With a little prevention, you can make sure that your identity remains yours.

Are you at risk?

The first step to protecting your identity (and your credit) is being informed. Answer the following questions to determine if you know how to protect yourself:

• Do you monitor your credit reports and bank statements on a regular basis?

• Do you shred bills, pre-approved credit cards, and other mail that contains personal information?

• Do you know what to do if you suspect that your personal information might have been stolen?

If you answered “no” to any of these questions, you may need a refresher course in protecting your identity.

From dumpster diving to phishing

Identity thieves are constantly devising new ways of accessing your personal information, from low-tech wallet theft to sophisticated Internet scams. Here are some of the most common ways that crooks get your personal information:

• Dumpster diving: Digging through trash bins and dumpsters may be disgusting, but it can be a gold mine for an identity thief. If you throw your bills away without shredding them, you don’t know who may find them.

• Changing your address: Most bills have a form on the back that you can fill out if you’ve moved. An identity thief that finds a copy of your credit card statement can fill it out and have the bill sent somewhere else instead. You may not notice a missing bill (or the big-ticket purchases made on your credit card) for a few weeks.

• Stealing your wallet/purse: A scary thought, considering that most of us carry all of our credit cards, ID cards, and sometimes checkbooks.

• “Phishing”: You receive an email from your bank or credit card company that looks legitimate, down to the logo. They need to update your account and need your password, PIN number, or social security number. It could be an identity thief hoping that you’ll comply and send all your proprietary information.

Once a thief has a few numbers, he or she can use your name, credit card, bank account, and even your social security number to make large purchases, open new accounts, or set up phone service. In some cases, identity thieves have purchased cars and rented apartments – some have even gotten jobs under a fake identity.

Protecting your name and credit

You can keep your identity out of the wrong hands with a little prevention. Taking a few simple precautions can help you keep your information private:

• Invest in a paper shredder. You can find these at any office supply store, and they are an inexpensive way to destroy your mail or other documents containing personal information.

• Check your credit. Keep up with your credit reports and read your credit card statements carefully for any unusual activity.

• Protect your social security, PIN, or account numbers. If you receive an email or phone call from someone claiming to be your bank or credit card company, there’s a chance they could be thieves “phishing” for information. Notify the financial institution immediately.

• Involve the authorities. If you suspect that your information has been stolen, call the bank, the police, and the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-IDTHEFT for help. Place a fraud alert on your credit cards to watch for suspicious activity.

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Ralph Winn. 35 years in the Security System industry. Home Security and Alarm Monitoring tips.

You will probably receive a phone call from a creditor stating “you” just either made a large purchase and they suspect fraud or you open your credit card bill as you do every month and be amazed at some extra charges that are on there. Call your credit card company immediately. Rarely, will you be liable for charges over $50, and many credit card companies wave the first $50 in the case of fraud. Check with your bank, you will usually be given a choice to close your account and reopen a new one or some banks will put a “watch” on your account and you will have to log into your account and manually approve every charge and check before it is cleared. This usually goes on for a period of 30-60 days. The latter isn’t the best choice as it is labor intensive to do and your account isn’t protected from fraud as it would be if you simply closed it out and reopened a new account.

After you have done all the initial damage control. The next thing to do when you realize that you are a victim of identity theft is to notify the credit bureaus. Report the situation to the three major credit reporting companies- Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. You can do it online or in writing, and you must tell these companies that your identifying information has been stolen and is being used by another person fraudulently in your name. Ask them to flag your file with a fraud alert, and ask that all creditors call you before extending credit in your name. A consumer statement will be put on your file and it will alleviate your fears of bogus accounts being opened for about 3 months.

Due to provisions of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you can only place an initial fraud alert for 90 days. The credit bureaus will then send you a notice displaying your rights as an identity theft victim. As soon you receive this, write to each of the three credit bureaus to request two things; An extension of the fraud alert to seven years, and a free copy of your credit report. Remember to include an identity theft report when you send your letter in order to authorize the seven year alert. Whenever you communicate with the credit companies, you should refer to the number given to your credit report and always use verified return receipt mail. Also, make sure you save all credit reports and related information for your records.

