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Identity Theft: Learn How To Read A Privacy Policy

One of the essential steps to protecting your privacy is understanding how to read a privacy policy.

Privacy policies should be made available in some form anytime you are asked to provide personal information. Financial institutions, health facilities or other businesses that collect your information can be asked to show you their privacy policy before you give them your information.

If the company does not have privacy policy consider doing business elsewhere. It is...

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One of the essential steps to protecting your privacy is understanding how to read a privacy policy.

Privacy policies should be made available in some form anytime you are asked to provide personal information. Financial institutions, health facilities or other businesses that collect your information can be asked to show you their privacy policy before you give them your information.

If the company does not have privacy policy consider doing business elsewhere. It is a show of respect to customers to tell them how their information will be used.

Online you will find privacy policies posted on websites. The privacy policy is an indication of the steps they will take to protect your identity or to inform you of how they will treat the information you provide. Simply having a privacy policy does not guarantee you any level of protection. To understand what is protected and what is shared you must read the policy.

Each site has its own criteria for a privacy policy. Some give full protection including encryption of passwords and not providing your information to any third party while others tell you that your information will be shared with affiliated companies or businesses they feel you would be interested in hearing from. You must read the policy to be aware of the steps being taken to protect you.

Here are some of the items to look for on a privacy policy:

What Information is Collected and Why?

When a business is requesting personal information it is reasonable to ask what information is collected and why it is needed. If they request information that doesn’t seem relevant they should state why they need it. How serious is identity theft? Protect yourself, get free adware download and protect your online security.

If there is no explanation for the request try to avoid giving the additional information or ask them why they need it. Asking for your income or the name of your spouse is the kind of information you might question providing without reasonable cause. What can you do to prevent identity theft? Get free adware download at http://www.pc-tool.info/

 

Identity Theft's Young Victims: How to Protect Your Children's Identities

Did you know that someone could be using your child's identity? Read on to learn how to protect it and keep it from happening.

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When we think of identity theft, children are probably not the first victims we might imagine. Unfortunately, more and more kids are being targeted for this crime, and the culprits may not be who you think. Right now, approximately 4% of all identity theft cases involve children, which means roughly 400,000 kids a year are having their futures ruined without their knowledge. 1

In an article on MSNBC.com, a 24-year old man explained that by the age of 10, his identity had been used to accumulate almost $250,000 in debt and to commit a felony. Another victim, a 9-year old boy, received a collection notice for a $2,000 debt.

Unlike most identity theft victims, however, these two individuals know exactly who was responsible for committing this crime: their fathers. According to the article, almost two-thirds of all child-related identity theft cases are committed by family members.

A child becomes a victim, in most cases, because someone else uses their social security number and name to open a credit card or to have utilities turned on. While the information can be used in other ways, those are two of the most common. And, because children aren't interested in their credit history until they turn 18 or older, most never even realize the crime has been committed until years after the theft started.

There are some ways to protect your child against potential identity theft:

Keep their social security number locked up in a secure location – If criminals don't have access to your child's social security number, they can't steal it. Never carry their card in your purse or wallet where it could easily be lost or stolen. Never share the number with another family member or anyone else who does not have a professional need to know.

Ask to not have their SSN listed on insurance cards – Many insurance companies list social security numbers on their cards. If yours does, then contact them and ask to use a different number.

Do not allow your child to know his or her SSN until its necessary – Young children have no reason to know their social security numbers or to have access to their SSN card. Keep those documents safe and private until your child needs them. Children are often tempted to reveal more than they should to friends, family members, even strangers.

Check their credit report – While a yearly check of their report may not be necessary unless you suspect a problem, it's a good idea to periodically check your child's credit reports for activity. Your child shouldn't have anything listed at all, but if anything does show up contact the credit bureau and the listed creditors immediately.

Additionally, if you are a parent you should NEVER use your child's social security number fraudulently. Not only are you committing a crime, but you are also making your child's life more difficult. Furthermore, if you know or suspect that someone is wrongly using their child's personal information, then you should contact the authorities. Don't sit idly by while they ruin that child's future.

If you want more information on preventing, detecting, or rectifying identity theft problems for children and adults, then you need to read Identity Theft: A Resource Guide from PCSecurityNews.com. The ebook is available at http://www.pcsecuritynews.com/identity_theft.html

1. Novotny, Monica. “Robbing the Cradle.” Countdown with Keith Olberman. MSNBC.com

 

How To Avoid Getting Into Identity Theft Trouble

The credit card industry seems to be growing at an unprecedented rate. According to some statistical reports, the average American household has at least one credit card. In fact, from the total respondents in the survey, 81% of the households have at least one credit card.

This goes to show that more and more people are enticed to get their own credit card. The reasons for doing so are based on the fact that credit cards offer extreme cashless shopping convenience. Hence,...

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The credit card industry seems to be growing at an unprecedented rate. According to some statistical reports, the average American household has at least one credit card. In fact, from the total respondents in the survey, 81% of the households have at least one credit card.

This goes to show that more and more people are enticed to get their own credit card. The reasons for doing so are based on the fact that credit cards offer extreme cashless shopping convenience. Hence, everybody seems to be motivated to get at least one credit card.

However, the travails of the credit card industry do not end here. This is because the reality that evolves on the credit cards does not just depend on the way people use credit cards but with the way on how they use it and protect themselves.

What people do not realize is that the manner on how they use their credit cards can greatly affect the way they live. For instance, frauds and fraudulent activities are very prevalent in the industry and the best targets of the culprits are those who use credit cards whenever they are into shopping.

People should take note that one of the most prevalent credit card scams in the society today is the identity theft. In fact, it has been reported by the FBI that almost 350,000 up to 500,000 cases of identity theft are known to exist in the U.S. every single year.

Basically, identity theft is when some unscrupulous people try to get some information from you such as your social security number and other pertinent personal and financial data.

These sets of information are used deceitfully by these people for their own benefits. Hence, the poor victim does not realize that his identity was stolen and that his financial future is doomed.

For this reason, it is important to know how to avoid getting into trouble. Here is how:

1. Protect your personal data and any financial information

Never entertain phone calls that require you to give any personal data or information, even if the caller says he is from the bank that issued your credit card and that the information gathering is just some sort of verifications.

If this is the case, try to inform him that you wish to do the transactions personally. Hence, it is important to very if the caller is, indeed, a representative of the bank.

2. Avoid freebies and offers that involve credit cards

If you were offered with some promotions requiring you to give some personal information, then, it would be better not to entertain the promo at all.

Things like these will only entice you to try it. In the end, it is too late to realize that you have just been a victim of an identity theft.

3. Have a regular check up on your credit standing and bills

Most of credit card holders are so lazy to do regular check ups on their status. If you do this, it will be easier for you to detect any probable identity theft case on your part. Credit reports can definitely tell you if there were purchases that you know that you did not make.

4. Do not carry them around

The problem with most people is that they ten to carry their cards wherever they are. This is a bad habit that should be stopped. You will never know what will happen while you are in a public place, where identity theft could just be lurking around, waiting for its next victim.

The bottom line is that credit card users should be responsible enough not to allow these fraudulent activities to happen. Keep in mind that the reason why these kinds of frauds exist is that there are people who are unconsciously victimized every now and then.