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IDTheft.Gov

Mike — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 22:11:23 +0000

If there is any doubt
on the part of the American consumer in terms of what the government
is doing to prevent and repair damage done from identity theft, he or
she needs only to look to the internet to find just how extensive the
research and resources are. In addition to the Federal Trade
Commission’s
website detailing all manner of plans from prevention to correction,
there is also a government site known as idtheft.gov that does much
the same thing. On that site the public can learn about the President’s

Identity Theft Task Force, which was established by Executive Order
on May 10, 2006 when it became clear that there was a new kind of
criminal
and a new kind of lawlessness out there. President Bush recognized
the need for governmental intervention on behalf of the public to help
combat this new and growing crime. The president’s administration
was charged with creating a Task Force. That Task Force, led by
the Attorney General and the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission
focused on Law Enforcement, Education of the public, and governmental
safeguards to keep the American Consumer safe from this crime.
They charged local law enforcement with prevention, investigation, and
prosecution of known identity thieves, recovery of stolen funds, and
ensure just punishment. They also took note of what kind of education
of the public was being done and improved or invented programs to make
sure the American Consumer knew they steps to take to help keep from
becoming a victim. The governmental safeguards came from Task
Force conducted meetings with shareholders and public to get their
opinions
on key issues. Using interviews with people in the know, they
made recommendations and eventually, laws to keep us all safe.
To find out more about the President’s Task Force on Identity Theft,
visit http://www.idtheft.gov/index.html.

Getting a New SSN

Mike — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 22:10:44 +0000

There is nothing worse than finding yourself on the stink side of an identity theft case. It means some crafty fool stole your mail, or your login and password information, or stood over your shoulder while you punch in your password, or stole your wallet, or knew what kind of password you might choose, or guessed a weak password, or found your credit card at a bar, or set up a phishing site and tricked you into thinking it was the real site and thereby stealing your login information. It sucks to feel duped and it can leave you feeling utterly lost and without a clue as to what to do next. The Federal Trade Commission understands that feeling and has been charged with making sure the American Consumer knows exactly what steps to take to protect themselves from become victims and to arm them with the tools necessary to fight the battle to correct any fraudulent activity on the part of the criminal. Many people who find that their particular brand of identity theft had come in the form of Social Security number theft or fraud wonder if they should apply for a new number. The Federal Trade Commission warns against that. In some cases, the Social Security Administration will issue a new Social Security number (if you ask them to) but only as a last resort. And having a new Social security number may not end the other problems and may well bring with it a whole new crop of problems. Old credit information is associated with new credit information (under the new number) so it doesn’t erase the fraudulent credit. It does, however, make it look as though you have no credit history and makes it much more difficult to get any kind of credit. Better to take care of problem than trying to scrap the whole thing without dealing with it.

Avoiding Being A Victim

Mike — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 22:09:33 +0000

Being the victim of any kind of crime is a terrible thing. It’s the peace of mind that most people report missing the most. Being the victim of identity theft is no different. Many victims interviewed having a barrage of questions going through their heads over and over again. How could this have happened to me? Was there something I could have done to keep this from happening to me? How long with this take to fix? What if I don’t have the time or the money to correct this? Is there any kind of aid in getting this taken care of? What should I do in the future to make sure this never happens again? The Federal Trade Commission has taken all of that information and with the full support of the United States government, has launch a program to protect the American consumer by arming them with an education, tools, and techniques designed to keep them safe, and to help undo the damage done by identity thieves. In the program entitled, “Deter, Detect, Defend,” the Federal Trade Commission has outlined answers to all of those nagging questions. Yes, there are many steps to take to prevent identity theft. Yes, there are resources available to you if you do find that you have become the victim of identity theft. Yes, it will take lots of time and possibly lots of money to undo the damage. But the website created and maintained by the FTC clearly outlines all the suggested steps to take and ways to ensure that it never happens again. The first step in any kind of damage is to see to it that you take any and all steps toward avoiding it. But life happens, and if and when it does, the Federal Trade Commission is there for the American public. Access all the information the Federal Trade Commission has to offer by visiting:

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/consumers/defend.html#Whattodoidtoverinternet

