Remember how much data can be found from postings made to Facebook and other picture site. The bad guys can find your home, see where your children hang out, and pose a threat you didn’t even know existed. Watch this video clip from ABC News:
Remember to adjust your phones features! Watch your privacy settings! Turn off functions like GPS, unless you are using your map or other features, at the time.

Here are some tips you can use to avoid becoming a victim of cyber fraud:

Do not respond to unsolicited (spam) e-mail.

Do not click on links contained within an unsolicited e-mail.

Be cautious of e-mail claiming to contain pictures in attached files, as the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders. Scan the attachments for viruses if possible.

Avoid filling out forms contained in e-mail messages that ask for personal information.

Always compare the link in the e-mail with the link to which you are directed and determine if they match and will lead you to a legitimate site.

Log directly onto the official website for the business identified in the e-mail, instead of “linking” to it from an unsolicited e-mail. If the e-mail appears to be from your bank, credit card issuer, or other company you deal with frequently, your statements or official correspondence from the business will provide the proper contact information.

Contact the actual business that supposedly sent the e-mail to verify if the e-mail is genuine.

If you are asked to act quickly, or there is an emergency, it may be a scam. Fraudsters create a sense of urgency to get you to act quickly.

Verify any requests for personal information from any business or financial institution by contacting them using the main contact information.

Remember if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

To receive the latest information about cyber scams, sign up for e-mail alerts on this website. If you have received a scam e-mail, please notify the IC3 by filing a complaint at www.ic3.gov.

This is a great clip about Medical Identity Theft and real people talking about their real case!
Remember, protect your valuable information, consider Entrust America when reviewing option of protection; the only product The Identity Advocate endorses. Entrust America

Ending your profile on FaceBook and the further threats of Identity Theft is not as easy as it sounds…read article by Ki Mae Heussner at http://www.whas11.com/home/Quitting-Facebook-What-happens-when-you-deactivate-93412359.html … and discover the nuances and time frames. Don’t lose your identity this Holiday Season while reconnecting on FaceBook with friends and loved ones.

See the quick video about Palm Scans at El Centro Hospital:

Palm Scanning started at facilities back east. Good to see its arrival here in California. This procedure can assist in the prevention of Medical Identity Theft and Identity Fraud!

School is starting. Who is asking you for your child’s social security number? How are they protecting that information? Does you school have computerized records? Are they encrypted? Do they do background checks on all new hires? These questions need to be foremost in your mid as you send your little one or even your college bound sons and daughters off to college!

Anyone can be a victim of identity theft. Unfortunately, since young people are less likely to monitor their credit and may make themselves especially vulnerable to identity thieves, students at all levels are a common victim of identity theft.

Whether your child is six years old and is just starting school, or is eighteen and going off to college, he can be a target and victim of identity theft for many reasons. By taking a few simple steps to safeguard his identity, you can help prevent your child from becoming the next victim of identity theft.

A Victim of Identity Theft in Elementary School
There are many actions you can take to reduce the risk of your child becoming a victim of identity theft. The first thing you need to do is setup a system for keeping tabs on your child’s credit. We recommend creating a Credit Calendar to make it easy and free to monitor his credit and be alerted of any suspicious activity all year round.

Here’s how a Credit Calendar works to help prevent your child from being a victim of identity theft: There are three credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and Transunion, and each bureau allows you to order your child’s credit report for free once every year. Use your child’s Credit Calendar to record when you can order your child’s credit report from each agency. You’ll request a report from one of the three credit bureaus every four months, on a rotating schedule, to ensure there is no lapse in his credit monitoring each year.

Begin protecting your child from being a victim of identity theft by creating his Credit Calendar today. Here’s the contact information for the three credit bureaus:
• Equifax: 800.685.1111 and www.equifax.com
• Experian: 888.397.3742 and www.experian.com
• Transunion: 800.680.7289 and www.transunion.com

A Clear Sign Your Child Is the Victim of Identity Theft
Your mail carrier may be the one to deliver the news that your child has become a victim of identity theft. If your child begins to receive credit card offers in the mail, it’s very likely that he is a victim of identity theft. A typical scenario is that someone steals a child’s Social Security Number, creates a new identity, and uses that new identity to obtain credit. Of course, this can destroy your child’s credit, not to mention his good name, before he’s even old enough to actually use his own credit!

So, what’s the identity of that “someone” who stole your child’s personal information and made him an unwitting victim of identity theft? Studies show that the most common child identity thief is a close relative, including a parent. Indeed, vigilance is vital to protecting your child from being a victim of identity theft.

