Preventing medical ID theft has become a hot topic as Americans increasingly hear about the safety of their private medical records as more medical breeches continue to be discovered. Medical ID theft happens when a person uses someone’s identity to obtain medical services or steal money by falsifying claims for medical services. Identity thieves use a person’s Social Security number, insurance information, or other forms of identification to commit the medical ID theft.

Medical ID theft can have a devastating effect on victims, causing collections issues, credit problems, and even bankruptcy. But that’s not all. The type of medical treatment obtained by the identity thief can also prevent the victim from getting medical insurance or medical services themselves because, as far as the insurance company is concerned, the victim now has a “pre-existing” condition.

According to the FTC, medical ID theft accounts for three percent of all ID theft cases, or approximately 250,000 cases per year. Unfortunately, these medical ID theft statistics are expected to grow, especially with the shift to electronic medical records.

Preventing Medical ID Theft: The Unemployed and Uninsured:

Due to their difficult circumstances, some groups are at a higher risk for becoming identity thieves. The unemployed and uninsured may use another person’s identity because of a belief that it’s the only way they can receive quality medical care. Since they’re unemployed, they don’t have access to an employer’s healthcare benefits, and they can’t afford to buy medical insurance because they don’t have a job. It’s a vicious cycle, and it can make good people do bad things.

Preventing Medical ID Theft: Illegal Immigration:

Illegal immigration also poses a serious threat as medical ID theft continues to rise. When an illegal immigrant steals private information such as an individual’s Social Security number, he or she can obtain identification and numerous services reserved for legal residents. If precautions aren’t taken to prevent medical ID theft, an illegal immigrant can get a passport, driver’s license, bank account, credit card, loan, mortgage, insurance, medical treatment, and many other services.

Preventing Medical ID Theft in Five Steps:

Begin preventing medical ID theft by following these five easy steps:

Preventing medical ID theft takes vigilance. Medical ID thieves are doing everything to stay one step ahead of you and the authorities, so use medical ID theft prevention strategies to protect your private information.

Identity Theft

Identity theft is the wrongful use of YOUR personal information – such as your name, social security number, or credit card number – without your permission by another person to commit fraudulent or criminal acts. ID thieves take out phony loans or ring up bogus charges in your name.Identity theft is often a question of too little privacy or too much identification. How can so much information get out if you personally keep it private? Identity Theft is when someone uses someone else’s personal identifying information for illegal purposes. The illegal purpose often involves acquiring goods and services and/or obtaining credit in the victim/s name.

Identity Theft is less risky, incredibly easy, and highly profitable as compared to most other crimes. A thief who robs you at gunpoint and is caught is likely to be sentenced to 5 to 10 years in prison.

Consumers

Consumers are also wary of where their information – address and credit card numbers – goes after they have filled out the online purchase forms. Even more surprising, 34% said they are not confident in credit card companies or online retailers ability to keep personal information private. Consumers are still shopping at TJ Maxx and Marshalls because they aren’t personally feeling the pain of that mammoth data breach. Consumers battling a weight problem often fail to get proper medical treatment, instead falling for infomercial-driven scams and no-sweat schemes. New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, taking a short break from putting insurance executives in prison, suggests beefy consumers expend some energy checking whether their health plan will cover medical treatment and professional nutrition counseling for their obesity.

ID Theft Prevention

Review all medical records, claims and reports for unusual entries Look for services never rendered to you or your dependents, inaccurate diagnoses, address changes, collections, and disclosures made to other agencies or health providers. Dispute any misinformation with your insurance provider, health provider or credit bureaus for investigation and/or removal Make all disputes in writing and provide copies of any claims that include misinformation. Review your monthly statement for unfamiliar charges, and shred all papers that contain personal information. Order a free copy of your credit report from each of the three bureaus at www.annualcreditreport.com , and stagger your requests so you can review a report every four months.

Current studies show that ID Theft is at epidemic proportions. The Federal Trade Commission surveys estimated that there are close to 9.9 million victims and growing by 2 to 3 million a year.

For individuals that are not victims of identity theft, the best thing you can do is check your credit report regularly, focusing on two categories.

* Inquiries from unfamiliar companies. Here we are talking about someone applying for something in your name in a state that you don’t live in. Remember inquiries are the result of you applying for credit.

