Posts Tagged ‘Identity’

Dealerspan Introduces the First Red Flag Identity Theft Solution to Help Dealerships Comply with the November 1st FTC Deadline




Dealerspan Introduces the First Red Flag Identity Theft Solution to Help Dealerships Comply with the November 1st FTC Deadline










Billings, Montana (PRWEB) July 17, 2008

FTC’s Red Flags Rule requires every U.S. auto dealer to develop, implement, and maintain a written, comprehensive identity (ID) theft prevention program that specifically outlines the dealership’s plan to detect, prevent and mitigate identity theft. This Red Flag regulation applies to every auto dealer – regardless of size – and must be in place by November 1, 2008. Dealerspan’s “Red Flag Complete” is the first and only on-site full compliance package specifically designed to address the needs of auto dealers.

Unlike other “ID theft” solutions, Dealerspan’s “Red Flag Complete” was created by a team of professionals with over 30 years of dealership experience. Matt Hall, Director of Sales & Marketing, is spearheading the effort to “simplify what dealerships do, through technology.” He notes this software comes from the unique perspective obtained by sitting in every chair in the dealership.    And it is addressing some of the toughest aspects of compliance:


Automating training of F&I staff
Improving dealership knowledge base with informative data to assist the staff in detecting Red Flags in their dealership.
Automating the process of developing the required Identity Theft Prevention Program.

The goal is to prevent identity theft from occurring, as well as protect the dealership’s bottom-line. For example:

Identity theft claims go up, meaning Property and Causality insurance costs go up
If several claims are logged, dealerships run the risk of losing their insurance.

The actual identity thief is way ahead of the November deadline, as Steve Zabawa, owner of Rimrock Auto Group in Billings, Montana can attest. He paid $ 80,000 in ID theft claims; “pay now or pay later,” Zabawa simply stated. Now equipped with “Red Flag Complete” Zabawa said this about the program “If I would have had this program in place this costly identity theft would have been avoided. This application helps my dealership be proactive when dealing with sensitive data.” He added, “By preventing just one incident, you will save thousands and thousands of dollars.” Zabawa recommends posting that your dealership is Red Flag compliant to deter employees and provide consumers the confidence that they have chosen the right dealership. He compares “Red Flag Complete” to an anti-virus program, noting it’s a best practice for protecting your business.

Customers have come to see it as a value-added service. Matt also notes, “Our greatest fear as consumers is for someone to get our personal information. It’s essential for dealers to have business systems, protocols, and procedures in place – like doing business online with a trusted name like Dealerspan.” He noted that it is common practice to have your lot secured every night to deter vehicle theft; why not take the same diligence in knowing your customer and deterring identity theft?

Red Flag Complete is a full compliance package, including risk assessment and analysis, policy generation and acceptance, incident tracking, employee video training and testing, and more. The Red Flag Complete plan gets businesses up to speed with federal regulations and assists in providing a safe level of operation when dealing with customer information. Implementation of the product, including training of staff, takes three to six weeks. Red Flag Complete was developed with the assistance of Hudson Cook, LLP, so Dealerspan has benefited from the expertise of Michael Benoit, a nationally recognized speaker and author of compliance issues for financial institutions and the automotive world.

About Dealerspan LLC.:

Dealerspan is an innovative and advanced technology company with numerous solutions to drive sales and gross profit for auto dealerships. Serving as a provider of an expansive array of financial, online, and core applications that affect many areas of auto dealerships, Dealerspan focuses on the retail market. Our motto is software solutions designed for dealers by dealers. The technology consists of cutting edge interactive video, scalable frameworks, and an advanced accountability process. Dealerspan’s mission is to simplify the processes involved in running dealerships, resulting in technology solutions that shift gross profits into overdrive.

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Vocus©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.







Britain, America Unite Against Identity Theft Trends

Britain, America Unite Against Identity Theft Trends











The 2011 Identity Fraud Forum hosted by Experian at The Grove, England.