A Victim of Identity Theft in College
By the time he’s ready for college, your child may be smarter but, unfortunately, being smart doesn’t necessarily correlate to avoiding becoming the victim of identity theft. There are many actions your college age child can take to prevent identity theft:
• If he hasn’t done so already, it’s time to create that Credit Calendar to regularly keep track of his credit with the three credit bureaus
• Shred every credit card application that arrives in the mail
• Be careful when obtaining school-branded credit cards, which often contain such incentives as free gift cards, tee-shirts, and pizza when he applies

In addition to the damage inflicted by identity thieves on your child’s credit, many employers also review credit reports of job candidates. As competition for the best jobs increases, you don’t want your child’s future to be jeopardized simply because you didn’t take the proper precautions to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft from the time he began his education to the time he began his career. Whether you have a young child just starting first grade or a teenager ready to start college, now is the time to take action to prevent him from being another victim of identity theft.

Need help and more information to learn how you can protect your child from becoming a victim of identity theft? Contact The Identity Advocate today at 310.831.4400 or email info@theidentityadvocate.com. Visit www.theidentityadvocate.com.

Did you realize you can pull your official employment history for free and check the accuracy and for signs of employment identity theft.

Have you thought about the fact, when you apply for a new job that an employer will do a background check? What if someone has taken your identity, found a new job and now erroneous information has been posted? Don’t forget, that employer may also check you out on Facebook, LinkedIn or your blogs.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FACT Act) is the law that lets you obtain a free credit report from the three credit-reporting agencies every 12 months. You may not know that the FACT Act also lets prospective or current employers gather information about you for background checks. This is a a great tool to know what they’re seeing about you – and to check for signs of possible identity theft.

Some credit reporting agencies and investigation companies compile what is known as “investigative consumer reports”, which are used in limited circumstances such as background checks for employment, insurance policies, and rental housing. These reports do not contain information about your credit record that is obtained directly from a creditor or from you. (For example, it won’t have information about a late payment).

Federal law requires your current or prospective employer to get permission from you to conduct the report. The good news is that if the information in the report is used by the employer to make a negative hiring decision, the employer must give the applicant a copy of the report.

We suggest that you be proactive and get a copy of this report once every 12 months, for free, just like your credit report. You can check it to see if someone else with your name has a work history that may be confused with yours, or may be a result of identity theft. You also have the right to correct and dispute inaccurate information in an investigative report, just as with your credit report.

To order your report, check out the LexisNexis Employment History Report. There’s no guarantee that LexisNexis has a file on you however; as it says on its website, “our files would only contain information on you if LexisNexis provided your Employment History Report to an employer.”

Ordering is easy. Call 866-312-8075, Sunday through Friday, to start the automated process. You must give your Social Security number, current street number, zip code and date of birth for the report to be started. Have a pen and paper ready to write down the report tracking number, in case you need to call and follow up. If you’re not comfortable giving information over the phone, you can instead download and send in a report request.

Information courtesy of Debix Newsletters

Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs Press Release

WASHINGTON – Ninety-four people have been charged for their alleged participation in schemes to collectively submit more than $251 million in false claims to the Medicare program in the continuing operation of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force in Miami; Baton Rouge, La.; Brooklyn, N.Y.; Detroit and Houston, announced Attorney General Eric Holder, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, FBI Director Robert Mueller and Daniel R. Levinson, Inspector General of HHS. The operation announced today is the largest federal health care fraud takedown since Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations began in 2007.

The joint DOJ-HHS Medicare Fraud Strike Force is a multi-agency team of federal, state and local investigators designed to combat Medicare fraud through the use of Medicare data analysis techniques and an increased focus on community policing. More than 360 law enforcement agents from the FBI, HHS-Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), multiple Medicaid Fraud Control Units, and other state and local law enforcement agencies participated in today’s operation.

“Our continued Strike Force operations reflect the unprecedented commitment that inspired the creation of the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team in May 2009,” said Attorney General Holder. “With today’s arrests, we’re putting would-be criminals on notice: Health care fraud is no longer a safe bet. The federal government is working aggressively – and collaboratively – to pursue health care criminals around the country and to bring these offenders to justice.”

“Today’s arrests send a strong message that attempts to defraud Medicare will not be tolerated,” said Secretary Sebelius. “With the help of new tools in the Affordable Care Act, including stiffer penalties and better information sharing, we will continue to work with our federal, state and local partners to stamp out Medicare fraud and protect beneficiaries and the American taxpayer.”

Charges were unsealed today against 94 individuals who are accused of various Medicare fraud-related offenses, including conspiracy to defraud the Medicare program, criminal false claims, violations of the anti-kickback statutes and money laundering. The charges are based on a variety of fraud schemes, including physical therapy and occupational therapy schemes, home health care schemes, HIV infusion fraud schemes and durable medical equipment (DME) schemes. Thirty-six defendants charged in these schemes have been arrested in Miami, New York, Baton Rouge and Detroit and additional arrests are expected throughout the day.

