Three New Ways to Protect Your Identity in 2012

Justine Rivero, Contributor

Don’t start 2012 as the victim of identity theft.


It’s a $37 billion crime that affects 1 in 25 Americans, with the average victim suffering $631 in out-of-pocket costs, reports Javelin Strategy & Research. Identity theft and fraud has become more difficult to detect and resolve in recent years, resulting in even higher consumer costs.
Your bank account isn’t the only casualty of identity theft and fraud; time is another significant cost. The average identity fraud case will cost a consumer 33 hours to resolve—equivalent to more than four work days.
Whether or not you think you are susceptible, it takes just a few easy entry points for thieves to discover your personal information and abuse it at your expense. If you use mobile banking, social networking sites (such as Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn), shop online, access Wi-Fi in public areas, discard sensitive documents like bill statements without using a paper shredder, pay your bills via traditional mail, or hand off your credit card at a restaurant, you’re already at high risk of identity theft. While that sounds extreme, it’s the reality of how vulnerable we are as consumers.
Don’t wait until you’re a victim to take action against identity theft and fraud. You can protect your finances and quality of life this year by taking the following key steps.

1)    Get credit monitoring. According to Javelin, consumers opening new financial accounts in 2012 may be responsible for nearly half of the total cost of identity fraud. This is primarily due to the fact that new accounts take longer to detect, which leads to higher consumer costs than other types of fraud.

How: The old way of checking your credit was to manually pull your credit report, which you can do for free through AnnualCreditReport.com. The new way is to use a credit monitoring service that automatically reviews your credit report on a daily basis to monitor for any changes. The longer identity theft and fraud goes undetected, the more time and money you’ll suffer trying to resolve your case; detecting suspicious activity or fraudulent accounts as soon as possible allows you report these red flags immediately and cut your losses. The three major credit bureaus offer credit monitoring services that range from $120 to $180 a year. For a hassle-free, no-cost alternative, CreditKarma.com recently launched a new, free credit monitoring service that monitors your credit report on a daily basis and notifies you via email if a significant change is detected. Credit monitoring is one of the best safeguards against identity theft and fraud, and for the first time, it’s totally free.
2)     Switch to a smart card. While most credit cards and some debit cards offer zero liability fraud protection, identity fraud will still cost consumers an average out-of-pocket cost of $631 and 33 hours to resolve. A better measure than protection after fraud occurs is to prevent fraud in the first place with a more secure payment method. New “smart cards”, credit cards embedded with EMV microchip technology, have stronger fraud protection than traditional magnetic strip credit cards. Smart cards require the cardholder’s unique PIN—rather than, say, an easy-to-forge signature—to use it, and the encrypted microchip makes it much more difficult to counterfeit.
How: The U.S is slow to adopt smart cards, which are already the fast-growing payment standard in Europe, because of the high cost to upgrade merchant card terminals to accept the new technology. However, major credit card issuers are slowly making the switch by pushing merchants to support smart cards in 2012. Wells Fargo, Chase, U.S. Bank, and several credit unions partnered with Fiserv have already begun introducing smart cards with dual features of both the EMV microchip and the traditional magnetic strip. Inquire at your bank or issuer if they offer cards with an EMV chip; the more consumers request it, the more pressure it puts on financial institutions to meet the demand for new technology.

3) Lock down your smartphone. Your phone is essentially a one-stop shop for your data and, if stolen or exposed to thieves, can compromise your identity and financial accounts. Even if you don’t use mobile banking or financial apps, your phone could store sensitive data from online shopping, social networking and more. An unsecured phone poses a major security risk that is vulnerable everywhere you go.

How: Here’s a quick five minute checklist of how to protect your data from identity thieves by securing your mobile phone:

• Password-protect your phone with a complex and unique password, and set your phone to auto-lock. Also, make sure any mobile banking or financial apps have passwords that are not auto-saved on your phone.
• Enable a service with remote tracking, and in the event your phone is stolen will remotely lock your phone and erase its data. You can also set your phone to automatically wipe your data if your phone password is inputted incorrectly several times.
• Turn Bluetooth off if you’re not using it. Thieves can pair their Bluetooth device with yours and hack personal information.
• Be careful on Wi-Fi networks, another channel for thieves to remotely access your data undetected. Only connect your phone to secure networks with passwords.
• Before downloading any apps to your phone, always do a quick search to make sure it comes from a legitimate site or publisher. Check user reviews on sites like appWatchdog for any complaints.

