-4400 or linda@thedientityadvocate.com
Beware of Skimming Devices-Tips to Protect Yourself-ITRC
A skimming device is a piece of hardware that is attached to any credit/debit card processing machine and will record all the data that is contained on the magnetic strip on the back of your card. The skimming device is often supplemented with a camera discreetly positioned so that it can secretly record you enter your PIN number if using a debit card. A skimming device can be placed on ATM machines, gas station pumps and at the cashier at your local retailer.
Check the machine you are using for any suspicious additional hardware attached to it or for a warning sticker that has been cut or torn.
A skimmer can be small and inconspicuous, but it is nonetheless an additional piece of hardware that must be physically attached to any machine that you are using. Always be sure to check for any hardware that looks like it was manually added and does not conform to the rest of the machine. On some machines, the skimmer can be attached in a hidden compartment such as a gas station pump. The gas station pump credit/debit card swipe is often covered and you will not be able to see a skimmer that is attached to it because it is hidden behind a panel or compartment that must be opened in order to access it. Many gas stations place a sticker over the panel opening so that it must be removed, cut or torn in order to reach the component the skimmer must be attached to. Whenever one of these stickers looks stretched, excessively worn, or severed, you should look for a different pump or gas station.
Use a credit card over a debit card whenever possible.
The reason for this is due to the differences between how a credit card and debit card work. A credit card is simply a line of credit extended to you from a financial institution. When you pay for something with a credit card, you are creating a debt with the financial institution that you will have to pay later. A debit card is different in that it is not a line of credit, but a conduit to your bank account which contains your hard earned money. This is related to two problems that occur when your debit card is used for fraud as opposed to your credit card. First, since your debit card is attached to your bank account, a criminal can potentially drain all the money out of your bank account leaving you with no money to pay your bills. A criminal using your credit card can run up a nasty bill, but at least you will still have the money in your bank account to be able to pay bills such as rent and car payments. Second, banks treat debit cards and credit cards differently when it comes to fraudulent transactions. Credit cards are offered much more robust liability protection in that, generally, your liability for fraudulent transactions will usually be at maximum $50.00. A debit card on the other hand will have liability limited to $50.00 so long as you report the fraudulent transaction within two days. Your liability will be limited to $500.00 if reported between 2 and 60 days, and you will be liable for the entire fraudulent transaction if you fail to report it within 60 days.
Monitor your credit and debit card accounts as often as possible.
In order to reap the benefits of limited liability and to prevent a thief from using your card information over several days or weeks, you must be vigilant in monitoring your accounts to find evidence of fraudulent transactions. The sooner you detect a fraudulent transaction, the faster you will be able to report the fraud to your financial institution, limit your liability for the purchase, and shut down the card so that it can no longer be used.
“Three Tips to Avoid Skimming Device Consequences” was written by Sam Imandoust, Esq. He serves as a legal analyst for the Identity Theft Resource Center. We welcome you to post/reprint the above article, as written, giving credit to the author and linking back to the original posting.
Trusted Resource to Prevent ID Theft in Southern CA: Shredding: 6 questions to ask
You know how I’m continually nagging you about shredding your documents….whether I am giving an in-service, or talking to friends. Guess what! I have a resource that you’re going to love. In fact, it’s someone I use myself and here’s why – as a private investigator and I keep files as long as required by law, when I get ready to dispose of them, I need guaranteed destruction and security. When I review my own health records or explanation of benefits or the bills and utility charges, or catalogs I receive, I want to make sure no one else is privy to my personal information!!
So these are the questions to ask your shredding organization:
1. Do you do a complete background check on all your employees?
2. Do you video tape all shredding areas in company?
3. Are all personnel fingerprinted and run through the DOJ (Dept. of Justice) data base?
4. Are the employees knowledgeable in security and or law enforcement?
5. Do they specialize in cross cut technology vs. tear and grind which is cheaper?
6. What is their liability coverage?
In my opinion, a minimum of 1mil/2mil is mandatory
Therefore I recommend 2shred here in Southern California…check their website:
2Shred (http://www.2shred.com/Pages/default.aspx )
Do you want to know more? Contact me at www.the identityadvocate.com or 310-831-4400.
Have a safe day!
Do Identity Theft Services Make It Difficult To Refinance?
By: Rebecca Levin
Refinancing a home loan is one of the biggest decisions you can make. It can affect any future purchases you make and impact your credit in ways your lender might not be able to predict, but just getting approved for a refinance can be a battle unto itself. To refinance, you must jump through a variety of hoops and have a reasonable credit score in order to do so.
