For those of you who have heard me speak on Medical Identity Theft, and how Pharmacies and specialty drugs are a target not only for health care fraud but identity theft, read this article at BaltimoreOnline. What the thieves do with your information you might throw in the trash: http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100106/NEWS01/1060325/ID-thieves-target-pharmacies-trash

Follow up to our last blog, read article on children and identity theft at: http://rismedia.com/2009-12-20/child-identity-theft-your-kids-may-be-at-risk/

Think Your Child is Too Young to Be the Victim of Identity Theft?
Think again! 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.

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. There are three credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and Transunion, and each bureau allows you to order your child’s credit report every year. Use a 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.

• Equifax: 800.685.1111 and Equifax.com
• Experian: 888.397.3742 and Experian.com
• Transunion: 800.680.7289 and Transunion.com

Child Credit Card Offers: Clear Signs 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 applications 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 or childcare provider. Indeed, vigilance is vital to protecting your child from being a victim of ID theft.

A Growing Threat: College Students Are a Leading Target and Victim of Identity Theft:
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. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the fastest and largest growing group most susceptible to being a victim of ID theft is people between the ages of 18 and 29.

A college student often becomes a victim of ID theft because he makes personal information available to other students, including his Social Security number, address, credit card numbers, and bank account numbers. This information can be accessed in a number of ways, such as buying products on insecure Internet sites, leaving credit card offers in plain sight in the dorm, and not properly protecting student loan information.

Act Now to Help Your College-Age Child Avoid Being the Victim of Identity Theft!

There are many actions your college age child can take to prevent ID 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 ID 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 ID theft.

Remember, be diligent in protecting information on you and your children!

May your Christmas be filled with joy. Follow Santa on the official NORAD Santa Tracker. Best Wishes. Linda and The Identity Advocate.
http://www.noradsanta.org/en/index.html

How many people accept invitations to be friends on social networks and haven’t a clue who that person is? Well, read this article and be mindful of the information you share!
http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/12/08/over-40-percent-of-facebook-users-invite-identity-theft-by-blind/

The advent of Electronic Health Records may mean the rise of Medical Identity Theft and the fears attached such as credit misinformation; errors in health records including allergies, blood types; loss of lifetime coverage or even becoming uninsurable. Read the informative article at ihealthbeat and take note of how to reduce your risk.
http://www.ihealthbeat.org/articles/2009/11/30/growth-of-ehrs-could-lead-to-rise-in-medical-identity-theft.aspx

Great article on protecting yourself from identity theft during job searches. It is so easy when times are tough to lose your identity to the unscrupulous bad guys. See web site: http://www.cio.com/article/507667/Job_Search_Scams_6_Ways_to_Protect_Yourself_Against_Identity_Theft_?page=2&taxonomyId=1419

Another reprieve … the Red Flags Rules have been delayed until June 2010. See web site…http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/10/redflags.shtm

View this slide show to see why the False Claims Act is so worthwhile & the importance of whistle blowers. The money returned has been enormous. http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/5-fiercest-false-claims-act-payouts-healthcare/2009-11-03?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal.
The Identity Advocate at your service

Although it takes a bit more work, the credit freeze is a very important aspect of protecting your identity. When you implement a credit freeze you prevent:

• New credit cards from being opened in your name
• New store credit (such as Lowe’s or Sears) from being obtained
• New mortgages from being applied for and/or apartments from being rented in your name

To implement a credit freeze with the credit bureaus, send certified letters to:

• Experian Security Freeze, POB 9554, Allen, TX 75013
• Equifax Security Freeze, POB 105788, Atlanta, GA 30348
• TransUnion Consumer Protection Center, POB 6790, Fullerton, CA 92634

In the letter, state your full name, address, Social Security Number, and indicate that you want to place a “SECURITY FREEZE” on your file. You also need to enclose a copy of a government issued ID, such as a driver’s license or military ID, as well as a copy of a utility bill, bank statement, or insurance statement.

Each state may charge a fee to “unfreeze” your credit file in the event you wish to buy a car, purchase a house, open a new line of credit, etc.

Visit the following Web sites to verify what each credit bureau demands by state:

• Experian Consumer Security Freeze
• TransUnion Preventing Identity Theft
• Equifax Identity Information

Call us at 310.831.4400 or email info@theidentityadvocate.com to learn more about credit freezes.