10 Steps To Take If You Are A Victim Of Identity Theft
|
There have been an estimated 9.9 million victims on America and over 40% of all consumer complaints in the U.S. involve identity theft. About half of the victims do not know how the thief obtained their personal information. The Boston Globe and Newsweek have both covered Identity theft this month telling us how important it is for us to educate ourselves on preventing and protecting ourselves from this type of robbery. Identity theft can happen anytime, anywhere and to anyone, individuals or businesses. Everyone must be educated and aware so it can be avoided. Michael Blanchard, US Postal Inspector says postal money orders and business or certified checks are one way you can be at risk. Most identity theft involves the U.S. Mail which is why the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is a lead agency in investigating Identity Theft. Identity Theft is a criminal offense.
What can I do if I am already a victim of ID theft?
? Contact the fraud departments of the three major credit bureaus, to place a fraud alert on your credit file.
? Close all accounts that have been affected and request copies of fraud-dispute forms and complete and return immediately. Keep copies!
? File a police report in each jurisdiction the theft occurred
? Send copies of the report to your creditors or anyone that requires proof of the crime
? File a complaint with the FTC (800-IDTHEFT or www.consumer.gov/idtheft) and Post Office
? Contact the Identity Theft Resource center at 858-693-7935 or www.idtheftcenter.org
? Request a new driver's license from the state of motor vehicles and have a fraud report attached to your driving record.
? Notify check-verification firms about any fraudulent checks:
International check service 800-526-5380
Telecheck 800-927-0755
Certegy Check Services 800-437-5120
? Call 1-888-CALL-FCC and file a complaint.
? Change your passwords and PIN immediately.
Michelle Dunn has over 17 years experience in credit and debt collection. She is the founder of Never Dunn Publishing, LLC, is a writer, consultant and the Editorial Advisor for Eli Financial Debt Collection Compliance Alert Newsletter. Michelle started M.A.D. Collection Agency and ran is successfully for 7 years. She owns and runs Credit & Collections.com a free online community for credit and business professionals.
She has written 5 books in her Collecting Money Series and is currently writing a book for the Streetwise Series, part of the Adams Media Corporation. For more information on Michelle's services or to order any of her books please email her at michelle@michelledunn.com or visit http://www.michelledunn.com & http://www.credit-and-collections.com
|
|
|
Accessing Funds You Never Knew You Had- Household Utilities And Mortgage Expense Reduction Plan
For most of us the process of getting out of debt and pursuing a venture that would create an income stream leading to early retirement seems just a pipe dream. It goes without saying; it takes money to make money. Most of us have had our eye on pursuing...(related: Personal Finance)
Tips To Save Money At The Supermarket
Are you interested in saving money off your grocery bills? If so, then a few "Smart Shopper" tips are all you need to start saving hundreds off your grocery bills!However you must make a few changes in the manner you shop ...(related: Personal Finance)
How To Free-up 10% To 15% Of Your Income
Would you be interested in freeing up 10% to 15% of your current income? Just imagine what you could do with this money. You could pay down your debts, increase your savings, or work toward that next important purchase that you have in mind. Wouldn't it be exciting to actually have money left over at the end of the month?I know what you are thinking: "That would be nice, but not if I have to...(related: Personal Finance)
Budgeting Is Essential For A Single Mothers Success
Today many women are struggling with debt and it's even harder if you are a single mother trying to support your family. According to the Census Bureau single mot...(related: Personal Finance)
Budgeting Is Bothersome
It doesn't take much for you to get behind on monthly bills, but it sure takes some time to catch up. The comparison in my mind is to weight gain. A one-week vacation can easily pack on 5 to 7 pounds. Losing that weight however, can take a good month of cardio. That's no fun, and neither is trying to find the extra cash to pay last month's credit card payment.Every financial professional's suggestions in regards to budgeting seem so simple. Five percent to savings, thirty-five percent to housing expenses, ten percent for food?tell me honestly, am I supposed to put all my cash in individual envelopes and label them with their assigned debt? Let's get real here. Debt is an overpowering epidemic i...(related: Personal Finance)
Budgeting Your Savings - Did You Let Your Piggy Bank Get Away?
I think most of us have at some point in our lives. Some how we forget to feed the little piggy. And, like most neglected "pets", your piggy bank will disappear if you don't feed it. A personal budget is important to create financial independence and setting goals for feeding that "piggy bank" should be an important part of your budget!The most successful financial plans allow you to INVEST IN YOURSELF! It just makes good sense. A plan to build financial security should always be considered essential to any budget.Even if you're on a plan to reduce debt, you need to include plans to build a foundation for future financial security. A good savings...(related: Personal Finance)
Your Dry Cleaner's Double Standard
Women are charged more for dry cleaning services. Don't fume, find a better way. While it is true that the practice is unfair it is also true that we have options for keeping our clothes clean and holding onto more of our cash. Try some of these tactics to stem or stop the unfair flow of your dry cleaning dollars.? Examine labels before you make a clothing purchase. Go for easy care (read machine washable) items whenever possible.? Determine if dry cleaning is a suggestion or a mandate before you shell out big bucks. If dry cleaning is not n...(related: Personal Finance)
10 Tips To Make Sure Your Financial Budget Will Succeed
You've analyzed your past expenses, put them into spreadsheets, loaded Quicken with all of your data and come up with a budget. Now what? The tough part! You actually have to stick to your budget and put your plans into action. This is easier said than done. In many cases you will have forgotten about your budget and your financial goals 6 months or a year down the road. How do you keep this from happening to you?Here's how. Make sure you follow some of these tips below so this doesn't happen to you.1. Create a budget with realistic targets - Let's say one of your budget goals is to not eat out for lunch or dinner on a regular basis. If you are honest with yourself you may find this to be an unrealistic goal. Sometimes it's a nice break to eat out and have a relaxing reward...(related: Personal Finance)
10 Steps To Take If You Are A Victim Of Identity Theft
There have been an estimated 9.9 million victims on America and over 40% of all consumer complaints in the U.S. involve identity theft. About half of the victims do not know how the thief obtained their personal information. The Boston Globe and Newsweek have both covered Identity theft this month telling us how important it is for us to educate ourselves on preventing and protecting ourselves from this type of robbery. Identity theft can happen anytime, anywhere and to anyone, individuals or businesses. Everyone must be educated and aware so it can be avoided. Michael Blanchard, US Postal Inspector says postal money orders and business or certified checks are one way you can be at risk. Most identity theft involves the U.S. Mail which is why the U.S. Postal Inspection Servi...(related: Personal Finance)
Kundalini Lessons - Money
I've been going through and interesting growth period lately that I thought I'd share, as some of the lessons were pretty profound (at least for me).I've written before about my awakening and the joys and tribulations since, and I've also mentioned that it's an ongoing process which, as far as I can tell, doesn't really end til you shuffle off this mortal coil. Then you get to come back and start over. :)The last couple of years or so have been a really interesting ...(related: Personal Finance)
Vesting And Your 401(k)
Do you have a 401(k) retirement account? Are you vested yet? Before you move on to your next job, it is critical for you to find out if you are fully vested in your retirement account before you m...(related: Personal Finance)
site-map - Copyright © 2006 | Contact Webmaster | All Rights Reserved. | Personal Finance