According to the court documents, the defendants charged today participated in schemes to submit claims to Medicare for treatments that were medically unnecessary and oftentimes, never provided. In many cases, indictments and complaints allege that beneficiaries accepted cash kickbacks in return for allowing providers to submit forms saying they had received the treatments that, in reality, were unnecessary or never provided. Collectively, the doctors, health care company owners, executives and others charged in the indictments and complaints are accused of conspiring to submit more than $251 million in false claims to the Medicare program.

In Miami, 24 defendants were charged for allegedly participating in various fraud schemes that led to approximately $103 million in false billings. According to court documents, the fraud schemes involved fraudulent billing for HIV infusion services, home health care and physical therapy services, DME and pharmaceutical medications. The defendants include owners and operators of companies, doctors, nurses, and patient recruiters, as well as a medical biller who is alleged to have billed approximately $49 million for fraudulent services.

Thirty-one defendants were charged in Baton Rouge for various schemes allegedly involving fraudulent claims for DME totaling approximately $32 million. The defendants include the owners and operators of nine different purported medical services companies and four doctors, 14 patient recruiters and other individuals who allegedly worked at the medical services companies.

Twenty-two defendants were charged in Brooklyn for their alleged participation in schemes to submit fraudulent claims totaling approximately $78 million. These fraud schemes involved false billing for physical and occupational therapy and DME. The defendants include the owners and operators, patient recruiters and employees at three different purported medical clinics and a medical equipment company, as well as three doctors. According to court documents, six of the defendants charged are serial Medicare beneficiaries, who purported to seek medical treatment from numerous providers, causing the submission of multiple claims to Medicare for purported medical treatments.

In Detroit, 11 defendants were charged for their alleged roles in schemes to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare for home health services, nerve conduction tests and injection and infusion therapy sessions. The schemes involved a total alleged fraud of approximately $35 million and five different purported medical services companies.

Four defendants were also charged in Houston for their alleged roles in a $3 million scheme to submit fraudulent claims for DME.

In addition to making arrests around the country, law enforcement agents are executing search warrants in connection with ongoing health care fraud investigations.

“Today’s charges allege attempts by individuals to defraud the Medicare program of $251 million,” said FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, III. “Countless Americans rely on Medicare for their well-being, and the FBI, working in conjunction with our federal agency partners, is resolute in its commitment to stop those who would illegally manipulate the system.”

“Today’s arrests illustrate how health care fraud schemes can replicate virally and migrate rapidly across communities,” said Daniel R. Levinson, Inspector General of HHS. “To combat this fraud, the government’s response must also be swift, agile, and organized – a HEAT initiative goal which is well illustrated by today’s Strike Force actions.”

The Strike Force operations in Miami, Baton Rouge, Brooklyn, Detroit and Houston are part of the Health Care Fraud Prevention & Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), a joint initiative announced in May 2009 between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. The HEAT task force, co-chaired by Acting Deputy Attorney General Gary G. Grindler and Deputy Secretary Bill Corr, is made up of top-level law enforcement agents, prosecutors and staff from both departments and their operating divisions. In the May 2009 announcement, Attorney General Holder and Secretary Sebelius announced the expansion of the Strike Force into Detroit and Houston to build upon existing partnerships between the agencies in a heightened effort to reduce fraud and recover taxpayer dollars. In December 2009, Strike Force operations were expanded to Brooklyn, Baton Rouge and Tampa.

Since its inception in March 2007 with Phase One in South Florida and continuing through its most recent expansion into Tampa, Fla., the Strike Force has obtained indictments of more than 810 individuals and organizations that collectively have billed the Medicare program for more than $1.85 billion. In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.

The cases announced today are being prosecuted and investigated by Strike Force teams comprised of attorneys from the Fraud Section in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and from the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Southern District of Florida, the Eastern District of New York, the Middle District of Louisiana, the Eastern District of Michigan and the Southern District of Texas; and agents from the FBI and HHS-OIG.

The Railroad Retirement Board Office of Inspector General and the Office of Personnel Management-Office of Inspector General also participated in today’s operation.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

To learn more about the HEAT team, go to: www.stopmedicarefraud.gov.

http://www.identitydiet.com/

This is a great explanation that keeps it simple!