In the worst case scenario that you suspect you may be a victim of identity theft and fraud, follow the Department of Homeland Security’s steps of what to do if your personal information is compromised.
Remember that your financial accounts, mobile phone and credit cards don’t have built-in protections to keep you and your identity safe. It’s up to you to take these three key steps to protect your identity in 2012.


Justine Rivero is the Credit Advisor for CreditKarma.com, a free credit management website that helps nearly 3.5 million consumers access their truly free credit score and free credit monitoring.


I can help in restoring your identity.

Go to www.legalshield.com/hub/taylor_ra  for more information.

Denison pair face charge of Identity Theft, using false names

HARLAN -- Two Denison individuals face felony charges today in Shelby County District Court for Identity Theft in separate incidents.

Maria Guadalupe Valle, 27, 802 13th Ave. S #12, and Joel Valdez Flores, 201 Chamberlian Dr. #3, both are scheduled to appear on the charge in district court today, Tuesday, Dec. 20.

If convicted of the class D felony, they each face up to five years in jail with additional fines totaling $5,000.

According to a complaint filed in court, Valle collected wages at the Shelby County Cookers plant in Harlan in 2011 and before in excess of $1,000 under a false identity. Valle allegedly used the name Angela Mai Sepulveda, who had her purse stolen from a store parking lot in 2000.

Flores also collected wages in excess of $1,000 at the Cookers plant in 2011 and before, using the identity of Davidi Marez, who had his identification stolen from his residence in Texas in 2008. His identity has been used to gain wages by fraud since that time.



This will only grow.   Protect yourself
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The Silent Crime — Identity Theft

This is an article from Lynn Lionhood:

The Silent Crime — Identity Theft

It may even be the hardest to prosecute. Countless people have asked, “Who would want my identity?” or stated, “If they want to be me, then let them.” Frankly speaking, that’s a dangerous perspective. If you believe that identity theft can only affect your finances, you’re wrong. The impact of identity theft on the lives of those who’ve had their indentities stolen is devastating. Through our extensive research, we have concluded that identity theft consists of three categories: financial, medical and character, or what some call criminal. According to data from the Consumer Sentinel and Identity Theft Clearing House published in February 2009, financial losses from credit cards and bank fraud amount to less than half of the reported cases, which leaves us all vulnerable to countless other schemes.

Let’s begin with defining identity theft. The FTC’s definition is: “Identity theft occurs when someone possesses or uses your name, address, Social Security number (SSN), bank or credit card account number, or other identifying information without your knowledge with the intent to commit fraud or other crimes.” Now, let’s break this definition down to the three categories that, in our opinion, are at greatest risk: financial losses, medical files and procedures, and character attacks that most often take shape as criminal actions by another in your good name.

The first form of identity theft is that of your financial credit. Simply put, it is the stealing of your identity for your money. Credit card fraud is the most common form, at 28% of all cases, followed by bank fraud at 18%. The criminal will set up accounts in your name using alternative addresses, use your existing bank account at another branch (with the drivers license he or she obtained in your name with his or her picture), borrow money on your home, buy a car or furniture in another town, drain your online stockbrokerage accounts; the list is endless.

Secondly, there is medical identity theft. Most of us overlook this criminal aspect. This occurs in numerous ways: employees of hospitals copying your files for personal information; others using your Social Security number to have procedures like surgery or even an AIDS/HIV test; or checking into the emergency room under your name so they can kindly pass on the cost directly to you. Another reason may be to obtain an elderly person’s insurance, Medicare/Medicaid or prescription drug benefits. Imagine if you went to your pharmacist, and they told you your prescription was already filled in a neighboring community, and they could not fill it again.

Finally, there is character identity theft, where employment fraud tops the FTC list at 13% of total cases, followed closely by criminal acts being committed in your name. One day, you may wake up to a knock on your door by the sheriff’s department arresting you for an outstanding warrant in your name for crimes committed in another state.

There are many stories more frightening than the ones above. The point is, there are many forms of identity theft and many more to arise from this multibillion dollar criminal industry. If you have never experienced the long-term consequences of being a victim, then you may not realize the need for proper insurance or protection.

Let me help you in protection.    Contact me:  www.legalshield.com/hub/taylor_ra

This was just a great comment on the ID Theft Seminar post that I wanted to post it.

This was just a great comment on the Seminar post that I wanted to post it.