London, UK (PRWEB) October 16, 2011

The world of identity theft is changing rapidly. Earlier this week Experian UK, a unit of one of the world’s largest credit-reporting agencies, hosted the 2011 Identity Theft & Fraud Forum at The Grove, a prestigious five-star resort located on the outskirts of London. The purpose of the Forum was to assemble a cross-cultural collection of thought leaders on identity theft prevention and to focus attention on Britain’s increasing financial battle with identity theft. Keynote presenters included highly regarded American identity theft expert John Sileo, Jairam Sridharan, Head of Retail Assets, Axis Bank of India and Jonathan Walsh, Head of Consulting and Analytics, Identity & Fraud at Experian.

During his afternoon presentation, Mr. Walsh revealed the results of a newly released study commissioned by Experian UK. The study found that cases of identity fraud have doubled in Britain over just the past six months and that the trend is likely to continue unless addressed.

“Britain is determined to identify the latest trends in identity theft and define leading-edge solutions to avert the costly eight ball we are behind here in the States,” says Sileo, who founded ThinkLikeASpy.com and has worked with organizations from the U.S. Department of Defense and Homeland Security to Pfizer, Blue Cross and the FDIC. “Experian UK helped all of us take a huge step in the right direction with the Forum.”

During his closing keynote presentation, Sileo, himself a two-time victim of severe identity theft, shared not only his eye opening personal story, but what he considers to be the latest trends in the booming world of identity fraud.

“Right now, the business of financial fraud is being overtaken by organized crime,” says Sileo. “They’re intent on rolling up a highly profitable business that used to be the turf of petty criminals, drug addicts and the terminally underemployed. Of course, those people are still at the center of the crimes, they just have a nasty new boss.” He adds, with obvious frustration, “And their bosses aren’t just criminals, they’re highly effective businesspeople.”

According to Sileo, social media over exposure, mobile device hacking and offshore data hijacking are three trends to take very seriously. “It’s all about scale,” he explains. “Why steal one identity at a time on Facebook when you can socially engineer a queen bee [using her Facebook profile, he adds later] into giving you the keys to the corporate database.”

When he refers to queen bees, he’s referring to corporate employees with vast access to data but little training on how to protect it. Prompted for examples, he listed financial controllers, bookkeepers, laid-off IT staff, secretaries, executive assistants and employees who haven’t been properly trained to recognize and repel fraud.

The outlook at the Forum wasn’t entirely negative. By the end of the conference, there was a general consensus that the disease of identity theft, still somewhat immature in this country, can be eradicated like previous plagues in Britain’s history with intensive educational initiatives and fraud detection analytics.

Experian is a global leader in consumer and business credit reporting and marketing services and a constituent of the United Kingdom’s FTSE 100 index, with revenues in excess of US$ 4 billion.

John Sileo is a leading American keynote speaker and author on identity theft, fraud, social networking exposure, social engineering and trust; he is the founder of ThinkLikeASpy.com and blogs at Sileo.com.

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Vocus©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.







Identity Theft: the Common Man You May Come Across Round the Corner




Identity Theft: the Common Man You May Come Across Round the Corner










(PRWEB) July 7, 2005

It is a common face and even more a household name in the US today. Consumers pray not to meet him, but if you are unfortunate you might have to come across him while you take a bend at the street end. Yes, we are speaking of Identity Theft. This usually takes place when someone has unauthorized access to your personal data and utilizes the same to make an application for credit cards, use your bank account without your knowledge as well as receives a loan in your name. Just like it is weird to have a cake without an icing, summer months minus adventure sports or a dinner date without a drink, so is applicable to scams or identity thefts in the credit lending industry.

Identity Theft is the most rapidly growing crime in the modern world. USA is a major victim of this crime and had faced major hassles pertaining to this illegal business. Incidence of Identity Theft in the U.S. has somersaulted to more than 40% in 2003 compared to the year 2002. According to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) almost 4.7% of the U.S. population or 10 million people were victims of identity theft in the year 2002 with total losses of US$ 53 billion. Almost US$ 5 billion were losses suffered by victims; whereas the remaining losses were made up by businesses.