Fraud Alert Or Freeze

Sometimes, individuals must select a credit report fraud alert or freeze as the best solution for preventing credit fraud when they face real threats of identity theft due to business notification of their lost or stolen personal information, or, when they suspect they might become a victim of identity theft. In order to decide which identity prevention tool is the best solution for your situation, you need to fully understand the purpose, features, benefits, differences as well as placement and removal requirements of both the fraud alert and credit freeze. Just in case you don’t have enough time to read this entire article but need to quickly learn about credit report fraud alerts and freeze, here’s a quick summary of what they are. A fraud alert can be placed on your credit report to notify creditors that any credit request to open new accounts or modify existing accounts under your name must be confirmed by you. This is to make sure that third parties, whether it’s a credit card company or a mortgage broker, validate your identity and ensure you are the person who has initiated the credit application. Although, there is no guarantee third parties will contact you because you placed a fraud alert, it’s definitely a good way to limit your identity theft risks if you suspect you are at risk. On the other hand, when a credit or security freeze is placed on your credit report, creditors can’t access your reports until you lift the freeze. And since creditors will not make any credit decisions without first looking at a credit report, credit freeze is definitely a better solution than fraud alert in our efforts to prevent identity theft

On the flip side, the placement and removal of credit freeze is much more time consuming than fraud alerts because it requires our direct and proactive involvement which may not be suitable for people who apply regularly for new credit accounts or modifications to existing credit accounts and who need a quick turnaround of their application. In some cases, it can take up to 3 business days to lift a credit freeze and it is also more expensive to place or remove a credit freeze. In summary, if you rarely apply for new credit or don’t mind the wait or the cost, a credit freeze may be just for you.

For those who want the flexibility of a quick turnaround every time they want to buy something on credit, they should consider a fraud alert. A fraud alert provides limited protection against identity theft because we are somewhat at the mercy of third parties to contact us and validate the credit request, but it’s better than having no alert or freeze placed on the reports. I’m not sure why we need to place fraud alerts and remind businesses to be extra cautious when making credit decisions but I guess that’s because we are still at the infancy stage of identity theft protection.

In conclusion, if you rarely apply for credit and want total control over your credit reports, go with a credit report freeze. And, if you often apply for credit to buy things and want flexibility and quick turnaround with limited identity theft protection, consider a fraud alert instead. You can’t go wrong with either a fraud alert or freeze for preventing credit identity theft since they are both better than having no protection at all.

To protect your existing accounts, you may also consider an account freeze if it is offered by your bank, phone company or other types of accounts. An account freeze will block any use of your accounts until you remove the freeze.

FBI National Press Office (202) 324-3691

In response to the recent tornadoes that affected several Southern states and caused loss of life and flooding that has damaged property, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and National Center for Disaster Fraud remind the public to be aware of and report any instances of alleged fraudulent activity related to relief operations and funding for victims. Unfortunately, criminals can exploit these tragedies for their own gain by sending fraudulent e-mails and creating phony websites designed to solicit contributions. The FBI has already received complaints alleging fraudulent schemes.

Tips should be reported to the National Center for Disaster Fraud, (866) 720-5721. The line is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Additionally, e-mails can be sent to disaster@leo.gov, and information can be faxed to (225) 334-4707.

The National Center for Disaster Fraud was created by the Department of Justice to investigate, prosecute, and deter fraud in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, when billions of dollars in federal disaster relief poured into the Gulf Coast region. Its mission has expanded to include suspected fraud from any natural or manmade disaster. More than 20 federal agencies, including the FBI, participate in the National Center for Disaster Fraud, which allows the center to act as a centralized clearinghouse of information related to disaster relief fraud.

The FBI reminds the public to perform due diligence before giving contributions to anyone soliciting donations or individuals offering to provide assistance to those affected by the tornadoes. Solicitations can originate from e-mails, websites, door-to-door collections, flyers, mailings, telephone calls, and other similar methods.

Before making a donation of any kind, consumers should adhere to certain guidelines, including:

*Do not respond to any unsolicited (spam) incoming e-mails, including clicking links contained within those messages, because they may contain computer viruses.
*Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as members of charitable organizations or officials asking for donations via e-mail or social networking sites.
*Beware of organizations with copy-cat names similar to but not exactly the same as those of reputable charities.
*Rather than follow a purported link to a website, verify the legitimacy of nonprofit organizations by utilizing various Internet-based resources that may assist in confirming the group’s existence and its nonprofit status.
*Be cautious of e-mails that claim to show pictures of the disaster areas in attached files because the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.
*To ensure contributions are received and used for intended purposes, make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf.
*Do not be pressured into making contributions; reputable charities do not use such tactics.
*Be aware of whom you are dealing with when providing your personal and financial information. Providing such information may compromise your identity and make you vulnerable to identity theft.
*Avoid cash donations if possible. Pay by credit card or write a check directly to the charity. Do not make checks payable to individuals.
*Legitimate charities do not normally solicit donations via money transfer services. Most legitimate charities’ websites end in .org rather than .com.

Consumers can also report suspicious e-mail solicitations or fraudulent websites to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, www.ic3.gov