Greetings,

For the past week or so, we have been writing and
discussing ID Theft, how it happens, how to prevent it etc.

Today I bring you the immediate steps one should take
should you fall victim to identity theft,
and I hope it never happens to you

If you are a victim of identity theft, take the
following four steps as soon as possible, and
keep records of your conversations and copies
of all correspondence.

You also should get a copy of the FTC publication,
Take Charge: Fighting Back Against Identity Theft,
a comprehensive guide that describes what to do,
your legal rights, how to handle specific problems you
may encounter on the way to clearing your
name, and what to watch for in the future.

The guide also includes the ID Theft Affidavit
to help you report information to many
companies. For more information, see
www.consumer.gov/idtheft.

1. Place a fraud alert on your credit reports,
and review your credit reports.
Fraud alerts can help prevent an identity thief
from opening any more accounts in your name.
Contact the toll-free fraud number of any
of the three consumer reporting companies
below to place a fraud alert on your credit
report. You need to contact only one of the
three companies to place an alert. The
company you call is required to contact the
other two, which will place an alert on their
versions of your report, too.

• Equifax: 1-800-525-6285;
www.equifax.com;
P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241

• Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742);
www.experian.com;
P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013

• TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289;
www.transunion.com;
Fraud Victim Assistance Division,
P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790

Once you place the fraud alert in your file,
you’re entitled to order free copies of your
credit reports, and, if you ask, only the last
four digits of your SSN will appear on your
credit reports.

Once you get your credit
reports, review them carefully. Look for
inquiries from companies you haven’t
contacted, accounts you didn’t open, and
debts on your accounts that you can’t explain.

Check that information like your SSN,
address(es), name or initials, and employers
are correct. I

f you find fraudulent or inaccurate
information, contact the consumer reporting
companies to get it removed. Continue to check
your credit reports periodically, especially for
the first year after you discover the identity
theft, to make sure no new fraudulent activity
has occurred.

If you’ve lost personal information or identification,
or if it has been stolen from you, you can minimize
the potential for identity theft if you act quickly.
www.consumer.gov/idtheft

• Financial accounts: Close accounts, like
credit card and bank accounts, immediately.
When you open new accounts, place passwords
on them. Avoid using your mother’s maiden
name, your birth date, the last four
digits of your SSN or your phone
number, or a series of consecutive numbers.
• Social Security number: Call the toll-free
fraud number of any of the three nationwide
consumer reporting companies and place
an initial fraud alert on your credit reports.
An alert can help stop someone
from opening new credit accounts in
your name.
• Driver’s license/other government-issued
identification: Contact the agency that issued
the license or other identification document.
Follow its procedures to cancel the document
and to get a replacement. Ask the agency to
flag your file so that no one else can get a
license or any other identification document
from them in your name.

Once you have taken these precautions, watch
for signs that your information is being misused,
and that your identity has been stolen.

If your information has been misused, file
a report about the theft with the police, and file
a complaint with the FTC, as well. If another
crime was committed – for example, if your purse or
wallet was stolen or your house or car was broken
into – report it to the police immediately.

An amendment to the federal Fair Credit
Reporting Act requires each of the major
nationwide consumer reporting companies
to provide you with a free copy of your credit
report, at your request, once every 12 months.

Free reports have been phased in during a
nine-month period, starting with states in
the West and ending with states in the East.
Beginning September 1, 2005, free reports will
be accessible to all Americans, regardless of
where they live.

To order your free annual report from one or
all the national consumer reporting companies,
visit: www.annualcreditreport.com; call toll-free:
877-322-8228; or complete the Annual Credit
Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual
Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281,
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

You can print the form
from ftc.gov/credit. Do not contact the three
nationwide consumer reporting companies
individually; they provide free annual credit
reports only through www.annualcreditreport.com,
877-322-8228, and Annual Credit Report
Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.
OTHER RIGHTS TO FREE REPORTS
Under federal law, you’re also entitled to a free
report if a company takes adverse action against
you, such as denying your application for credit,
insurance or employment, and you request your
report within 60 days of receiving notice of the action.
The notice will give you the name, address and
phone number of the consumer reporting company
that supplied the information about you. You’re
also entitled to one free report a year if your
unemployed and plan to look for a job within 60
days; if you’re on welfare; or if your report is
inaccurate because of fraud.