It is high time you get education on the preventive measures and equip yourself with information on what to do if you are a victim of Identity Theft. For ID Theft assistance, you can visit the ID Theft Help Center at:

http://www.idtheftcenter.com/index.shtml

According to the recent happenings in the month of April 2005, detectives with the Ontario Police Department had arrested Jeffrey Brett Goodin, 45, of Azusa, and from Covina Mila Stroschien, 51, and Christina Beeson, 24, for unlawful use of credit information and identity theft. This was reported by Ontario police Detective David McBride. The three were arrested on suspicion of creating an identity theft scam that may involve victims in California, Virginia and Georgia.

In the month of January, 2005 “American Idol” Ruben Studdard filed a formal complaint accusing Ronald Edwards of identity theft and fraud practices. According to The Associated Press, he filed a complaint with Birmingham, Alabama, police, claiming that Edwards forged paperwork between August 2003 and November 2004, granting himself power-of-attorney privileges. In addition, Studdard alleges that Edwards used his credit cards, racking up a $ 105,000 bill. However, Edwards, once Ruben’s godfather, denies the allegations.

In a very recent incident, Allen Rupock Boidya, 28, a citizen of Bangladesh staying in a room in San Bernardino, was arrested in Cathedral City at a Comfort Suites hotel on June 24, 2005 for possession of stolen property, according to Redlands Police Department Public Information Officer Carl Baker. The arrest of this Bangladeshi man in June 2005 has helped Redlands police connect a series of people involved in a crime ring involving identity theft, commercial window burglaries and stolen credit cards.

Another happening a fortnight ago states the misplacement of a box of computer tapes containing personal information on 3.9 million customers of Citi Financial by United Parcel Service during its transit to a credit bureau. The tapes contained highly confidential information like names, social security numbers, account numbers and payment histories of customers who acquired loan products through one of CitiFinancialÂ’s network of more than 1,800 branches, or retailers in the United States. However, as a precautionary step CitiFinancial said the information they provide to credit bureaus will be sent via direct encrypted electronic transmission from the month of July, 2005.

The fear of Identity Theft is a major concern for the officials in the US today. The credit reporting company Equifax has earned a major profit for this cause but there is also a prevailing concern for them. Thomas Chapman the Chairman and CEO of Equifax said that the fear of protecting ones data security can eventually result in the consumers spending less. He said this while addressing about 50 people at the Commonwealth Club of California, a public affairs forum.

According to the Identity Theft Survey Report presented by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently, a detailed study has been done of how the current accounts are misused.

•Credit Card accounts – 67%

•Telephone Service -19%

•Check/Savings Account – 9%

•Internet Account – 3%

•Other Accounts – 2%

Other stolen information that leads to Identity Theft are:

•Employment – getting a job using the victims name and identity

•Social Security

•Tax Returns

•Medical

•Residential Leases

•Securities & Investments

•Bankruptcy Fraud

•Illegal Immigration and Obtaining Miscellaneous government Identification Documents

Today protecting the publicÂ’s personal information has become the prime factor among Web shoppers, e-commerce merchants and law enforcement agencies. The epidemic seems to get costlier every passing day in the US. Latest reports say that identity thieves are rarely prosecuted, yet they cost the country $ 60 billion annually.

To know more on Identity Theft please view the in-depth conversation at our forum:

http://www.debtconsolidationcare.com/forums/about409.html


http://www.debtconsolidationcare.com/forums/about411.html


http://www.debtconsolidationcare.com/forums/about412.html


http://www.debtconsolidationcare.com/forums/about413.html


http://www.debtconsolidationcare.com/forums/about410.html


















Vocus©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.







