Protect Yourself From ID Theft

  • Posts: 244

Replied by KIEJON9 on topic Identity theft Insurance

Hello Network How is everyone Well I need Some Help Here do anybody knows what insurance agencies offering identity theft insurance to customers

Let Know thanks

Keith Jones Jr :white-flag:
15 years 6 months ago #1
  • Posts: 3479

Replied by hjm331 on topic Re: How To Restore Your Credit Rating Following Credit Card Identity Theft

I believe you can freeze your credit reports for free if you are a victim of identity theft and have reported it to the police. Experian and Equifax charge $10 to freeze your reports and $10 to unfreeze them.
15 years 7 months ago #2
  • Posts: 244

Replied by KIEJON9 on topic How To Restore Your Credit Rating Following Credit Card Identity Theft

If you have been the victim of credit card and you need to restore rating because you have had your credit card or credit card details actually stolen, or because someone has applied for and received a credit card using your name and social security number, you may be at a loss as to where to begin.

First, you can take pre-emptive measures against identity theft as soon as you receive a new credit card. You should photocopy both sides of all your credit cards so that as soon as one of them is lost or stolen you will be able to report that it is missing and have that card account closed.

Second, you should never carry any credit cards which you do not intend to use, and you should have only the number of credit cards that you absolutely need.

As soon as you realize that your credit card is missing, or that there are unexplained charges on your monthly statement, you will have to assume that you are a target of credit card identity theft, and to restore your credit rating you need to stop the missing or compromised cards.

If someone has obtained your name and social security number, perhaps through mail theft, and used them to open a credit card account, you will also be a victim of and need to restore your credit rating. But you won't know that you have been victimized until the credit card company which issued the fraudulent card actually starts contacting you about the payments which the thief has undoubtedly failed to make.

You'll need to prove that you have never lived at the address which the scammer provided, and that all of the other personal details that person provided are not yours. Experiencing this sort of credit card identity theft and having to restore your credit rating can be a very time-consuming, frustrating experience, but it's important that throughout the process you continue to maintain the payments on your legitimate obligations.

Contact The Credit Reporting Agencies

As soon as you think you have fallen prey to credit card identity theft you can start to restore your credit rating by contacting the three , Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax, and asking them to place fraud alerts on all your credit reports. A fraud alert will be an obstacle to anyone who attempts to use your information to establish a new line of credit. For more info see http://www.preventidentitythefthelp.com/Identity_Theft_Statistics [/URL] on Identity Theft Statistics.

Contact the FTC And Police

You should notify and file a formal complaint with both the Federal Trade Commission, and the police in the jurisdiction where the credit card identity theft occurred, providing the police with a copy of your FTC complaint.

Taking these steps when you have been a victim of credit card identity theft and are trying to restore your credit rating will put you in a much stronger position to prevent whoever has victimized you from doing too much damage.
15 years 7 months ago #3
  • Posts: 76

Replied by alpha on topic Thanks! I'm thinking I may

Thanks! I'm thinking I may just leave them alone in their "unfrozen" state and see how it goes. I was just reading all this, thinking freezing might be a good trick, but now I'm not so sure.
15 years 11 months ago #4
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Replied by Meya on topic Well i believe that it

Well i believe that it will be between you and the company, not for someone else to see. I think it is like $15 or $20 to unfreeze. Hey, they got to make the money somewhere. I guess it is the same as a savings account, you are suppose to save, not take out, so they will charge you for that. So with the credit freezing, you are suppose to freeze creditors from looking at your account, not let them in, so they will charge you for that.
:laugh:
15 years 11 months ago #5
  • Posts: 76

Replied by alpha on topic Pay them? Ok, that's news

Pay them? Ok, that's news to me and I would have to think about how much I wanted to freeze them. And do they keep track of how many times you might freeze or unfreeze?
15 years 11 months ago #6
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Replied by Meya on topic But she had some problems

But she had some problems getting them unfrozen quickly when she wanted to get more credit herself.

That is true, you have to pay to have them unlocked and it should be done at least a week before you are about to have them pulled by a creditor(s).
15 years 11 months ago #7
  • Posts: 76

Replied by alpha on topic I saw a news story

I saw a news story about somebody who froze her credit accounts, and that part did work. But she had some problems getting them unfrozen quickly when she wanted to get more credit herself.
15 years 11 months ago #8
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Replied by hjm331 on topic I believe that the best

I believe that the best way to protect yourself from ID theft is to freeze all of your credit reports from all three bureaus. That way, the thief can't apply for more cards because the computer would automatically deny the application for not being able to pull a copy of your current credit report. It may cost a few dollars monthly, but it's definitely the best option as far as protecting yourself from ID theft goes.
15 years 11 months ago #9
  • Posts: 76

Replied by alpha on topic You might be right that

You might be right that she was making it up -- on the other hand a "good" burglar would be very quiet. I think you're definitely right that having the signs and decals helps. Why would the burglar take a chance that your alarm "might" be on.
15 years 11 months ago #10
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Replied by Meya on topic Exactly! I just moved to

Exactly! I just moved to my house in April 07, and I have yet to rehook my alarm devices up yet because I am in a lower risk crime area. But I do keep my sign in front of my house and my alarm stickers on my window. Well my neighbor "claimed" she was robbed, and the second thing I thought was maybe they bypassed my house due to the sign. The first thing I thought was she was telling a bald face lie for insurance money because the time she said it happend, my hubby was in the garage with his drink&games watching partners. My garage is seperated from her's by a small bush no higher than 3 feet. I just shook my head and told her, I feel so sorry for you.
15 years 11 months ago #11
  • Posts: 76

Replied by alpha on topic Yes, I think having a

Yes, I think having a PO Box might slow them down. It's like that thing that people used to say about burglars. If you lock your doors and windows it will slow them down and maybe they'll go on to somebody else.
15 years 11 months ago #12
  • Posts: 4522

Replied by Meya on topic It is the same as

It is the same as far as receving mail but people can search your address by your name and do fraud from there. If they seacrh and get a po box, they will move along to the next person.
16 years 1 day ago #13
  • Posts: 76

Replied by alpha on topic In regard to mail coming

In regard to mail coming to your house versus a post office box. I have had both.

Most of the time mail coming to your house is fine, but if you have one of those old style boxes out on the street that doesn't lock, that could be a problem. People can come by and steal mail out of your box. If you have something where the deliveryman puts the mail through your door, or a locking box (like some apartments or subdivisions) then it's safer.
The only thing about a PO box is that some kinds of things won't come to them -- I saw a notice about buying tickets the other day that said "no post office boxes" I think the deal there is that they think the ticket scammers are trying to bend the ticket sales rules.
16 years 1 day ago #14
  • Posts: 4522

Replied by Meya on topic This is very good information,

This is very good information, Thanks FG and Mary Tomkins. We should really remove our addresses from the telephone company, it may cost less than $8 per year but it is well worth it. My neighbor was telling me that she don't trust mail comming to her house so she uses a po box. What the difference is? I am going to ask her when I see her.
16 years 2 days ago #15