Otherwise, a consumer reporting company
may charge you up to $10.50 for additional
copies of your report.

To buy a copy of your report, Contact:

Equifax:
800-685-1111
www.equifax.com

Experian:
888-EXPERIAN
( 888-397-3742)
www.experian.com

TransUnion:
800-916-8800
www.transunion.com

Under state law, Consumers in
Co, Ga, Me, Md, Ma, NJ, and VT
already have free access to their credit reports.

If you ask, only the last four digits of your
Social Security number will appear on your
credit reports.

If an identity thief is opening new credit accounts
in your name, these accounts are likely to show
up on your credit report.

You can find out by ordering a copy of your credit
report from the three nationwide consumer
reporting companies.

If you have lost any personal information – or
if it has been stolen – you may want to check all
your reports more frequently for the first year.

Monitor the balances of your financial accounts.
Look for unexplained charges or withdrawals.

Other indications of identity theft can be:

• failing to receive bills or other mail. This
could mean an identity thief has submitted
a change of address.
• receiving credit cards for which you did
not apply.
• denial of credit for no apparent reason.
• receiving calls from debt collectors or
companies about merchandise or services
you didn’t buy.

Skilled identity thieves use a variety of ways to gain access to your personal information.
For example, they may get information from businesses or other institutions by stealing
it while they’re on the job; bribing an employee who has access to these records; hacking these
records; and conning information out of employees.

Or:

• they may steal your wallet or purse.
• they may steal your personal information through email or the phone by saying
they’re from a legitimate company and claiming that you have a problem with your
account. This practice is known as “phishing” online, or “pretexting” by phone.
• they may steal your credit or debit card numbers by capturing the information in
a data storage device in a practice known as “skimming.” They may swipe your card
for an actual purchase, or attach a device to an ATM machine where they may enter
or swipe your card.
• they may get your credit reports by abusing the authorized access that was granted to
their employer, or by posing as a landlord, employer, or someone else who may have
a legal right to your report.
• they may rummage through your trash, the trash of businesses, or public trash dumps in
a practice known as “dumpster diving.”
• they may steal personal information they find in your home.
• they may steal your mail, including bank and credit card statements,
credit card offers, new checks, and tax information.
• they may complete a “change of address form” to divert your
mail to another location.

Once identity thieves have your personal information, they may use it to commit fraud
or theft.

For example:

• they may call your credit card issuer to change the billing address on your account.
The impostor then runs up charges on your account. Because the bills are being sent
to a different address, it may be some time before you realize there’s a problem.
• they may open new credit card accounts in your name. When they use the credit cards
and don’t pay the bills, the delinquent accounts are reported on your credit report.
• they may establish phone or wireless service in your name.
• they may open a bank account in your name and write bad checks on the account.
• they may counterfeit checks or credit or debit cards, or authorize electronic transfers
in your name, and drain your bank account.
• they may file for bankruptcy under your name to avoid paying debts they’ve incurred
under your name, or to avoid eviction.
• they may buy a car by taking out an auto loan in your name.
• they may get identification such as a driver’s license issued with their picture, in your name.
• they may get a job or file fraudulent tax returns in your name.
• they may give your name to the police during an arrest. If they don’t show up
for the court date, a warrant for arrest is issued in your name.

Please use common sense with your credit cards, credit card bills, and other personal
identity information.

As you can see from the above article, Identity Theft is something to take into serious consideration.

In the course of a busy day, especially this time of the year, you may write a check at the grocery store, charge Bowl Game tickets, rent a car, mail your tax returns, change service providers for your cell phone, or apply for a credit card. In each transaction, you reveal bits of personal information, like your bank and credit card account numbers; your income, your social security number (SSN) or your name, address and phone numbers - a goldmine of information for an identity thief. Once a thief has that information, it can be used without your knowledge to commit fraud or theft.

Identity theft is a serious crime. People whose identities have been stolen can spend lots of time and money cleaning up the mess thieves have made of their good name and credit record. They may lose out on job opportunities, and loans for education, housing, or cars. The may even get arrested for crimes they did not commit.