Identity Theft Continues to Victimize Millions Each Year




Identity Theft Continues to Victimize Millions Each Year












Columbus, Ohio (Vocus) October 20, 2010

Apprisen Financial Advocates is a national nonprofit consumer credit counseling agency that provides personal financial counseling and financial education. When something happens 10 million times per year, it’s worth noting, and in recent years, that’s how many victims of identity theft have reported the abuse to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Further, ID theft has remained the number one complaint to the FTC for the past five years.

It can start the old-fashioned way with lost or stolen wallets, pilfered mail, or through documents thrown out by you or a business (dumpster diving). A consumer may also be victimized through more high-tech crimes including a data breach, computer virus, phishing or an Internet scam. Once the personal information is stolen, the crime can result in check fraud, credit card fraud, financial identity theft, criminal identity theft, governmental identity theft and medical identity theft.

Recognizing that awareness and education are essential tools necessary for consumers to protect themselves against ID theft, the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) has teamed with the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) to host the third annual Protect Your Identity Week October 17-23. During the week there are 175 local events in communities across the nation where consumers can take part in educational workshops, credit report reviews, responsibly recycle unused cell phones and have their personal documents shredded for free.

Consumers are urged to visit http://www.ProtectYourIDNow.org where they can locate events in their area, find useful prevention tips, victim resources, and take a quiz to assess their own risk of becoming the next identity theft victim.

“A recent NFCC online poll revealed that a majority of Americans fear identity theft, and that is a healthy fear to have if it leads them to take action,” said Michael S. Kappas, President and CEO, Apprisen Financial Advocates. “The upcoming educational events should go a long way toward helping consumers protect themselves from the ever-present danger of identity theft.” For more information on ID Theft or what to do if you are a victim, call 800-355.2227.

Apprisen Financial Advocates, a national nonprofit credit counseling agency, has been helping consumers manage their finances and get out of debt since 1955. Certified counselors provide money management, debt counseling, HUD-approved housing counseling and financial education. Services are provided in-person in 10 states through local offices and nationally by phone or via the Internet. The oldest nonprofit credit counseling agency in the country, Apprisen Financial Advocates is known in its local communities as Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS). Accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA), Apprisen is a member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC), the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and AICCCA. Information is available 24/7. Call 800-355-2227 or visit our website, http://www.apprisen.com .

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Vocus©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.







More Identity Theft Medical Press Releases

California Consumer Advocate, Attorney Howard D. Silver Releases New Online Identity Theft Resource Center

California Consumer Advocate, Attorney Howard D. Silver Releases New Online Identity Theft Resource Center










Oak Park, CA (PRWEB) January 10, 2012

Making Identity Theft Resources Easily Available

Identity theft has continued to increase in frequency over the past decade in both California and the United States as a whole. As reported by MercuryNews.com, California Attorney General Kamala Harris stated that every year, more than 1 million Californians are victims of identity theft. She also emphasized that identity theft can result in heavy debt to credit bureaus, illegal use of Social Security benefits, draining of bank accounts, and many more abuses of a victim’s funds. With these points in mind, the resource center provides informative data to help identity theft victims understand the crimes that have been committed against them and how they can recover. By gaining knowledge from the resource center, identity theft victims can become more familiar with how to rebuild their lives and not suffer financial consequences caused not only by identity thieves, but also creditors seeking to collect debts unfairly or illegally.

Spreading the Word about Identity Theft

In order to provide visitors to http://www.howardsilverlaw.com/identity-theft.html with a firm knowledge of the complexities of identity theft crime and the repercussions that a victim often experiences, the California identity theft resource center has been created with a focus on the laws and procedures surrounding identity theft.

The pages found in the resource center provide information regarding the common traps that an individual may fall into before and after becoming an identity theft victim, how to prevent identity theft, the steps a victim must take after having their identity stolen, a victim’s rights, and understanding the use of a credit freeze and fraud alert. The web pages also emphasize the vital role of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in raising awareness about identity theft prevention, reporting, and resolution. The resource center’s identity theft frequently asked questions (FAQs) section is meant to help answer inquiring visitors’ questions so they can best determine an effective and proactive course of action as well as understand how an attorney may be able to assist them.

