Identity Theft

Nowadays more and more people are doing their banking online. The obvious convenience of making transaction with a few clicks over waiting in a line is apparent. However, what would you do if you log into your account and see that it no longer exists?

Well, this can happen for a myriad of reasons. There is a chance that the bank’s website is being updated and your account is secure, but just doesn’t appear online yet. However, it might be that your account or the account’s card had been compromised. Contact the bank or visit a branch in order to find out whether your card needs to be canceled or your account frozen due to fraud. For more thorough information and tips, please click here:: Account Disappeared
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The times they are a changin’, as the song says. Years ago the primary function to protect yourself while shopping online was to protect your credit card number. Nowadays, hackers are focusing on taking over user accounts for online shops rather than the usual credit card cycling tactic.

Why is this? Well, it appears fraudsters found it easier to use the saved payment information via stolen username and passwords rather than try to hijack a credit card. The stored payment data is even more vulnerable via malware as more people use mobile devices to make purchases. All of this puts more pressure on businesses to protect their customers’ information rather than the customer protecting it themselves. For more on this topic, please click here:: Dangers of Shopping Are Evolving

 
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There are many assumptions made about identity theft and identity theft recovery that are simply false. Many of these misconceptions are made through word-of-mouth, assurances by corporations, or other factors. While no one can truly blame them, you know the old saying about when people ass-u-me.

First, recovering your identity isn’t easy. Hours and hours of fraud alerts, credit freezes, and other repair methods car occur. Next, depending on your bank or credit card, you might not get your money back or be reimbursed. It is not guaranteed nor is it speedy. Also, having law enforcement to get involved to bring perpetrators to justice. Keeping this mind will allow you know what to truly expect and reinforce your resolve to protect your identity in the first place. For a full article on this topic, click here:: Don’t believe these 5 myths about identity theft
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It’s bad enough that people need to constantly stay vigilant with their bank records, passwords, and anti-virus software to protect their identities, but there are also overlooked victims of identity theft: children. The saddest part is that many kids won’t know that is the case until years and years later when they become adults.

Criminals use social security numbers from children, even babies, to obtain credit cards, mortgages, utilities, and other items. Often it is not until they are trying to apply for college loans or car loans when they realize someone had sabotaged their credit score years later. The Federal Trade Commission reports that kids are 51 times more likely to have their social security number stolen. States are slowly but surely addressing this issue by passing legislation that doesn’t allow minors to open credit until they’re 16 years of age. For a full article on this troubling trend, click here:: Child Identity Theft on the Rise
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