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What to do in the event that you’re identity gets stolen you ask?  It’s pretty easy to fall victim to identify theft and you’re not alone if it occurs to you.  Recent studies and reporting mechanisms have suggested that millions of Americans each and every year fall victim to the occurrence (almost ten million).  So you’re not alone.  There are several steps that you should take following the discovery of identity theft.

Sometimes you may not know how your personal information and data was compromised, sometimes it can be due to a wallet or purse being stolen, or otherwise it can be due to more technologically advanced methods such as having your data and information hacked online.  When you first realize that your personal information may be used for malicious purposes, take some deep breaths and implement any relaxing exercises that you know of.  It’s certainly a shock to realize that someone has access to your personal data and whether it’s been used or not for malicious intent is slightly irrelevant.  It’s enough to make you highly stressed and agitated. Read the rest of this entry »

If you find yourself in the horrible predicament of having your identity stolen there are a few immediate steps that you’ll need to take to ensure no further abuse of your personal data and finances can take place.  Over 10 million incidents of identity theft take place each year in the United States and this figure continues to grow each and every year.  This is due in part, to the internet and the increasingly clear use of technology as a way to financially communicate.  Most if not all of us have access to our bank account statements as well as our bills on the World Wide Web.  This has meant we are further exposed to hackers and thus having our accounts hacked.  With the increasing use of technology we don’t seem to have an increasing awareness of our personal data and information vulnerabilities.  This has meant we don’t take the appropriate steps to ensure the safety and privacy of our personal data.

The first step that you need to take in the event of identity theft is to contact local and federal law enforcement agencies.  Knowing what’s compromised is important but you may not know how much and sometimes, what of your personal information and data has been stolen.  You’ll need to check all our statements to ascertain how long the data has been used to make purchases or any other criminal activity.  I would immediately contact all financial institutions that you have dealings with and ask them to put a hold on the accounts.  Better yet, I would close down the accounts and open up new ones with new account numbers and relevant details. Read the rest of this entry »

Do you know how many people in the world are trying to be YOU?

Millions of victims
That is what identity theft is. Millions are victims of fraudulent transactions made in their name without their permission or knowledge. The fact that it happens with very slight chances of any type of warning for the victim until considerable damage is done to his/her financial stability, good name or credit worthiness causes much concern.

Impersonation is used for a range of activities
An impersonation is used for a range of insidious activities. Beginning from bank and finance frauds like credit card and utility frauds it spreads to the international arena of illegal immigration, terrorism, espionage and blackmail. Sometimes impersonation is used through the media to earn praise and attention for things others have done.

Save your good name
Government and medical benefits are claimed through forged or stolen documents. Apprehended criminals get away giving the credentials of unsuspecting people causing havoc in their lives making the effort to retrieve their good name and declaring their innocence a nightmare costing them much time and money. Read the rest of this entry »

If you are a victim of ID theft, you may find it hard to cope with the situation and fail to put in place proper measures to aid in recovery. Trying to understand what is best to do after such an incident can be hard, especially if you lose a lot in the process. Here is what you need to do as part of your recovery plan.

The first thing to do when you realize you have been defrauded is to contact your creditor or bank. By filing a complaint, you will assist in tracking down the thieves. This will also allow for freezing of your account to avoid any more misuse of funds. Be sure to write a statement on the theft in the police station because they will later be involved in the investigation, tracking down and consequent arrest of the perpetrators. Provide full information to the relevant authorities to aid in solving the matter. Your may forward the mails, and give out the phone numbers that the crooks used to lure you into a financial crunch. Read the rest of this entry »