  It is from Ronald Maglothin, a a Viet-Nam Vet:
 Great article and it angers me (as a Viet-Nam Vet) that our military personnel are specificly targeted by these thieves. Identity Theft comes in five areas and you're right. most people just consider the financial side. Add criminal, driver's license, social security and (like you said) medical to the list. Can you imagine going to the hospital for a procedure and your blood type has been changed (it happens). Do you know that if a thief collects just one check from your social security, that the government can (and will) freeze your account for 2 to 3 years and it can take years to clean that up. How about being pulled over by the police, because you have a tail light out and when he does the background check on you, there's a warrant for your arrest because you failed to appear in court, in another state, for a violation that isn't yours. Try telling the officer, "But that's isn't me!" A lot of good a credit monitor service will do you in that circumstance. One of the biggest targets today are children. They are issued a social security number at birth. That number is worth $5,000 on the black market. Reason being is that detection of the breach usually doesn't happen until the child becomes a teenager and goes to get credit to buy a car or a background check to rent an apartment. I've read an artilce where a 5 year old in my town owns 3 houses (in foreclosure) and 2 cars. Like you said, the number of victims increase in the millions, every year. Unfortunately when you are a victim of this crime, you are guilty until you prove who you are. The average financial cost is in the thousands and it can take over 500 personal hours to clean this up. Most also don't realize that you're also going to need legal help to clear this up. I would like to see more involvement on a state level to help curb this crime. Sorry, I don't trust the feds. At least California and New York reconizes some of the problem and have started doing something about it. 

However do not relay on your government to protect you, they are some of the ones causing most of the problems. Learn to protect yourself.    Come talk with me.  I can be reached at www.legalshield.com/hub/taylor_ra

Seminar Urges Caution to Avoid Identity Theft

December 23, 2011

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Targeted News Service

FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md., Dec. 22 -- The U.S. Army issued the following news release:
Some Fort Meade residents and employees may be crime victims and not know it.
More than 60 identity theft reports have been filed with the Fort Meade Police Department since April, said Russell Wilson, Fort Meade's chief criminal investigator.
It is one of the reasons why the Directorate of Emergency Services organized a seminar about how to prevent and recover from identity theft on Dec. 14 at the Post Theater. The average identity theft report on Fort Meade is between $600 and $1,800, said Wilson.

This is the seminar and workshop I give on Identity Theft.  Read More




The Federal Trade Commission estimates that nine million Americans have their identities stolen each year. It believes more people are victims but do not know it until they review their credit report or credit card statement, or receive a collection notice.
"Identity theft is basically using personal identification information that is unique to a person for illegal means," said Keith Gethers, a certified identity theft risk-management specialist, who was one of two presenters at the seminar. "We typically associate that with name, Social Security number, address and credit card number."
While anyone can potentially have his identity stolen, thieves target certain types of people such as military personal, said Gethers. "[Identity thieves] pay attention to levels of deployment," he said.
Social media users, including service members and their families, who post too detailed information are putting themselves at risk of identity theft, said Gethers.
"[Thieves] work [social media] in terms of intelligence information," he said. "Some people put on when they're going on vacation and everything. So deployments [are] just a small part of that. We have to be vigilant about what information is out there and what we share."
Hacking and social media impersonation also are methods identity thieves use, said Gethers.
"They'll go [on] Facebook or something like that and pretend to be you," he said, "and it's really attached to things that we wouldn't think of as identity theft, but the end result might result in something like bullying ... by putting something outlandish on [the Internet] that might make [the victim] the target of other people."
There is no federal law against Internet impersonation, said Bridgette Harwood, a victims' rights attorney, who also spoke at the seminar. However, California and New York do have state laws that criminalize Internet impersonation.
Folks,  just imagine that now you can take a vacation, go shopping, be online and still know that your identity is protected with the Identity Theft Shield brought to you by Harvard Risk Management and LegalShield.

How Much Is Your Identity Worth?

How much does it cost for thieves to discover the data that unlocks identity for creditors, such as your Social Security number, birthday, or mother’s maiden name? Would it surprise you to learn that crooks are selling this data to any and all comers for pennies on the dollar?


At least, that’s the going price at superget.info. This fraudster-friendly site has been operating since July 2010, and markets the ability to look up SSNs, birthdays and other sensitive information on millions of Americans. Registration is free, and accounts are funded via WebMoney and Liberty Reserve, virtual currencies that are popular in the cybercriminal underground.
Superget lets users search for specific individuals by name, city, and state. Each “credit” costs USD$1, and a successful hit on a Social Security number or date of birth costs 3 credits each.