As soon as you get your three credit reports, carefully examine each one. Report all fraudulent and inaccurate information in writing to the credit bureaus, as well as to the credit issuers, following the instructions that are provided with the credit reports. As soon as you notify the credit bureaus about the fraudulent information, the bureau is required to strike that information from future reports. The bureau will also notify the credit grantor of the fraudulent account(s). If it isn’t included in the report, ask the credit bureaus for the contact information of the credit grantors.

Also, tell the credit bureaus in writing that you want them to remove all inquiries that have been created due to fraudulent access. You should also ask the bureaus to contact anyone who has received your credit report in the last six months so they can be informed about the fraudulent and inaccurate information. Numerous inquiries can lower your credit score, so work diligently on getting those inquiries removed from your personal credit report.

Though these measures should set you back on track and protect your credit from the fraudulent information, they may not completely stop it from happening again. Because of this, be sure to monitor your credit reports, there are many online services that will help you monitor your credit report. We recommend Experian Triple Advantage. Along with getting your credit report online with credit score, you also get 30 days free credit monitoring service. With this service you can start the dispute process online! Often times, once you have started the process you will be able to obtain a second free report from the credit bureaus, and in many states you will be able to access your credit report more frequently. If you notice that the fraudulent information is still happening, notify the proper bureaus instantly. If the problem persists for very long, you may want to consider freezing your accounts for awhile if possible to prevent any more damage.

Identity theft is an unfortunate event when it occurs, but you can fight back and get your life back quickly!

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Liz Roberts is a loan consultant with New Horizon and has been providing consumers and business owners with loans since 1989. Visit this site for a list of bad credit credit cards

One of the problems in combating this increasingly common crime is that there is a very good chance that this theft will never be reported. The business man will call the the credit card company who will realize that he and they have been a victim of “skimming” which is where thieves insert a device into an ATM designed to steal personal information. They will cancel the man’s credit cards, courier replacement cards to him and write off the losses as the cost of doing business. They will want to keep the matter as confidential as possible both to protect the man’s interest and to protect their own reputation.

Everyone knows the importance of doing the basic things to protect against Identity Theft. Cover your hands when entering PIN numbers. Change your passwords frequently and don’t use obvious ones. Don’t write your passwords down where they can be discovered. Use different passwords for different applications etc. But further steps can be taken too. Devising a comprehensive empirically accurate means of measuring the extent of Identity Theft so that countermeasures can be developed is as important for individuals as it is for corporations. In order to do that, it is necessary to measure the extent of Identity Theft Risks.

Every individual can develop and “Identity Theft Risk Scorecard.” This is a simple risk assessment exercise. Individuals can do a comprehensive inventory of their vulnerabilities. Know how many credit cards you have and what the limits are on them. Check bank statements regularly, not just at the end of the month but also online for unidentified charges. Protect passwords and change them regularly. Keep unused cards in a safe location. Treat ATM cards the same way as credit cards.

An individual should also regularly check on his/her credit rating with Equifax or a similar service. Look for unusual activity and address it immediately. Keep Social Security Numbers, Driver’s License numbers, Passport numbers and other major identifiers secure and limit dissemination to only necessary parties. Be certain to obtain copies of credit card receipts from restaurants, hotels, gas stations and other retailers and shred any that have a full credit card number on them.

By following these and other basic protective practices the individual is actually developing a personal Identity Theft Metrics, a comprehensive accounting of how and where one’s Identity information is disseminated. As with corporations this Metrics will have built in KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). Individuals, like corporations, have the ability to monitor, protect against and put in place proactive countermeasures against Identity Theft.

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If you are interested in identity theft metrics, check this web-site to learn more about measuring identity theft risks.

How does a person committing ID theft get my information? By going through your trash, hacking into a computer that you may use, securing a copy of your credit report, stealing credit card and debit card numbers that you may have, stealing your mail,completing a change of address form to reroute your mail to a different address, stealing your purse or wallet, and scamming information from you by posing as a business person.