Insidious Crimes and Misdemeanors

Mike — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 22:09:06 +0000

Identity theft is among the most insidious crimes out there because the time, money, and effort it takes to undo the damage is inversely proportionate to the time, money, and effort it took the thief to do the stealing in the first place. Statistics indicated that it could take upwards of a year to correct a simple fraudulent account. Thieves do anything from “shoulder surfing” to stealing a wallet, to going through garbage in the search for an unshredded credit offer to make off with the victim’s identity. The government got involved with this relatively new kind of crime when it tapped the Federal Trade Commission to be the guardian of the public. The Federal Trade Commission, which was founded as an agency to “protect the American consumer,” has come up with a complex, but easy to follow plan of education, protection, and action. There are a number of ways to prevent identity theft from happening in the first place. The old saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” And how right it is! Simply preventing your identity from being stolen is the hands-down winner for avoiding the nightmare of fixing the situation once it has been stolen. However, victims should take solace in knowing that they have help, and a plan of action to put into motion once they realize what has happened. The Federal Trade Commission strongly urges the involvement of as many law enforcement agencies as possible. Because of lack of education, or manpower, or funding, et cetera, some local law enforcement agencies are not willing or able to file a report when it comes to identity theft. If the victim finds that to be true, the Federal Trade Commission is ready with yet another plan of action. Check out the following website for additional information:

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/consumers/defend.html#Whattodoidtoverinternet

Filing Police Reports for ID Theft

Mike — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 22:08:28 +0000

Dealing with the fallout of identity theft is a daunting task for anyone. But no job is simpler than the one you are prepared to do. In the interest of educating and protecting the public in regards to their identity, the Federal Trade Commission (the governmental agency that is charged with this education and protection) has issued a simple, but thorough plan for anyone interested in protecting his or her identity. The plan, known as “Deter. Detect. Defend.” is easy to follow and takes the victim step by step how to deal with that awful fallout. The Federal Trade Commission makes it very clear how important it deems involvement of the local law enforcement. Getting as many people involved in the search and for and punishment of the identity thieves is vital in stemming the flow of blood that an identity thief can cause. However, because identity theft is still a relatively new and underground crime, people have reported to the FTC that were not allowed to file a police report with their local office. So in the interest of the public, the Federal Trade Commission has included in its plan, what to do in the event that local police are not willing or able to file a report. Persistence, as in any case, is always important. Use the documentation you have already collected as well as any of the multiple documents the FTC provides (Law Enforcement Cover Letter or Remedying the Effects of Identity Theft) to stress the importance of the situation and how much having a police report adds to the fight. Creditors often require such a police report in order to reach some kind of dispute resolution. Remind the police of how much additional help is available to you if you can furnish a police report. Credit reporting services, for example, can stop fraudulent activity immediately and without cost IF you provide them with a police report.

Steps To Take To Recover From Identity Theft

Mike — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 22:07:57 +0000

In the seemingly endless game of trying to undo the damage done by an identity thief, a victim might undoubtedly feel lost in terms of the proper steps to take. The Federal Trade Commission understands this. That governmental body which is charged with the education of and aid to the public in regards to identity theft, has come up with a complicated, but easy to follow plan of action that helps protect the public from becoming victims and to call the public to action in the event that they do, in fact, become victims. Under the Deter, Detect, Defend plan, the Federal Trade Commission recommends involving local law enforcement in the action of plan of getting your identity back. However, as they have heard many, many reports of not being able to file a police report (either because the local law enforcement body either cannot or will not help or they simply don’t understand how serious the problem is.) So the FTC has laid out a mini plan within a plan to provide some guidance in how to proceed with an officer who is not willing or able to file a police report. The FTC’s website provides anyone who needs it with a Law Enforcement Cover Letter than details, from an official source (the FTC) exactly what identity theft is and how important having a police report is. The FTC also recommends showing all the paperwork and documentation that you have already collected and filed. Show all the credit reports, and highlight what you know to not have anything to do with you. Show any letters from credit collectors who might be harassing you about something you had nothing to do with. She them the FTC’s office “Remedying the Effects of Identity Theft” letter which clearly outlines the importance of local police involvement.

Reporting Identity Theft

Mike — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 22:07:22 +0000

The Federal Trade Commission, in its effort to stem the flow on identity theft, has developed a three part plan to educate the public on the dangers of fraud, how to prevent it, how to identify it, and how to deal with it in the case of the victim. Deter, Detect, Defend is a program that is set up as an easy to follow, step by step plan of protection and action. One of the things the Federal Trade Commission stresses heavily is to file reports with both the local law enforcement and the Federal Trade Commission itself. The more backup you have and the more seriously you take it, the more likely you are to find yourself under an umbrella of local and federal protection and action. However, some local officials either don’t yet understand just how insidious identity theft can be, or fully understand how to deal with it. So if you find yourself a victim of identity theft and you have already taken the proactive step of looking to the Federal Trade Commission’s website to find out what to do, and have attempted to file a report with the local, but found that they do not take it seriously or they will not file a report, then the Federal Trade Commission has a plan for you. Supply the local law enforcement’s office with a copy of the Law Enforcement Cover Letter (which is handily available on the FTC’s website). This document explains to the officer why a police report and the Identity Theft Report are so vital for victims who are dealing with this particular problem. Show them all of the information and tools that you have gathered already in an attempt to highlight the importance of the help you need. Show them letters from debt collectors, or faulty credit reports, a copy of the ID theft report, anything to emphasize how important the matter is.