Resolving Identity Theft Repercussions

Consumer advocate and attorney Howard D. Silver has been successfully representing California consumers since 1987 in cases involving lemon law, car repair fraud, used car fraud and deceptive business practices. Howard D. Silver graduated Magna Cum Laude from California Western School of Law in San Diego, California in May 1979 and became a member of the State Bar of California in November 1979. Today, Mr. Silver is a member of both the Los Angeles and Ventura County, California Bar Associations. The Law Offices of Howard D. Silver is now committed to protecting the rights of consumers throughout California with matters relating to identity theft.

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Vocus©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.







Travel Tips to Safeguard Your Identity and Credit




Travel Tips to Safeguard Your Identity and Credit










San Diego, CA (PRWEB) May 27, 2008

Summer is in the air and many hard working Americans are planning out their vacation weeks for some well deserved rest and relaxation in a warm vacation spot. Many travelers are unaware that their sunny and warm vacation spot can be a hot bed for identity theft and fraud. Identity thieves exist all over the globe, but have been known to target unsuspecting and vulnerable tourists, who are loose with personal information.

Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information, like your name, Social Security number, or credit card number, without your permission, to commit fraud or other crimes. The FTC estimates that as many as 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year. The Federal Trade Commission estimated that consumer fraud and identity theft cost Americans $ 1.2 billion in 2007, and the statistics and victims are only increasing.

If you are planning on a summer vacation in the following states, be sure to take every possible precaution to keep your identity and finances safe. These are the top ten states for identity theft per capita basis.

1. Arizona

2. California

3. Nevada

4. Texas

5. Florida

6. New York

7. Georgia

8. Colorado

9. New Mexico

10. Maryland

Source: Consumer Sentinel

The metropolitan areas with the highest per capita rates of reported identity theft are Napa, California; Madera, California; and Greeley, Colorado but many other locations outside of the US are ripe with pickpocketers who can not only swipe your spending cash but also your identity. Do not let identity thieves ruin your vacation and your credit. Travelers can protect themselves and greatly reduce their chances of theft by following the advice below.

Hotel safes- If you plan on brining personal information with you on vacation, a good idea is to use hotel safes. Lock up all valuables in room safes while you are out on the town. Include laptops, passports, receipts, and other documents that may contain personal identifying information that a thief could use. Suitcases can be easily picked or cracked open, a hotel safe is a much safer bet for safeguarding your information, and also hotels will often insure personal documents and objects if they are somehow stolen when locked in a hotel safe.

Pickpockets and travel pouches- Pickpockets are prevalent in nearly every major city and tend to target high traffic areas that attract business and vacation travelers. Many studies indicate that wallets stolen in tourist spots frequently lead to identity theft, which can cost you much more than your spending cash. To guard yourself against pickpocketers, do not carry any unnecessary documents in your wallet. Leave all cards with Social Security Numbers on them at home or in your hotel safe. If necessary, carry your personal documents in a different pocket then your wallet. It goes without saying, never leave your wallet or purse unattended even for a second.

Thieves have been known to target women with loose, dangling purses. Lost out-of-towners or foreigners carrying a lot of cash, and parents distracted by their kids or babies, so stay alert. Leave bills at home- Travelers often take advantage of quiet evenings and downtime in hotels to catch up with bookkeeping and paying bills. Many vacationers and business travelers forget that many people have access to your hotel room. Victims have reported that account information and check information has been stolen from hotel rooms. Leave your bills at home. You are on vacation anyway, save the number crunching for your return.

Using rental computers- If you are using Kinko’s computer rentals and other cyber cafe computers while on the vacation, it is essential that you protect your personal/financial/password information. At several Kinko’s in the New York City area, a cyber-scammer installed software that recorded the keystroke information gathered from people using the computer rentals and was able to obtain the personal information of 450 people. Avoid performing any financial transactions or accessing personal information on rented computers. If you need to access and use a password protected account from a rental computer you should cut and paste the password from a word document where the password is in the middle of random characters. This can make keystroke recording difficult for scammers.

