>  I receive several offers of pre-approved credit every week. (5 points)
>  Add 5 points if you do not shred them (cross-cut shredder preferred) before putting them in the trash.
>   I carry my Social Security card in my wallet. (10 points)
>   My state driver’s license has my SSN printed on it, and I have not contacted the Department of Motor Vehicles to request a different number. (10 points)
>   I do not believe someone would break into my house to steal my personal information. (10 points)
>   I do not use a firewall on my personal computer. (10 points)
>   I have not ordered a copy of my credit reports for at least 2 years. (20 points)
>   I use an unlocked, open box at work or at my home to drop off my outgoing mail. (10 points)
>   I do not have a P.O. Box or a locked, secured mailbox. (5 points)
>   I carry my military ID in my wallet at all times. (It displays my SSN.) (10 points)
>   I do not shred (cross-cut shredder preferred) my banking and credit information when I throw it in the trash. (10 points)
>   I throw away old credit and debit cards without shredding or cutting them up. (10 points)
>   I provide my Social Security number (SSN) whenever asked, without asking why it is needed and how it will be safeguarded. (10 points)
>   Add 5 points if you provide it orally without checking to see who might be listening nearby.
>   I leave my purse or wallet in my car. (10 points)
>   I am required to use my SSN at work as an employee ID or at college as a student ID number. (5 points)
>   My SSN is printed on my employee badge that I wear at work or in public. Or it is posted on my time card in full view of others, or is on other documents frequently seen by many others at work. (10 points)
>   I have my SSN and/or driver’s license number printed on my personal checks. (10 points)
>   I am listed in a “Who’s Who” guide. (5 points)
>   I carry my insurance card (including Medicare) in my wallet and either my SSN or that of my spouse is the ID number. (10 points)
>   I do not believe that people would root around in my trash looking for credit or financial information or for documents containing my SSN. (10 points)
>   I do not verify that all financial (credit card, checking) statements are accurate monthly. (10 points)

Each one of these questions represents a possible avenue for an identity thief.

Understanding Your Score:

• 100 + points – Recent surveys* indicate that 8-9 million people are victims of ID theft each year. You are at high risk. We recommend you purchase a cross-cut paper shredder, become more security-aware in document handling, and start to question why people need your personal data.
• 50-99 points – Your odds of being victimized are about average.
• 0-49 points – Congratulations. You have a high “IQ.”Keep up the good work and don’t let your guard down now.

]]> http://www.myfinancialhealthcheck.com/identity-theft-iq-test/feed/ 1 http://www.myfinancialhealthcheck.com/3-steps-to-protect-against-identity-theft/ http://www.myfinancialhealthcheck.com/3-steps-to-protect-against-identity-theft/#comments Sat, 11 Apr 2009 18:08:44 +0000 ezra http://www.myfinancialhealthcheck.com/?p=132 Identity theft is when someone uses your personal information to open up financial accounts, including with banks and credit cards. The instances have been increasing over the past few years, particularly with more and more criminals getting online, and consumers becoming more comfortable sharing their information on the web.

So is the answer to avoid the internet? Maybe, but probably not very practical – and in the next 3 or 4 years, as more common services become available online, maybe not even possible – and at a minimum not convenient.

So here are some things you can do to prevent it.

To start, be proactive about the security of your brith date, social security number, and credit card numbers (including expiration and security codes). Don’t just blurt this stuff out anywhere. Shout personal details over the phone on a crowded bus or some other public place may get that bill collector off your back, or save you from having to return a call. But in the long run this is where most criminals make their easy money.

Ok, that’s simple enough, but often not all that it takes to keep your information safe.  To get in front of identity theft hassles before they happen, we reccomend the following 3 steps.

All three credit bureaus offer credit monitoring for about $15 a month. That includes unlimited access to your report and notifications of any changes to your credit file, plus a few fancy extras. There are a few monitoring services online geared toward folks who want to maintain visibility as it relates to fraudulant credit activity, some of them even offer insurance should your identity be stolen while on their watch.

I have to say that this is all well and good, but really these services only let you know if you’ve fallen victim, and offer help once you’re in trouble. Personally, I’d rather focus on avoiding it in the first place.

