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Want to know how different Identity Theft Protection Plans compare to each other? Check out this easy to use reference guide and find the best solution for you |
Without a good parental control
software, your children are at risk! WebWatcher parental control software is best at
protecting your kids from internet dangers. If your kids are
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would suffice. Both
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Safe Eyes are the best internet filtering program for
kids. Check them out and see what they can do to give you
peace of mind.
Check Kaspersky Anti-Virus and STOPzilla spyware protection tools. Both are best in keeping your computer safe from viruses, spywares and adware.
Before describing
what is identity theft? I
like to point out the fact that in 2006 alone, 10 million
Americans fall victims to identity theft, and its getting worse
in 2007 where it has been estimated that
one in five (20%) American adults will be victims. In
Canada
one in six Canadians has been hit in 2006
according to the survey conducted by Strategic Counsel for the
Competition Bureau of Canada.
There is no doubt that one of the rapidly
growing threats on internet is online identity theft, which
means that
internet
users identities are used illegally without
the knowledge or consent of the individual victims
One of the surveys conducted by identity theft resource, identified that use of the internet for identity theft increased dramatically from 15% in 2005 to 28 % in 2006, while it took for the victim from six hours to as many as 144,000 hours for repairing the damage and bearing over $1,884 dollars out of pocket expense. Thing gets worse in 2007 where projected expense is over $15,000.
Along with
identity theft prevention practices, use
Lifelock that prevents your identity from being
stolen before it happens
.
So what is identity theft? In simple terms, it is the misuse of the identity (such as the name, date of birth, current address) of another person without their knowledge or consent.
There are numerous ways in which information can be stolen, and the most famous in the online world is phishing, while on the offline world it is Bin raiding, where fraudsters retrieve documents such as utility bills, bank statements or even junk mail that you have thrown away. Once this information is obtained, then this information can be used to apply for credit in your name or to perform any malpractice against your name. The best solution to be safe from bin raiding is to buy a paper shredder, and to use it to shred any documents that contain Social Security number, bank or credit card account numbers, birth dates or any other personal information. Online Criminals utilize technology at best, and for that their best friends are phishing emails, and Trojans.
The anonymity of the internet encourages criminals to perform their crimes by tricking users out of their personal details without knowledge of who they are really dealing with. By gathering information about individuals, such as their bank account, email address, and log-in details, online fraudsters can in-fact become that person and no one will suspect until it is too late. There have been numerous identity theft cases where fraudsters took out someone's financial information and used that information to move money, open new bank or credit card accounts, take out loans or increase lines of credit, or used their identity for malpractices. After describing what is identity theft, let me allow to assist you in providing following simple steps to protect your identity.
I hope by reading "what is identity theft", you are now aware about identity theft and its threats, and shall take appropriate prevention measures to protect your identity.
Are you an Identity Theft Victim?
If you are an identity theft victim, use the info below to contact the fraud departments.
Equifax Credit
Information Services - Consumer Fraud Div. |
Experian |