How would I know if I am a victim of ID theft? If you receive credit card statements for accounts you did not apply for, you do not receive your mail, your credit is being denied and you do not know why, counterfeit checks are used to withdraw money from your bank account, you receive calls from collection agencies about bills for accounts established with your personal information that you do not know about,and other problems that you may have with your personal information.

Should I order a copy of my credit reports to find out if I am a victim of identity theft? Yes, you may want to consider doing this if you suspect that you are a victim of identity theft. You would want to order a copy of your credit reports from all three credit reporting agencies which are: Equifax www.equifax.com 1-800-685-1111; Experian www.experian.com 1-888-397-3742; and; TransUnion www.transunion.com 1-800-916-8800.

What should I do if my identity is stolen by someone? Contact the three credit reporting agencies as soon as possible and let them know that you are a victim of ID theft and ask them to place a fraud alert and your statement as a victim in your credit report file. Order a copy of your credit report from each agency to check the information on your report.

Contact the credit reporting agencies fraud units at these telephone numbers or addresses: Equifax: 1-800-525-6285, P.O. Box 74021, Atlanta, GA. 30374-0241:: Experian: 1-888-397-3742, P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX. 75013:: TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289, Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA. 92834-6790.

Should I close my credit and checking accounts if ID theft has occurred? Yes, you may want to consider closing your credit and checking accounts if you suspect identity theft. Contact your bank and creditors about your identity being stolen and consider closing your accounts and establish new ones.

If your checks are stolen, request that your bank notify the check verification company that they use. You may also want to contact the major check verification companies as well.

The major check verification companies that you would want to contact are the following: Telecheck, 1-800-710-9898 or 1-800-927-0188:: Certegy Inc., 1-800-437-5120:: and; International Check Services, 1-800-631-9656.

You may also want to contact a company known as Scan at 1-800-262-7771 to find out if an identity thief has been using your checks. In addition, you should also contact your local police department and report that your identity has been stolen.

Make sure that you file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission about your identity being stolen as well. You can file this report at www.consumer.gov/idtheft.

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Nocita is a writer and web designer that creates websites providing informative tips on various subject matter including personal finance tips on your personal finances at http://www.personal-finance-tips-for-you.com and dating tips at http://www.mydating-tips.com

When identity theft online happens, it can be several months before you are aware that anything has happened. This makes it much more dangerous than other types of theft. If someone steals your wallet, or your car, you notice it immediately, and can start to take steps to protect yourself. When someone plants a cookie on your computer, you don’t even notice it. Each time you visit a site, send an email, or use your credit card online, all the information is delivered to the eager hacker. From there, he can either use the information himself, or sell it online to anyone with the cash and the desire for an alternate identity. A recent report from a major internet security firm estimates that the value of all your personal identity data is about $18 US, and can be purchased on a number of internet sites.

A number of computer programs are available to help you protect yourself from identity theft on the internet. If you are considering purchasing a program to make your computer more secure, take the time to do the research before investing your hard-earned money. You want a program that is frequently updated. The identity theft hackers are constantly working on ways to out smart these types of programs, and you want one that is working just as hard to protect you. Once you decide on the right program, be sure that you don’t ignore the messages to download the latest upgrades. If you ignore these messages, you are refusing to keep your computer secure.

It is also a good idea to frequently change your passwords to any sites that hold your personal information. Use a combination of letters and numbers, and don’t use phone numbers, addresses, or birthdates for your passwords. Also, if you share your computers with others, or use the internet at work, do not check the remember this password prompt. This is an open invitation for anyone else that uses the computer to have full access to all your information.

If you suspect that you have become a victim of online identity theft, there are a few steps to take immediately. You will need to place a fraud alert on your credit report. This tells creditors to take extra steps before opening any new credit accounts in your name. Next, you should close any accounts that you know were opened fraudulently, or have been tampered with. Also, notify your local police, and file a report with them. They will want information about how and where you think the identity theft took place. You can use the History button on your internet browser to track websites you visited recently. This will help to narrow down the suspect sites.

Identity theft online is quickly becoming a threat to all internet users. Once you become a victim, your life, and your credit rating will never be the same. Take steps today to prevent identity theft on the internet from happening to you and your family.