Can you prevent an identity theft? As with any crime, you cannot completely control whether you will become a victim. But according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, you can minimize your risk by managing your personal information cautiously.

If someone has used your name or other personal information to commit a fraud, please visit http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft for information on how to proceed and how to file an identity theft complaint. The site has links to useful information from other federal agencies, states, and consumer organizations. The information in your complaint becomes part of a secure database that law enforcement officials across the nation use to help stop identity thieves.

If you know someone that needs this information and they do not  have access to the internet, they may call 1877-ID-THEFT, the FTC’s toll-free ID Theft Hotline.

The internet gives us access to just about anything we can imagine. This includes finding flights, trains, buses, hotel rooms, and rental cars that we can use to travel for the holidays. While most of these entities are more expensive when you travel over the holidays due the demand, you can still find some good deals if you take the time to look.

You will generally find that you can save the most money on holiday travel if you purchase a complete package deal. This is less expensive than buying each piece that you need individually. It also provides you with only one confirmation number that you need to keep track of instead of several different ones.

There are literally hundreds of sites online where you can look for holiday travel deals. You can search by your destination in a search engine or choose the various sites you have heard about. It is a good idea to keep a list of the sites you visit and the prices you are coming across. This way you can compare the prices and easily remember where you want to go back to.

Most of the time fares will be cheaper online than by contacting the place directly because it saves their business time of having to set up the travel arrangements for you. Make sure you carefully read all of the information though because some travel deals have hidden costs that you don’t want to be liable for. You also need to check into the cancellation policies and about rescheduling your trip.

Some online travel deals don’t offer any refunds at all so if a family member dies or you have an unexpected illness you won’t be able to get your money back. Even if you show up late for your flight because you got caught up at security they won’t honor your purchase. This can be extremely risky because there are too many variables that can affect holiday travel.

Make sure you also pay close attention to the amount of time that you will be in the process of getting to your destination. You may find a killer price but it isn’t going to be worth it if you have several connecting flights and layovers along the way. Look for direct methods to get to your destination whenever it is possible. There are simply too many delays during holiday travel to ensure you can get to those connections on time.

Many of the sites you visit online will allow you to sign up for special offers and promotions. You should take advantage of these offers so that you don’t have to continually return to their site to check for changes in prices. Some of them even allow you to enter a price so that you can be notified if the price of the trip you want drops to that price. For those that can only afford holiday travel if it fits a specific budget, this is a valuable feature.

During your search online for holiday travel, be flexible with your dates. You will be able to save hundreds of dollars just by being willing to leave a day earlier or leaving in the evening instead of the afternoon. Those that want a specific travel arrangement will find this ties them into more expensive offers. Even if you travel a day earlier and have to pay for a hotel room that extra night you could save hundreds of dollars.

It does take some initial planning of where you want to travel and how you are going to get there in order to find the best travel deals. Investing a few hours of your time in getting the best price though is well worth the savings you will get from it. Millions of people travel each year over the holidays but some of them pay more for the same trip because they didn’t look for holiday travel deals online.

Be Safe on your Travels,

Trapper

PS…Be safe with your Identity also, Discover how with our FREE report available at:
Personal Safety eBook

Greetings,

Thank you for joining me on the last installment of
Credit & Debit card safety & security.

For an annual fee, companies will notify the issuers of your credit card and
your ATM or debit card accounts if your card is lost or stolen. This service
allows you to make only one phone call to report all card losses rather than
calling individual issuers. Most services also will request replacement cards on
your behalf.

Purchasing a card registration service may be convenient, but it’s not required.
The FCBA and the EFTA give you the right to contact your card issuers
directly in the event of a loss or suspected unauthorized use.If you decide to
buy a registration service, compare offers. Carefully read the contract to
determine the company’s obligations and your liability. For example, will the
company reimburse you if it fails to notify card issuers promptly once you’ve
called in the loss to the service? If not, you could be liable for unauthorized
charges or transfers.

For More Information :
The following federal agencies are responsible for enforcing federal laws that
govern credit card and ATM or debit card transactions. Questions concerning
a particular card issuer should be directed to the enforcement agency
responsible for that issuer.