Which brings us to the question: should you use an identity protection service to secure your credit score? If you would like to iron out any instances of fraud, identity theft, or any errors in your credit report before applying for refinance and you have the money, then the answer is yes. Utilizing these services will not harm your chances of refinancing.
Identity Detectives
Identity protection services are a valuable resource for detecting fraud and protecting against identity theft. They go above and beyond your credit card agency to assess the instances of identity theft that might have occurred, and help protect your credit from further fraud damage. Many agencies also allow you to purchase credit insurance. This insurance aids you financially in purchasing expert legal help in the event that your identity has been stolen, help that would otherwise be unaffordable.
Furthermore, these companies allow you to view your credit report whenever you desire, so you can see any misrepresentations in your score and correct them before applying for refinancing. This is a valuable tool, considering that viewing your credit report multiple times a year can be a costly experience.
Security Is Not Free
If you have the time and would like to save some money, then it might be better to check your credit score manually and iron out any problems without the aid of an identity theft service. If you do choose to utilize one of these services, however, you can rest assured that it will not harm your chances of refinancing. You can sign up at www.creditkarma.com and begin to receive free credit reports. You can also sign up through the blog to have complete protection and recovery services as well at here: http://www.theidentityadvocate.com/identity-theft-protection.php
Rebecca Levin is a contributor to mortgagerates.inmyarea.com, which is a consumer friendly financial services and information site. To find out more about Rebecca and her work, please visit her Google Plus account.
3 Steps to Protect Your Identity From Online Internet Criminal Activity
Hackers hack because they can. They hack to steal YOUR identity. They don’t care they don’t know you. Whether it is through your email, a spoofed (fake) email requests, even links to connect from LinkedIn, hackers can add malware or key-logger programs to your computer to scrounge around for you to provide – and what you may consider – protected information.
In the case of a key logger program, hackers can access your passwords, account numbers, bank information and even your employer information. Once hackers gain access to this information, they use it to re-invent themselves as you, get a new drivers license, start new credit cards or even buy property. Identity thieves abound and the most frustrating thing is only one in 700 identity thieves are ever arrested. Being careful when on-line is critical. Here are three actions you can take today to ensure your critical information stays private:
1. Install a firewall on your computer and digital devices such as AVG, Avast or Lookout
2. Install an anti-malware program and check and run it monthly
3. Download password generator program software from sites like Keepass, Lastpass, or Roboform
Identity theft is on the rise. The IC3 (Internet Crime Complaint Center- partnership between the FBI, the National White Collar Crime Center and the Bureau of Justice) received and processed 289,874 complaints, averaging more than 24,000 complaints per month of identity theft. This is 8.3 percent over the previous full year. For more information read the IC3 crime report.
Want to learn more about on-line safety, protecting your identity and recovery if it is stolen connect with The Identity Advocate : http://www.theidentityadvocate.com/identity-theft-protection.php
Related Blog Posts:
http://www.theidentityadvocate.com/blog/identity-theft/fbi-new-e-scams-warnings
3 Must Asked Question to Ensure the Privacy of your Health Records
It’s traumatic when you or a loved one is admitted to a hospital. There’s so much to worry about. However, the protection of your private health care information should not be one of them. Although there has been a rash of celebrity information being compromised during recent admissions to a hospital, you don’t have to have a star status to ensure your health care information is safe.
To make sure your private health information stays that way, here are 3 questions to ask during the admission process:
1. Does your organization do background checks on all employees?
2. Who has access to my information?
3. Where will my records be stored and will they be encrypted?
If the person admitting you (or the pre – admission process) can’t answer the above questions, ask to speak to a supervisor who has the answers. If he or she doesn’t know, then ask to speak to the Director of Nursing, or Chief Nursing Officer.
While you may feel this over cautious, we are hearing of Identity Theft Rings run from a hospital by an admissions clerk as in this case in Alabama: Leader of Identity Theft Ring Sentenced to prison.
Obviously an admission in an emergency you can’t do this process. This may be a reason to consider having Identity Protection and Recovery. If you want to know more about being proactive instead of reactive connect with me here: http://www.theidentityadvocate.com/identity-theft-protection.php.
Keep your piece of mind.
