Thieves are always looking for an easy way to steal your identity. Credit card monitoring companies are great if someone steals your information and tries to open an account. But what if you already have an account in place. You are receiving your new card in the mail. The thief steals the new card and activates it. Your account exists. She or he can go out and begin charging that day.
Now consider a locking mailbox. Safe, secure, and no one can reach in, to take your mail. Read this special report and rethink about reasons why you should have a locking mail box. http://www.mailcase.com/american-express. Don’t get caught up in the scam for loosing your credit cards.

Five ways you can help prevent your child’s identity from being stolen.

1. Think first before you post. Guide children to share only the information that they wouldn’t mind sharing with strangers and their friends. Make them aware of identity theft – in their language – so they think before sharing nuggets of information that might be useful to an i.d. thief. By the way, how many of us post things about our kids, and family online? Before you go announcing your sister’s new baby on your social networking site, in email, on a blog, etc. consider the information you might be making available for thief. (Remember: place of birth and date of birth is all they need to become a new person.)

2. Don’t use your children’s real names. Wherever possible, enforce the use of code or nick names instead of a child’s real name online, whether for establishing an email address, registering on a kid-friendly website (to use the games, for example), or for setting up a profile on a social networking site.

3. Use privacy settings. For social networking fanatics, make sure only the people you know and trust can see what you’re posting and doing.

4. Use reputable, up-to-date security software. While identity theft can happen through offline sources as well as online, having good, updated security software will help prevent information-stealing software from getting onto your computers or smart phones in the first place. Use security software on any device that you store personal information on.

5. Shred and lock. The ITRC recommends that you shred all documents that contain personal information (whether about yourself or your children) and lock your mailbox if you can.

If you are resident of the U.S. and believe you or your child has become a victim of identity theft, contact the Identity Theft Resource Center for free assistance at:

(888) 400-5530

You can also find additional resources and prevention tips at www.idtheftcenter.org

You have the right to ask that nationwide consumer credit reporting companies place “fraud alerts” in your file to let potential creditors and others know that you may be a victim of identity theft. Per the instructions at www.annualcreditreport.com these are the directions for placing an alert with each of the credit companies.
A fraud alert can make it more difficult for someone to get credit in your name because it tells creditors to follow certain procedures to protect you. Also realize it may delay your own ability to obtain credit. You may place a fraud alert in your file by calling just one of the three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies. As soon as that agency processes your fraud alert, it will notify the other two, which then also must place fraud alerts in your file.

* Equifax: 1-877-576-5734; www.alerts.equifax.com
* Experian: 1-888-397-3742; www.experian.com/fraud
* TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; www.transunion.com

All the makings of the great money making opportunity, first off, preying on the homeless, then kickbacks, violations of false Claims Act, performing medical unnecessary treatments and taking tax payer money to do so through Medicare and Medi-Cal. Read the article Fierce Healthcare: http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/press-releases/former-los-angeles-medical-center-owners-agree-10-million-consent-judgment-medicare-a?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal

The three nationwide consumer reporting companies have set up one central website, toll-free telephone number, and mailing address through which you can order your free annual report. It is not necessary to contact the three nationwide consumer reporting companies individually. They are only providing free annual credit report through
www.Annualcreditreport.com;
or phone 877-322-8228;
or Complete the Annual Credit Report form and mail to:
Annual Credit Report
P.O. Box 105281,
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281

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

Social Networking sites remain a true source of identity theft. What is a friend? Who is a friend? Someone you trust. Be careful who you accept as a ‘friend’ on any social networking site. Check out this article on PC World: http://www.pcworld.com/article/184522/facebook_still_a_hotbed_of_identity_theft_study_claims.html
and think about your next move….