Deter, Defect, Defend

Mike — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 22:06:08 +0000

“Deter, Detect, Defend.” That’s the Federal Trade Commission’s program designed to educated the public on how to properly protect their identity and what steps to take in the event that they do become victims of identity fraud. In the Detect portion of the program, there are four steps to take in identifying if you have, in fact, been taken advantage of. The first is to notify the credit reporting companies (which are required by law to report to the other two companies on your behalf). The second step is to close any accounts that you think might be made vulnerable or have been compromised and to get the proper documentation that they have in fact been repaired and closed. The third step in the Federal Trade Commission’s outline is to file a report with, guess who, the Federal Trade Commission. Filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission means that you will have provided vital information to local and federal law enforcement who are ready and able to track down the identity thieves and put an end to their unlawful ways. The Federal Trade Commission can also become involved in the referencing of your case to the appropriate governmental law enforcement body. In addition, the Federal Trade Commission can investigate companies for bad and unsafe identity practices. To fully protect yourself as a victim of identity theft, having filed complaints with both local law enforcement and the Federal Trade Commission is the way to go. Having the paperwork from both arms of the law mean that you will be privy to certain protections that you might not otherwise be. This can go miles towards keeping fraudulent information off your credit report as well preventing companies come continually trying to collect fraudulent debts. In the case of identity fraud, it’s always best to cover your bases.

Responsibilities of the FTC

Mike — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 22:05:28 +0000

The Federal Trade Commission has been charged with the education of the American public in regards to their identity and how to properly protect it from being stolen. In their program entitled “Deter, Detect, Defend” the Federal Trade Commission has outlined what exactly are the steps to take to do just those things. Under the “Detect” portion of the program, the FTC has outlined exactly what to do in the event that you suspect you’ve become vulnerable to credit fraud. The first step is contacting one of the three credit reporting companies (TransUnion, Equifax, or Experian) who are in turn required by law to contact the other two on your behalf, and place a fraud alert on your credit reports. The second step is the close the accounts that you suspect have been tampered with or opened by someone other than yourself. Ask the company directly for the fraud dispute forms. If the credit company does not have fraud dispute forms of their own, the use a sample letter that you can find on the Federal Trade Commission’s website. Send that sample letter to the company at the billing inquiries address as opposed to the address given for sending payments. It’s also a good idea, according to the Federal Trade Commission, to file a police report so that you can in turn provide the credit company with an Identity Theft Report, which will require the company to stop reporting fraudulent information that has yet to be corrected on your credit report. Again, there is more information available on the official website of the Federal trade Commission. Once you have completed the process of reporting and correcting any fraudulent information on your credit report, ask the credit company you have been working with to send a letter stating that said company has shut down the disputed accounts and has done away with any fraudulent debts.

Public Education on ID Theft

Mike — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 22:05:27 +0000

The Federal Trade Commission is the official governmental department in charge of properly educating the public on how to protect their identity from being stolen, what to do in the case that it is stolen, and how to go about correcting any damage done when the consumer does become a victim of identity theft. In a program called Deter, Detect, Defend, the Federal Trade Commission has laid out some very easy to follow and seemingly common sense tips and guidelines in order to assist the American consumer in protecting his or her identity. In the Detect portion of the plan, there are four steps to take in order to stop any fraud once you have discovered that there is a chance you have become vulnerable to it. The first step is to call one of the three credit reporting agencies to place a fraud alert on your credit reports. Once you have done that, the next step is to close any accounts that you know or even suspect have been altered, or opened without your permission or intent. Every credit company has a fraud department, so call and ask to speak directly with a member of that department. Take that communication one step further and send copies of supporting documentation to the member of the fraud department with whom you spoke. Be sure to use the secure certified mail option at the Post Office and request return receipts so that you can begin to build your records with documentation of when your correspondence was received by the credit companies. Document everything. Take no chances. The more vigilant you are in proving you are who you say you are, the greater the chances for resolving the issues quickly and with little irritation. When it’s time to open new accounts or change the passwords or login information, choose new, complicated and intricate new passwords.