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How often does identity theft occur? Identity theft often occurs from stolen pieces of paper. Wallets are often stolen, and the combination of ID and credit cards can be used to steal one’s identity. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center; studies from 2003 show that 7 million people suffered from identity theft within a twelve month period of time, equaling approximately 13.3 people per minute.

There are many things that you can do to keep yourself from experiencing identity theft. One of the first things you can do is protect your social security number. Do not get it printed on checks or on your driver’s license. Next, purchase a paper shredder. Once you’ve purchased it, put it together, plug it in, and use it! When in doubt, don’t toss it out. Shred it! Shred anything with your social security number, name and address, or any other pertinent information on it. In addition, keep a close watch on your checking account and credit card statements. Report anything unusual as soon as possible.

Another place where information can and often is stolen is through the internet. Be sure to protect your password and learn how to place password protection on any documents you feel need secured. Invest in a firewall to keep other computers from accessing your internet connection.

In addition to this, beware of WiFi. WiFi enables individuals to log onto the internet with their laptops at various “hot spots” like coffee houses and restaurants. While convenient, it is imperative that you understand that others are on the same connection with others and thefts can takes place. Avoid checking your bank account information or even logging into your e-mail while on this type of internet connection.

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Sara Chambers is a marketing consultant and an internet content manager for http://www.identitytheftweblog.com

Depending on which source one listens to the number of incidents of Identity Theft range from 100 million to over 300 million every year… and the problem is increasing. Now, the previous sentence is filled with qualifiers, uncertainties and suppositions… and that is part of the problem. It is almost impossible to determine the severity of the problem of Identity Theft. One of the major difficulties in determining the severity of the problem is that a significant number of incidents of Identity Theft, some experts say even the majority, goes unreported.

What is needed is an identity Theft Scorecard. This Identity Theft Scorecard would be a tool that could be used to develop a series of Identity Theft countermeasures. The Identity Theft Scorecard should be a tool that provides solid, objective, impartial and rational KPI (Key Performance Indicators) to what can be a very emotion laden issue. With the information provided from these Identity Theft Scorecards an “Identity Theft Metrics” could be developed. This Metrics would be an empirically accurate measurement of not only the costs associated with Identity theft, but also the number and type of victims and, perhaps, the number and type of perpetrators. An Identity Theft Metrics would quantify threats and vulnerabilities and provide a means to begin to address those areas of risk. It would also, hopefully, provide a tool that could be used to determine the perpetrators of the crime and curtail their activities.

Any accurate Identity Theft Metrics will have as its core KPI a measurement of risk, not uncertainty. Risk is manageable, uncertainty isn’t. Once areas of risk or vulnerability are known they can be quantified and proactively addressed. What cannot be measured is the unknown, the supposed or the hypothetical. It is possible to become so obsessed with the “what ifs” that the primary task, the combating of the actual and real threats, is neglected. Thus it is vital that a central premise of the KPI deals with real, not imagined, risk.

As the economy is increasingly digitized and the vulnerability of people and corporations to Identity Theft increases, quantify the risks. Only by developing a real, measurable, empirical Identity Theft Metrics with measurable KPI at its core can we hope to deal with the issue of Identity Theft in an effective manner.

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If you are interested in identity theft kpi, check this web-site to learn more about measuring identity theft risks.

More About Identity Theft Books

You can find identity theft books anywhere, from the local bookstore to your local library. One of the best places of all that you can go to find identity theft books is on the Internet, because here you will get the best selection, and due to the speed and efficiency of the Internet, you are able to find everything you need quickly and easily.

Remember that by buying these sorts of books, you will not only be able to learn about what identity theft is, but as well you are going to be able to learn about the steps and precautions that you can take in order to make yourself as guarded against this type of theft as you possibly can. Identity theft is in fact one of the most common crimes out there today, and this is primarily due to the fact of how technologically advanced a world we live in today.

There is no definitive way that you can keep yourself from becoming a victim of this type of crime, however prevention is the best method for everything, especially something like this, and so thus you are going to want to take all of the steps that you possibly can in order to make sure that you get the best results possible, meaning that you end up being as guarded against this as you can be.

