This holiday season - your in charge!
December 1, 2006 (Press Release) --
Blue Hound Auctions, Fuquay Varina, NC – With the coming of this year’s annual kick off of the Holiday shopping season of Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales events, so has the season where fraudsters and Identity thieves wonder aimlessly looking for opportunities. In a recent report released by the Better Business Bureau and Javelin Strategies, the number of US adult victims of identity fraud is 8.9 million in 2006 with nearly $6,383 per each victim reported. Data breaches from large corporations incredibly were not to blame for the fraud and theft, but the individuals who were careless with their data.
According to the FCC, the popular view that use of the internet is the reason for all of these reports. While there are certain aspects to this myth that are true, some theft is caused by the computers being used having spyware on the system when doing online banking. The fact of the matter is that there is a lower threat of identity theft and bank fraud than using traditional means. These traditional means are taking mail out of the mailbox, or information such as tax records that are discarded and not schredded, and including throwing out credit and debit cards that are still active even for a short amount of time while the payment is being processed. In addition, do you know how many times you as a consumer gave your social security number over the phone for cable service, phone service – or you using it to identify yourself when you signed up for medical benefits?
While there are some things that the government can do to stop the fraud, there is a lot more that you can do to protect yourself. First, if you have someone available to get the mail as soon as it comes, you shorten the amount of time that a thief has to take the information. Second, if you do have a computer and can get statements by email, reducing your paper bills with too much personal information on it is a start – just one bank statement has all the pertinent information for your accounts that could place you in jeopardy! Third, if you have items that have sensitive information such as your cable bill or tax records, it is best to shred them and place the pieces in separate bags for security. Fourth, if you see anyone suspicious in your neighborhood picking items out of the mailboxes, you should contact your local police and the postmaster so they can perform an appropriate investigation.
Protecting yourself is a matter of 1-2-3, it's really that simple. You can get a copy of your credit report online through the three credit reporting agencies by visiting the website annualcreditreport.com, or calling any of the three companies directly. You can call Experian at 1 888 EXPERIAN, Equifax at 1-888-202-4025, or Transunion at 1-877-322-8228 and order them. Under the current law, you are entitled to one credit report per year per company.
According to the FCC, the popular view that use of the internet is the reason for all of these reports. While there are certain aspects to this myth that are true, some theft is caused by the computers being used having spyware on the system when doing online banking. The fact of the matter is that there is a lower threat of identity theft and bank fraud than using traditional means. These traditional means are taking mail out of the mailbox, or information such as tax records that are discarded and not schredded, and including throwing out credit and debit cards that are still active even for a short amount of time while the payment is being processed. In addition, do you know how many times you as a consumer gave your social security number over the phone for cable service, phone service – or you using it to identify yourself when you signed up for medical benefits?
While there are some things that the government can do to stop the fraud, there is a lot more that you can do to protect yourself. First, if you have someone available to get the mail as soon as it comes, you shorten the amount of time that a thief has to take the information. Second, if you do have a computer and can get statements by email, reducing your paper bills with too much personal information on it is a start – just one bank statement has all the pertinent information for your accounts that could place you in jeopardy! Third, if you have items that have sensitive information such as your cable bill or tax records, it is best to shred them and place the pieces in separate bags for security. Fourth, if you see anyone suspicious in your neighborhood picking items out of the mailboxes, you should contact your local police and the postmaster so they can perform an appropriate investigation.
Protecting yourself is a matter of 1-2-3, it's really that simple. You can get a copy of your credit report online through the three credit reporting agencies by visiting the website annualcreditreport.com, or calling any of the three companies directly. You can call Experian at 1 888 EXPERIAN, Equifax at 1-888-202-4025, or Transunion at 1-877-322-8228 and order them. Under the current law, you are entitled to one credit report per year per company.
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