Step 3. Credit Freeze
This is the nuclear option. It is basically like having an “unlisted” credit report. It blocks potential creditors, employers and landlords from seeing your credit report, and prevents any new accounts from being opened.  The down side is that you can’t open new credit accounts with the Freeze on, which may be inconvenient, as it takes 3 days to un-freeze your accounts.

These are the basics. Take it seriously to avoid being caught in the long and painful process of undoing identity theft. If it does happen there are steps you can take. You can learn more about these in our article Has your identity been stolen? (we hope not)

]]> http://www.myfinancialhealthcheck.com/3-steps-to-protect-against-identity-theft/feed/ 1 http://www.myfinancialhealthcheck.com/top-identity-protection-services/ http://www.myfinancialhealthcheck.com/top-identity-protection-services/#comments Sat, 11 Apr 2009 17:33:15 +0000 brian http://www.myfinancialhealthcheck.com/?p=125 In our earlier article we suggested several free routes that you can take to help mitigate and protect your identity.

There are several services that exist specifically to help you with Identity Security and Protection.

Lifelock
Lifelock focuses on identity protection and for $10/month provides, identity fraud monitoring through credit bureaus, reduced credit card and insurance solicitation through communication with credit bureaus, lifelock also provides $1 Million USD insurance for protection in the event of stolen credit or identity.

TrustedID
TrustedID features identity theft protection services including: IDFreeze, CreditLock, and Data Breach Response Services. IDFreeze is similar to the service provided by Lifelock that includes $1,000,000 in insurance in the event that identity theft occurs.

But if you clicked on this article, it means that you are concerned that you might already be a victim of identity theft. If so, we are sorry to hear that. Identity theft is a major hassle, but can be resolved over time by following these steps:

Step 1: Contact the accounts that you think have been tampered with. The customer service rep should be able to run through all recent transactions, to validate if in fact they are all yours. If anything seems off, or if you tell them you are concerned about a breech in security, they will transfer you to their fraud department. If there has been a breech, they will immediately shut down your card and begin an investigation.

Step 2: Close any accounts that you believe have been opened illegally, or that you feel have been breached. You will want to contact the security department of each company. Write down the name of the person you spoke with, and their contact information. Then send them letters, with copies of any documents that would be material to their investigation. Important: DO NOT SEND ORIGINALS, and send everything by CERTIFIED MAIL. At this stage you can’t afford to loose evidence, or leave anything up to chance. Keep copies of all correspondence, and a written record of all your phone calls. Ask the account representatives to send you their “fraud dispute forms”, these should include the correct address to send all correspondence relative to the identity theft investigation. If they don’t provide “fraud dispute forms”, you should ask if they accept the FTC’s ID Theft Affidavit – available for download on the FTC.gov website.

If they do not provide these, be sure to send all written communication to their “billing inquiries” address. This is a different office (often in a completely different state) from where you send your bill. DO NOT send it to the same place where you send your payments, it will only get lost in the shuffle and cost you valuable time. You should also use the cover letter from the FTC.gov website.

For unauthorized accounts created in your name, you will want to file a police report with your local police department. You will need to bring:

1. A printed copy of your FTC ID Theft Complaint form
2. cover letter
3. supporting documentation

You will want the Police to attach copies of the above to official police report. If possible ask them to provide you a copy of the full police report, with copies (noted as received by the police) attached. In some areas they can’t do this, so ask them to at minimum ask them to sign your complaint and write the police report number in the “Law Enforcement Section”

You may also want to consider notifying your State’s Attorney General’s office. At the same time, you will want to file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. They can also help coach you through the above steps as needed.

Their Hotline, toll-free: 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338); TTY: 1-866-653-4261.

And/Or write (remember, certified mail) to:

Identity Theft Clearinghouse
Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20580

Step 3: Once the issues have been resolved, request a letter from the company confirming that they have closed the account, and that they have “discharged the fraudulent debts”. This is very important, and almost definitely be something that you’ll need to show the various credit beuroaus. Should the errors pop up on you credit report at any time again in the future, you will want to be able to provide them with a COPY (not the original) of this letter.

Follow these steps, and you will get through it. It is worth noting that many credit card companies have improved their fraud protection services and catch illegal activity early, and often catch problems before any serious damage is done. But still, many times it does not get caught until the late stages. Just as fast as the Card companies improve protection, criminals are finding ways to beat the system. When it comes to Identity Theft, the best approach is to get educated before it happens, and take steps to actively prevent headaches before they happen.