Identity theft is becoming more sophisticated and hard to manage by ever passing day where id thieves are finding out new ways to steal your identity. This rapid growth in the number of cases in identity theft being reported has also been matched by the corresponding increase in the business that offer services to protect you from the impact of id theft.

However the arguments still remain when it comes to the effectiveness of services offered by these id theft protection companies. Therefore you need to find for yourself how services based on the organization would help protect your identity.

Services included

Max Thompson of Identity Theft Protection 101, identities five services which are generally offered by id theft protection companies. The services include daily monitoring of credit reports, providing you a list of the credit applications issued on your name, maintain fraud alerts on your credit reports, eliminate pre approved credit offers and also monitor other personal identifiers like your social security number.

The LifeLock Company for instance which is owned by Todd Davis offers an excellent example of the problems faced by these companies in offering your guaranteed identity theft protection. The owner of the company who is know for displaying his social security number in ads for his company’s effectiveness actually had his id stolen which caused their customers to file suit against them.

Report from Consumer Federation of America

There was a report by Consumer Federation of America or CFA in March 2009 entitled To Catch a Thief and it discussed whether id theft protection services are actually worth the cost which voiced concerns on the effectiveness of these companies. However after researching around 16 businesses which offered id theft protection service and the CFA had found several problems with their service.

Some of these include lack of proper information on costs and coverage, incomplete data about insurance coverage, misleading statements regarding the effectiveness of fraud alerts, vague guarantees and also the use of internal negotiation methods which could limit rights of a consumer.

The report from CFA also criticized the companies which publicize id theft ‘protection’ service. However according to the author of the report, although the services offered by these companies might offer protection from the effects of id theft, completely preventing it is very difficult.

According to the federal trade commission you are recommended to use free identity theft protection services that you are entitled for before buying services from different companies. The FTC also specifies that based on the Fair Credit Reporting Act you are permitted to place both a seven year extended alert and 90 day initial fraud alert on your credit report without any charges.

When these alerts are in place, the creditors will have to personally contact you before issuing any credit under your name. You can even use credit freeze option that can stop anyone from gaining access to your reports. Therefore when choosing identity theft protection organizations make sure know what services you are offered and how much it would cost you for their service.

Learning how to protect against ID entity theft is one of the most important things that you need to be proactive about. It is reported that over 10 million people per year are affected from ID entity theft. The crime has gotten increasingly worse over the years and it seems like there’s no stopping it. In fact 70% of the victims of ID theft seem to have trouble getting rID of negative information on their records as a result of this crime.And 47% of the victims of ID entity theft will have trouble getting credit and loans because of the crime. Most people feel that by simply shredding all their important documents they will be safe from ID theft. These people do not know how to protect against ID theft. In fact no one is safe from this crime especially those that think they how to protect against ID theft by just shredding documents. Children and even the elderly are victims of ID theft.The surest way to protect yourself from this vicious and personal crime is to stop it in its tracks before the problem comes a giant gorilla on your back. There are products and services available that are proven to help safeguard your personal information. The best ones should offer credit, debit and ATM card protection so that you can shop safely wherever you are without having any worries.There should also be fraud resolution assistance with some sort of financial guarantee to finance any monetary damages done by ID entity theft. Having complete protection against ID theft is much better than wasting your valuable time shredding documents all the time. You should be able to sleep at night better knowing that you are fully protected to keep your finances, your family and your future safe from this vicious crime.If you would like to finally learn How to Protect Against Identity Theft now, click here: How to Protect Against Identity Theft

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The latest official identity theft statistics are out and they are disturbing, alarming and frightening. Most people usually wait until something happens to them before taking action. This is usually the case all over the United States when it comes to victims of this crime. By taking a proactive stance and the defensive position on a crime like ID theft, you limit the thieves from ever being able to rob you of your identity as well as protect yourself from any future attempts. It is always best to be prepared for the storm rather than to wait until it hits to find shelter. Here are some of the most recent statistics on this ever growing and popular crime.

Victims

The next section of statistics we focus on is discovery. This part is one of the hardest since it is when people normally find out they have become a victim of ID theft and by then it is already too late.

Discovery

Focusing on recovery takes tremendous tolls on ID theft victims. Countless hours and a lot of money are spent trying to undo the damage this horrendous crime has caused in the victims lives Some people spend years doing this. But by then it is too late for anything other than trying to return your life back to normal.

Recovery

When people look at the overall cost ID theft has on the world, the numbers are quite shocking to say the least. With the usage in Internet rising daily and people all over the word having access to computers, this crime and numbers can only rise. If that is the case, many consumers out there will be in for a costly, time consuming journey when trying to regain their identity and life back.

Overall Cost

Culprits

This section which covers the methods use by identity theft thieves is one that most people need to focus on since it can very well help them to avoid falling victim to this crime and ending up here as a statistic.

Methods

The numbers paint a compelling truth and serve as a warning to all of us; protect yourself before you become the next victim of identity theft. Unless people take a defensive and proactive approach to this crime, they may end up being another number added to the many victims already on this list. Remember that ID thieves never take a day off, never cease to stop doing anything other than to try and strip you of your identity and all they can get out it in return. Protect yourself today.