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Regulates
state-chartered banks that are members of the Federal Reserve System,
bank holding companies, and branches of foreign banks:
Division of Consumer and Community Affairs
Stop 801 20th and C Streets, NW
Washington, DC 20551
202-452-3693; www.federalreserve.gov

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Regulates state-chartered banks that are not members of the
Federal Reserve System:
Division of Compliance and Consumer Affairs
550 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20429
877-ASK-FDIC (275-3342) toll-free;
www.fdic.gov

National Credit Union Administration
Regulates federally chartered credit unions:
Office of Public and Congressional Affairs
1775 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-3428
703-518-6330; www.ncua.gov

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Regulates banks with “national” in the name or “N.A.” after the name:
Office of the Ombudsman Customer
Assistance Group
1301 McKinney Street, Suite 3710
Houston, TX 77010
800-613-6743 toll-free; www.occ.treas.gov

Office of Thrift Supervision
Regulates federal savings and loan associations
and federal savings banks:
Consumer Programs
1700 G Street, NW
Washington, DC 20552
800-842-6929 toll-free; www.ots.treas.gov

Federal Trade Commission
Regulates other credit card and debit card issuers:
Consumer Response Center
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20580
877-FTC-HELP (382-4357) toll-free; ftc.gov

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair
business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help
consumers spot, stop, and avoid them.

To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov
or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261.

The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related
complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to
hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and
abroad.

I hope these past few blogs have help you out.

Sincerely,

Trapper
http://www.sherwoodlocksmithing.com

PS…Don’t fall prey to ID Theft, you CAN protect yourself. Please visit:
http://personalsafetyebook.com/PPP.html for your FREE Report

Protecting Your Debit and Credit Cards

The best protections against card fraud are to know where your cards are at
all times and to keep them secure. For protection of ATM and debit cards
that involve a Personal Identification Number (PIN), keep your PIN a secret.

Don’t use your address, birthdate, phone or Social Security number as the
PIN and do memorize the number.

The following suggestions may help you protect your credit card and your
ATM or debit card accounts.

For Credit and ATM or Debit Cards:

Be cautious about disclosing your account number over the phone unless
you know you’re dealing with a reputable company.

Never put your account number on the outside of an envelope or on a
postcard.

Draw a line through blank spaces on charge or debit slips above the total
so the amount cannot be changed.

Don’t sign a blank charge or debit slip.

Tear up carbons and save your receipts to check against your monthly
statements.

Cut up old cards — cutting through the account number — before disposing
of them.

Open monthly statements promptly and compare them with your receipts.
Report mistakes or discrepancies as soon as possible to the special
address listed on your statement for inquiries. Under the FCBA (credit cards)
and the EFTA (ATM or debit cards), the card issuer must investigate errors
reported to them within 60 days of the date your statement was mailed to you.

Keep a record — in a safe place separate from your cards — of your account
numbers, expiration dates, and the telephone numbers of each card issuer
so you can report a loss quickly.

Carry only those cards that you anticipate you’ll need.

For ATM or Debit Cards:

Don’t carry your PIN in your wallet or purse or write it on your ATM or debit
card.

Never write your PIN on the outside of a deposit slip, an envelope, or other
papers that could be easily lost or seen.

Carefully check ATM or debit card transactions before you enter the PIN or
before you sign the receipt; the funds for this item will be fairly quickly
transferred out of your checking or other deposit account.

Periodically check your account activity. This is particularly important if you
bank online. Compare the current balance and recent withdrawals or
transfers to those you’ve recorded, including your current ATM and debit
card withdrawals and purchases and your recent checks. If you notice
transactions you didn’t make, or if your balance has dropped suddenly
without activity by you, immediately report the problem to your card issuer.
Someone may have co-opted your account information to commit fraud.

So far, in the past three posts we have talked about lost or stolen credit
and debit cards, fraudulent charges and in this post how to protect your
cards. Join us in our next post as we wrap this up with buying a
Registration Service and all the contact numbers and info you may need.

Sincerely,

Trapper

PS…do you have your FREE ID Theft available at:
http://www.personalsafetyebook.com/PPP.html