These are just a few tips we recommend to keep your identity safe when travelling. A vacation should be a relaxing time but do not be lazy in protecting yourself from identity thieves. Remember according to the FTC, 52% of identity theft victims detected fraudulent activity by reviewing their own credit reports. Purchasing a credit report and credit monitoring services from a reputable credit reporting company, is a great way to keep an eye on your credit and quickly identify and address any fraudulent charges.

For more information on identity theft and credit reporting visit us at My Private Credit

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Vocus©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.







FinWell Group, LLC Selects Identity Theft 911 to Provide Identity Theft Protection and Resolution Services to Customers

FinWell Group, LLC Selects Identity Theft 911 to Provide Identity Theft Protection and Resolution Services to Customers











Scottsdale, AZ (PRWEB) September 06, 2011

Identity Theft 911, the nation’s premier identity management and data risk management services provider, today announced that FinWell Group, LLC has chosen the company to offer identity protection and identity theft resolution services to customers. FinWell Group, LLC customers and their family members now benefit from Identity Theft 911LifeStages™ Identity Management services during the times in life when they are most susceptible to identity theft.

According to the 2011 Identity Fraud Survey Report by Javelin Strategy & Research, the average consumer’s out-of-pocket cost due to identity fraud increased 63 percent from $ 387 in 2009 to $ 631 per incident in 2010. Along with the higher cost of resolution fees, the average time spent resolving identity fraud issues increased from 21 to 33 hours, emphasizing the need for better consumer education and resolution services. Recognizing this trend, FinWell Group LLC customers have the convenience and benefit of a trusted advisor they can turn to for help in resolving crises in credit and identity theft.

Identity Theft 911 fraud specialists provide high-touch service to victims from the initial call through case resolution. Their expertise covers a range of issues, from proactive measures that provide protection to resolution in the case of true identity theft and account takeovers. The fraud specialists work one-on-one with victims and are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week until resolution is complete.

About Identity Theft 911

Founded in 2003, Identity Theft 911 is the nation’s premier consultative provider of identity and data risk management, resolution and education services. The company serves 13 million households across the country and provides fraud solutions for a range of organizations, including Fortune 500 companies, the country’s largest insurance companies, corporate benefit providers, banks and credit unions and membership organizations. Since 2005, the company has helped more than 150,000 businesses manage data breaches. For more information, please visit http://www.idt911.com.

About FinWell Group

Founded in 2010 to acquire the Freedom Choice Plan (a group financial wellness benefit product) from The Leader Group, LLC, FinWell Group is focused on developing and selling financial education and awareness products and services that include both web-based and personal interactivity. The company markets primarily to small and medium sized businesses in the Midwest and is on pace to service 20,000 employees in the group benefit program by 1/1/2012, at which time the company will expand to include the East Coast and Southern Atlantic regions. FinWell Group has also developed and launched The Fiscal Fitness Club, a web-based financial wellness site, which is incorporated into the Freedom Choice Plan and will be available on a wholesale basis to group benefit resellers and providers (early 2012). FinWell Group is excited to include Identity Theft Protection as another value added benefit to the Freedom Choice Plan. For more information please visit http://www.finwellgroup.com.

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Vocus©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.







Seventy Percent of Identity Theft Victims Helped by ITAC Report They Do Not Know the Source of the Crime

Seventy Percent of Identity Theft Victims Helped by ITAC Report They Do Not Know the Source of the Crime












Washington, DC (PRWEB) October 24, 2011

Nearly 70% of the 2,695 victims who used ITAC Victim Assistance® in 2011 do not know the source of the crime, according to a survey by ITAC, the Identity Theft Assistance Center. Of the victims who did know the source of the crime, more than a quarter said it was computer related (hacker/virus/phishing).