READ MORE

Digital Data on Patients Raises Risk of Breaches

One afternoon last spring, Micky Tripathi received a panicked call from an employee. Someone had broken into his car and stolen his briefcase and company laptop along with it.

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Mimi Bernardin

Micky Tripathi runs the Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative.

So began a nightmare that cost Mr. Tripathi’s small nonprofit health consultancy nearly $300,000 in legal, private investigation, credit monitoring and media consultancy fees. Not to mention 600 hours dealing with the fallout and the intangible cost of repairing the reputational damage that followed.
Mr. Tripathi’s nonprofit, the Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative in Waltham, Mass., works with doctors and hospitals to help digitize their patient records. His employee’s stolen laptop contained unencrypted records for some 13,687 patients — each record containing some combination of a patient’s name, Social Security number, birth date, contact information and insurance information — an identity theft gold mine.
His experience was hardly uncommon. As part of the 2009 stimulus bill, the federal government provides incentive payments to doctors and hospitals to adopt electronic health records. Some 57 percent of office-based physicians now use electronic health records, a 12 percent jump from last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
An unintended consequence is that as patient records have been digitized, health data breaches have surged. The number of reported breaches is up 32 percent this year from last year, according to the Ponemon Institute, a security research group. Those breaches cost the industry an estimated $6.5 billion last year. In almost half the cases, a lost or stolen phone or personal computer was responsible.
In a blog post, Mr. Tripathi describes the days after the theft as a “vortex.” Fresh in his mind was a similar, albeit smaller, breach at Massachusetts General Hospital just months earlier in which a hospital employee left detailed clinical records for 192 patients on a subway. The breach had cost the hospital $1 million in settlement fees.
“We’re a nonprofit with 35 people on staff,” says Mr. Tripathi. “A million-dollar fine would have decimated us.”
Mr. Tripathi says his nonprofit had just enacted a policy requiring that all patient files be encrypted, but had yet to decide on an encryption provider. All that stood between a determined computer thief and his patient data was a few passwords.
Mr. Tripathi went to work assembling a crisis team of lawyers and customers and a chief security officer. They hired a private investigator to scour local pawnshops and Craigslist for the stolen laptop. The biggest headache, he says, was deciphering how much about the breach his nonprofit needed to disclose.
Health organizations are required by federal law to report data breaches that affect more than 500 people to the Department of Health and Human Services. The department’s Office of Civil Rights publishes the equivalent of a data breach “Wall of Shame” on its Web site — which today includes 380 breaches affecting more than 18 million people.
Mr. Tripathi said he quickly discovered just how many ways there were to count to 500. The law requires disclosure only in cases that “pose a significant risk of financial, reputational or other harm to the individual affected.” His team spent hours poring over a backup of the stolen laptop files. Of the nearly 14,000 patient records on the stolen laptop, most records did not warrant disclosure. In 2,777 cases, for instance, a record listed only a patient’s name.
Complicating matters were liability rules. In the eyes of the law, Mr. Tripathi’s nonprofit is a contractor that acts on behalf of health providers. The legal burden of protecting patient data actually falls on his clients: the physicians and hospitals who entrusted his nonprofit with their files.
“The laws create a perverse outcome,” he says. “It was our fault, but from a federal perspective, it wasn’t our breach.”
Mr. Tripathi narrowed down the group of patients whose data put them at serious risk for identity theft to 998 people across seven physician practices. Only one practice broke the 500-patient threshold requiring disclosure on the Department of Health and Human Services Web site.
His office got to work notifying the affected patients of the data breach. They offered free credit monitoring — though less than 10 percent took them up on the option — spending a total of $6,000.
In the aftermath, Mr. Tripathi says his company destroyed all patient data on mobile devices and temporarily prohibited employees from removing patient data from clients’ offices. The company now mandates that all data be encrypted, and employees are required to tell health providers what data they will need to access and how they plan to use it.
He never found the stolen laptop, and the incident, all told, cost his nonprofit $288,000.
In many ways, Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative got off easy. In October, a desktop computer containing unencrypted records on more than four million patients was stolen from Sutter Health, a nonprofit health system based in Sacramento. A rock was thrown through a window to gain access to the computer. The theft is now the subject of two class-action suits, each of which seeks $1,000 for each patient record breached.
“Breaches are going to be one of the big challenges as more physicians and hospitals adopt electronic health records,” Mr. Tripathi says. “We’re entering a brave new world.”


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