Protecting Your Medical Information from Identity Theft
Have you thought medical identity theft wouldn’t happen to you? Is your thought “why would anyone want my medical information?” Well, they don’t want your “medical history” — they want your insurance information. They might be out of work, or have a friend who needs assistance, or belong to an identity theft ring, and is in it for the money they can earn by selling your medical identity! Today it is more valuable then just your social security number.
When your medical information is stolen and used by someone to seek treatment, your own medical history will change. You may receive bills from doctors you have never seen or even heard of. You may discover they have a different blood type, or have cancer. Then to remove the mis-information and change your information back to who ‘you really are’ becomes an arduous task in itself. Also, you might find yourself responsible for bills that are not yours, and this affects your credit rating when it goes to collections!
Be proactive, protect your medical identity by asking your physician the following questions:
Does s/he do a complete background check on his employees?
Does s/he encrypt the records in his office?
If you should change physicians, what happens to those records? Does s/he outsource billing and receivables and if so, are they cleared as well. You want to know who is in his office and if there are prying eyes or someone who can walk off with all your information on a device such as a laptop or flash drive with all your electronic health information?
Read this article from Fox Business News and see why your medical information and insurance are a valued resource in the the black market; and why it is so difficult to keep your information PRIVATE: http://www.foxbusiness.com/on-air/willis-report/blog/2013/05/21/protect-yourself-against-medical-identity-theft..
And then call me or email me for solutions available to protect and recover your identity in the event that your identity is compromised or stolen
310-831-4400
Cyber Criminals Using Photo-Sharing Programs to Compromise Computers – FBI Press Release
The FBI has seen an increase in cyber criminals who use online photo-sharing programs to perpetrate scams and harm victims’ computers. These criminals advertise vehicles online but will not provide pictures in the advertisement. They will send photos on request. Sometimes the photo is a single file sent as an e-mail attachment, and sometimes the victim receives a link to an online photo gallery.
The photos can and often contain malicious software that infects the victim’s computer, directing the user to fake websites that look nearly identical to the real sites where the original advertisement was seen. The cyber criminals run all aspects of these fake websites, including “tech support” or “live chat support” and any “recommended” escrow services. After the victim agrees to purchase the item and makes the payment, the criminals stop responding to correspondence. The victims never receive any merchandise.
The FBI urges consumers to protect themselves when shopping online. Here are a few tips for staying safe:
- Be cautious if you lose an auction on an auction site but the seller contacts you later saying the original bidder fell through.
- Make sure websites are secure and authenticated before you purchase an item online. Use only well-known escrow services.
- Research to determine if a car dealership is real and how long it has been in business.
- Be wary if the price for the item you’d like to buy is severely undervalued; if it is, the item is likely fraudulent.
- Scan files before downloading them to your computer.
- Keep your computer software, including the operating system, updated with the latest patches.
- Ensure your anti-virus software and firewalls are current—they can help prevent malware infections.
If you have fallen victim to this type of scam, file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
If you need education and resources to protect your identity click on http://www.theidentityadvocate.com/identity-advocate-services.php
The Monthly Newsletter from ID Theft Solutions USA Partnering with The Identity Advocate for Education, Protection and Recovery
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It came to the attention of a Human Resources Director for a large West Coast pharmaceutical company that something was terribly wrong when she received notices that she had “opened” six credit cards with retailers. She discovered her identity had been stolen and the thief had already run up purchases close to $2,000. She immediately took steps to figure out what was wrong by contacting us to handle the situation. We needed to work quickly on the client’s behalf (through Limited Power of Attorney) before the situation spiraled out of control, beginning with working with the retailer’s Credit Customer Service Representatives and Credit Card Fraud Investigators to close the accounts.
COLUMBIA, S.C. — State and federal officials say an international hacker broke into the South Carolina Department of Revenue computer files and gained access to about 3.6 million tax returns. Govenor Nikki Haley said the hacked files included state returns submitted since 1998 with unencrypted Social Security numbers. There also were about 387,000 credit and debit card numbers of which 16,000 were unencrypted.
Like ordinary identity theft, identity thieves specifically target certain types of personal information of travelers, including; credit and debit account numbers, Social Security number, date of birth, and driver’s license number. According to the Corporate Travel Safety website, there are several things you can do during your travels to safeguard your personal information and ensure you aren’t amongst the next group of victims. Check out their Data Theft from an Ambulance Company in AZ. using ADPI as a Billing Company
Another identity theft issue in Yuma. Just when you think you are safe on your ride to the hospital, maybe in critical condition, now you must worry if your identity has been stolen!!
: | News for Yuma, Imperial Valley, El Centro, AZ
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