This whole identity theft thing gives you the creeps, right? You’re not only infuriated by, but terrified of the thought of somebody sifting through your trash, brazenly stealing your mail, or hijacking your wallet not for your money so much as your social security number. You may even feel helpless.
While identity theft is a serious issue, there are things you can do to reduce your risk of being an identity theft victim. The following is a list of just a few things you can do to protect your identity:
• Either purchase a locking mailbox or have a mail slot installed. For even more security, considered getting a post office box. An unlocked mailbox provides access to extremely valuable information. Consider it this way, which is worth more: your $2,000 big screen TV or the account number and corresponding information of your Visa card with a $10,000 credit limit? You don’t leave your front door unlocked because you don’t want somebody to steal your TV, right? So, why is your mailbox unlocked?
• Shred all financial documents (bank statements, credit card statements, loan statements, receipts, etc.) and anything with your name or other identifying information not once, but twice! Run the document through your shredder and hand tear the shredded material in different directions. Now divide up the shredded remains into multiple trash bags. Ultra paranoid? Burn everything. Seriously.
• Treat your social security number as though it were your child. Protect it at most costs (all costs may be just a little excessive…better to be alive and an ID theft victim than a dead man with a safe identity). Don’t freely give it out. Ask for alternatives, if possible. I’d give out my social security number to obtain a loan. I wouldn’t give it out to buy an ice cream cone. A ridiculous example, but it illustrates the point. Don’t write your social security number on checks. Don’t let the bank teller do it either. While she’s just trying to cover her butt, she’s exposing yours.
• Don’t give any information to telemarketers. Period. There are other ways to get a good price on magazine subscriptions or to make donations to charity. The same thing goes for spam emails, but you don’t open those, right?
• Speaking of emails, don’t click on emails from people you don’t know. Don’t click on emails from people you know when the subject of the email doesn’t make sense or says something the sender would never say. It probably contains a virus, possibly one designed to poke through your computer files and steal passwords and account numbers. You have a spam filter. Use it.
• Yes, you do need that $60 annual anti-virus/internet security subscription, especially if you are very internet-active or have children. Hackers and virus designers work day and night, minute by minute, to swindle you out of your money, resources and identity information. This is one area where you don’t want to go cheap. $60 per year is much less than the cost of a new computer or repairing your credit. By the way, keep these programs up to date. Most can be set to automatically update when you are least likely to be using your computer, such as late at night.
• Be smart about your passwords. It can be a hassle, but passwords that involve your name, your spouse’s name, your birthday, or your favorite sports teams are virtually worthless. A random combination of letters and numbers is best. Do you really want to throw off the identity thieves? Smash your hand into your keyboard. The result is your new password. Keep a file on your computer in a secure location with the password in it and copy and paste the password when you need it. Just be sure to copy something else when you’re done to clear the password from your clipboard. Or you can handwrite your hand-smashed result in a notebook and copy it when you need it. Inconvenience is the ultimate price of security.
Don’t let the identity thieves get you down. The most important thing you can do is be aware of what information you are giving out and who you are giving it to. All it takes is a little conscious effort to limit your risk of identity theft.

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Have you ever felt pity for those who have suffered from the effects of identity theft? Should you be in their same situation suffering from identity theft, your life may be like theirs and you would understand and feel pity. It is this reason here that laws were passed to detour this continuous threat of security to everyone in the country including business and individuals.
Consumers’ awareness to this threat has finally peaked within the last five to ten years. Largely due to the media attention it has gotten, people are more aware of when they give out their personal data and especially when it is given out without their consent, such is the case on the Internet.
With the widespread attention and public outcry, federal and state legislation have been brought up regarding Identity theft issues.
ID Theft and Assumption Law
On the federal level, the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act (18 USC 1028) was passed in 1998. When the law passed, it made any type of identity theft a felony. The law states that if a person knowingly uses the identification of another person with the sole purpose to commit some type of unlawful crime under both the state and federal laws.
Those who, in turn, violated this law, were put under close supervision by several federal agencies including:
- U.S. Secret Service
- the Social Security Administration
- the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI)
- the U.S Postal Service
Criminals were then prosecuted by:
- the U.S. Department of Justice.
The law does allow for victims to be reimbursed. This reimbursement was established within the Federal Trade Commission as an identity theft clearinghouse.
Following on the federal law’s heels, 40 states have criminalized identity theft, most of them being a felony.
Senate Bill 2328 called the Identity Theft Prevention Act of 2000 signed by Sen. Feinstein, Kyl and Grassley. They wanted more attention to direct on prevention matters before theft occurs. They wanted also to find out where the prevention should be taken and where the preventions should belong.
President George W. Bush signed the Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act or ITPEA as an addition to many of these laws.
What are the provisions of this identity theft law?
When a theft is found to have occurred, it is made a felony with a mandatory two-year sentence in prison. Should any of the theft be related to terrorist activity, there will be an additional five years tacked on.
It also orders the U.S. Sentencing Commission to strengthen its penalties should the theft be found in the role regarding employment.
Many people are happy that identity theft is now being prosecuted but still say the credit bureaus and the industry itself has to make necessary changes before all is said and done.
Laws were also needing to address the frustration that victims felt and a way to for them to let others know they have criminal record that is not theirs.
Some bills that were passed include a provision, which made it possible for people to get contents regarding their own information that has been put together by information broker, employment background checks and an individual reference service.
For those who had criminal records that is not of their own doing, there must be a way for those people to clear it up an expedited process. These would involve the law enforcement where the arrest was first made and the court issues the warrant. Currently, there is no such remedy for victims of identity theft with criminal records

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