“We periodically survey the people we help to make the point that identity theft can come from many sources, so it requires constant vigilance,” said ITAC President Anne Wallace. “One important way to protect yourself is to monitor your accounts online for suspicious activity and take advantage of fraud alerts your financial services company might offer.”

Consumers who use ITAC Victim Assistance® are verified victims of identity theft and are referred to the free service by their financial services company. The 763 victims who knew the source of the crime report the following sources:

Computer hacker/ virus/ phishing                26.95%    

Other                                25.23%    

Lost or stolen wallet, checkbook or credit card        16.64%    

Data Breach                            10.04%    

Friends, relatives, in-home employees            7.66%    

Mail (stolen or fraudulent address change)            4.89%    

Corrupt business or employee                4.62%    

House Burglarized                        3.96%

About ITAC

ITAC, the Identity Theft Assistance Center (http://www.identitytheftassistance.org), is the national advocate for identity theft victims and a leading voice on identity policy. Millions of consumers have access to the ITAC victim assistance service through our members – the financial services companies who support ITAC and offer it as a free service for their customers. ITAC is dedicated to protecting all consumers through education, research and the criminal prosecution of identity crime. Through our partnership with Intersections Inc., ITAC’s world-class victim assistance and identity management service is available to everyone through ITAC Sentinel® (http://www.itacsentinel.com).

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Vocus©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.







Identity Theft is the New American Plague




Identity Theft is the New American Plague











Protect Your Identity with FREE Ebook


Bonita Springs, FL (PRWEB) December 3, 2010

Wikileaks, the controversial whistle-blowing website, is damaging the current political landscape. Now, a retired secret service agent says thieves may be funding Al Qaeda terrorists.

We’re talking about identity theft. It is now the nation’s number one crime and it’s channeling over $ 50 billion dollars a year to criminals, some of which likely have a terror connection. According to a retired Secret Service agent, Reginald Ball, some 40 million American social security numbers are now compromised. Additionally, using the internet, cell phones and other forms of technology, identity thieves can very quickly use virtually anyone’s personal information to fund the activities of Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups. Identity thieves can hijack an identity and do enormous harm to people and their families. Worse, if the ill-gotten loot is funding terrorists such as Al Qaeda, then the harm is to the entire country as well.

That’s partly what prompted Mr. Ball’s company, iSekurity, to launch a massive educational outreach effort, which includes the “Identity Theft Protection Guide,” an informative ebook which you can get if you click here.

“At iSekurity we feel that it is a duty and an honor to help the citizens of the United States to protect their identities,” says Reginald Ball, “That’s why we’ve made the Identity Theft Protection Guide free for everyone.”

The free ebook offers an overview of the depth and breadth of this heinous crime and provides empowering suggestions that everyone can use to protect themselves.

“Identity theft is a nightmare when it happens and a nightmare to unravel – you are guilty until proven innocent,” says Mr. Ball. “Nobody lives in a house without a front door lock, and nobody – kids and the elderly included – should be without identity theft protection.”

By official government estimates, if individuals don’t get protected, they will likely become victims of this crime at least once in their lifetime. What’s worse, if (or more accurately, when) an individual succumbs to ID theft it can cost them thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours to restore their identity.

And if a guy like Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks, can intercept confidential government information and send Hilary Clinton and friends into a tailspin, then its got to be pretty easy for an identity thief to get information on ordinary citizens – and turn their world upside down. Of course there’s one big difference between Hilary and everyone else. Mrs. Clinton has tax dollars at her disposal to fix her tailspin while others have to fund efforts to fix an identity crisis themselves, an endeavor which can be extremely costly and time consuming.

The FBI states that once a thief steals an identity, he’ll use it up to thirty times. According to the Federal Trade Commission resolving the damage done to a person’s good name could take up to 330 hours of personal time; unless they have a protection plan in place.