You are going to want to do things such as get rid of all your credit cards if you can, or at least refrain from using them over the Internet on a regular basis, because this is one of the most common ways that identity thieves use to steal a person’s identity. As well, you are going to want to make sure that you only carry around the identification with you that you need to, so that if you do ever end up losing your wallet while you are out, for instance, that you only lose a few things.

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Ann Merier has written many articles on family health problems and useful house and garden Topics. More How To Prevent Identity Theft articles

We hear about the high profile cases of hackers breaking into the databases of Lexis Nexus or DSW Shoe warehouse, yet most instances of identity theft never make the news. Usually it’s something basic like a neighbor stealing a credit card application from your mailbox or a relative going thru your personal belongings

In the Better Business Bureau’s 2005 Fraud Survey report they found relatives, close friends and neighbors make up 50 percent of all identity thieves. They also cost you more time and money trying to fix the problem. Javelin Research calculates that the average cost to identity theft victims is $15,607 when the perpetrator is known.

But even that figure is misleading. Many children are falling victim to identity theft (a half million last year according to the Federal Trade Commission) which means the full impact of the damage may not be known until years later when as adults they apply for credit.

For some parents, stealing their child’s identity is a stop gap solution. Their own credit is destroyed, so “borrowing” their child’s social security number becomes a necessity. All the while, they assure themselves the money will be paid back. Yet the same pattern that destroyed the parent’s credit, now puts a negative on the child.

It doesn’t matter if the thief is a parent, sibling or best friend, the process of recovering your identity is a tough one and it gets more complicated. Should you report the crime?

“Frequently when we would break up a ring and get a list of victims and find family members were involved in the crime, relatives are very reluctant to co-operate” says Ken Hunter, former Chief Postal Inspector and current president of the Council of Better Business Bureaus.

According to a study done by Gartner, Inc., the chances of an identity thief getting prosecuted are 1 in 700. However, when a relative is the culprit those odds go through the roof. The attitude understandably becomes, “Yes, they did me wrong but I can’t send them to jail.”

Ken Hunter: “If it’s a matter of pilferage at a very low level, nothing much is really going to happen to that person.”

On the other hand, if your identity is used to commit crimes on a higher scale, by all means report it to the authorities. You may feel guilty and make a lot of people angry in the process. Families get torn apart because relatives feel the matter should stay private.

It’s a tough decision, but remember, this is your good name the identity thief destroyed, not your relatives and it’s you who may be wanted for a crime, not them.

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Daryl Campbell is an identity theft expert as well as writer and home business owner. Banks say you should review your credit once a year. Nothing wrong with that. Except it gives identity thieves the other 364 days to destroy it. Sleep peacefully while professionals guard your credit and good name 24/7. Check them out ==> http://digbig.com/4dwsx

The new jewelry box is quite large. It stands upright and has glass doors that open out. There are several hooks on rotating discs to hang necklaces in this area. There are three drawers in the bottom section of the box. One is separated into small compartments to place bracelets and earrings. One of the drawers is plain inside to place longer necklaces such as strands of pearls. The third drawer has an area for rings and additional smaller compartments like the first drawer.

I was happy to get a new one. I started organizing the jewelry box and had it filled before I was half way done. I thought that I would be able to organize the jewelry so that I could get it all into the two boxes that I have. This way there would not be as many things on the top of the dresser. I shifted all of my costume jewelry in the other box. The scarves that were piled on the dresser top were folded and placed in a box that I stored in a dresser drawer. Now my dresser top looked very organized and it was very easy for me to locate the jewelry I wished to wear from the box. Initially I had all of my jewelry scattered all over by the end of the week and the box was close to being empty.

Now my life is simplifies by converting back to one main jewelry box that I can throw the items I wear most often in. by this at least my dresser will look neat and tidy even if my jewelry box looks messy . It will make my husband happier and at the same time will save my time and the stress I get each morning to search my piece of jewelry.

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Luke Cameron is owner of Jewelry Cubicle. - an online magazine offering news, tips and articles on Jewelry related topics. His website can be found at: http://www.jewelrycubicle.com and http://www.efashionreview.com