With the iSekurity protection plan, subscribers get a “Sekure ScanSM” which is a comprehensive life history report. This report can alert the subscriber to situations where their name is being used for credit card fraud, medical fraud, employment fraud, bank fraud, and so much more. The cost for this type of protection is $ 12 per month and if a subscriber’s identity is compromised, iSekurity covers the cost of identity restoration, travel expenses, and more. Not much to pay, all things considered.

But, even without subscribing to an identity protection service, everyone can get the free “Identity Theft Protection Guide,” an invaluable tool for preventing identity theft. The Identity Theft Protection Ninja, a cloaked consumer advocate and crusader, commended iSekurity’s free book offer.

“Consumers need a game plan for protecting their identities from would-be thieves,” says the Identity Theft Protection Ninja. “There are so many simple things you can do to make sure you aren’t funding Osama bin Laden. The Identity Theft Protection Guide provides clear suggestions that can and should be implemented immediately.”

Get the your freee “Identity Theft Protection Guide,” now. Click here.

Both the Identity Theft Protection Ninja and former Secret Service agent and iSekurity founder Reginald Ball are available for interviews and appearances.

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Vocus©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.







Related Identity Theft Protection Guide Press Releases

Wisconsin Reinsurance Provides Identity Protection and Identity Theft Resolution Services To Reinsurance Clients




Wisconsin Reinsurance Provides Identity Protection and Identity Theft Resolution Services To Reinsurance Clients











Scottsdale, AZ (PRWEB) November 2, 2010

Wisconsin Reinsurance Corporation has joined with Identity Theft 911® to enable its reinsurance clients to offer their customers coverage against identity theft, throughout the times in life when they are most vulnerable. The LifeStages™ Identity Protection Services includes unlimited 1:1 availability of a professional, dedicated fraud specialist to provide consultation and education, proactive identity protection assistance and assistance in fixing identity problems when they occur.

Identity theft is on the rise with 11.1 million victims last year according to the Javelin Identity Fraud Survey, an increase of 12 percent. “Identity theft has become a leading concern for most insurance policyholders, particularly as usage of the Internet, credit and debit cards and other technology tools has evolved,” said Lana Mueller, Vice President of Underwriting at Wisconsin Reinsurance Corporation. “Partnering with Identity Theft 911 allows us not only to help our clients protect their customers, but by offering this value added service to their policyholders it also enhances their competitive advantage in a challenging marketplace. We are pleased to be able to offer this service to our reinsurance clients at no additional cost to them.”

The coverage provides clients’ policyholders on-demand access to their own personal certified fraud specialists to walk them through the process and answer any and all their questions. They will also be eligible for state-of-the-art credit and fraud monitoring that could detect early signs of identity theft. Reimbursement of identity restoration costs will also be provided, if needed.

“It’s hard enough facing life’s challenges without having to worry about having your identity stolen,” said Matt Cullina, CEO of Identity Theft 911. “By offering this coverage, Wisconsin Reinsurance shows that it genuinely cares about its clients as well as their customers.”

Identity Theft 911 fraud specialists provide white-glove service to victims from the initial call for help until the case is resolved. Their expertise covers a range of issues, from the true identity theft to account takeovers and protective measures during every stage of a person’s life. They work one-on-one with victims and are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week until resolution is complete.

About Wisconsin Reinsurance Corporation

Established in 1931, Wisconsin Reinsurance Corporation reinsures a wide range of mutual insurance companies in the Midwest. With over 100 years of combined talent in designing and implementing reinsurance contracts to fit the client company’s needs, WRC is acknowledged as a leader in the reinsurance marketplace. For more information visit our website.

About Identity Theft 911

Identity Theft 911 is the nation’s premier identity theft and data breach management, resolution and education service. The company serves more than 30 million people across the country and provides fraud solutions for a range of organizations—including Fortune 500 companies, the country’s largest insurance companies, corporate benefit providers, banks and credit unions and membership organizations. For more information visit our website, and our Knowledge Center.

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