* Unfamiliar Accounts (tradelines). Are there debts or new credit listed on your credit report that you are not familiar with?

There are 3 major Bureaus that provide services to monitor your credit report. These services give e-mails to you promptly if there are any changes to your report.

What to Do if ID Theft happens to you.

You want to keep a detailed log of events as you start the dispute process. You do this in case you run into problems with a creditor. The first step obviously is contact the 3 credit bureaus, local police, creditors, etc…… You keep detailed conversations logs with any of these entities you communicate with. Also keeps receipts, bills, or out of pocket expenses you incur during the process of disputing. I would also make note of the emotional stress and how it is affecting your work performance and personal relationships. In addition your expenses and time could be tax-deductible in certain circumstance.

Contact Law enforcement

Here is the properties procedure for contacting the authorities so you can file a formal report. You should include all fraudulent accounts in the report. As the Credit Bureaus say they are able to remove disputes, remember to keep a copy of the report number and contact info.

Who to contact:

* FTC.gov/bcp/coline/pubs/credit/affidavit.pdf

* Local Police Department

* FTC 800-438-4338 or 800?ID THEFT

Credit Bureaus – Steps to take with the CRAs

* Notify one of the credit bureaus fraud units that you are victim of Identity Theft. This Bureau will be responsible for telling the other 2 Bureaus. (Equifax: 800-525-6285; Experian: 888-397-3742; Trans Union: 800-680-7289)

* Tell Bureaus to flag you credit report with fraud alert

* Get a copy of your credit report with scores

* Once you have read your report, send a dispute letter, accompanied with police report along with the FTC fraud affidavit specifying which accounts are fraudulent.

* Subscribe to the Bureaus monitoring services of your credit report

* Consider signing up for Trusted ID services which will block your credit report so only you can use it.

* Ask the Bureaus to contact the creditors that fraudulent activities have taken place.

Debt Collectors- You will be getting calls from debt collectors more than likely. If they call you:

* Get the debt collectors companies name, address and there phone number. Let him or her know you are noting the time and date of the conversation in your log activity book

* Inform the collection agency you are a victim of Identity Theft

* Provide the FTC uniform fraud affidavit

* Ask for number and name of credit issuer.

* Send the debt collector a letter, stating that you do not owe this debt and that the account has been close.

* Request in writing that the account is being flagged as fraudulent, and is being closed. You also should request in writing that the fraudulent account is being removed from your credit report.

New accounts opened in your name: the Identity Thief has opened new accounts in your good name: what to do. The credit report you pulled should list all creditors that have accounts in your name with contact numbers.

* Notify each creditor of the identity theft that has taken place to you. You will be asked to send a fraud affidavit. (Be sure to put all of this in your log)

* Ask the creditors to send you any application or fraudulent activity that has happened in your good name.

* Add passwords to all accounts

* If the thief has got a hold of your checking account, credit cards, get replacements with new numbers. Call and request these accounts to be closed as well.

* Fill out FTC uniform fraud affidavit.

Your Checking account- If the thief has written checks in your name here is what you do.

* Call your local police, and file a report

* Call your bank and close the account immediately

* Remember to keep good logs

* Typically your bank will refund you your money, and ask for a copy of police report filed.

This stuff is serious business; I hope this will help you resolve issues involving identity theft to you.

Identity Theft is when someone uses another person’s social security number, driver license, name, address, telephone number and any other information about that particular person as their own. The unauthorized person that obtains this information without the other person’s knowledge uses this information to commit theft and fraud.

How does a person committing ID theft get my information? By going through your trash, hacking into a computer that you may use, securing a copy of your credit report, stealing credit card and debit card numbers that you may have, stealing your mail,completing a change of address form to reroute your mail to a different address, stealing your purse or wallet, and scamming information from you by posing as a business person.

How would I know if I am a victim of ID theft? If you receive credit card statements for accounts you did not apply for, you do not receive your mail, your credit is being denied and you do not know why, counterfeit checks are used to withdraw money from your bank account, you receive calls from collection agencies about bills for accounts established with your personal information that you do not know about,and other problems that you may have with your personal information.

Should I order a copy of my credit reports to find out if I am a victim of identity theft? Yes, you may want to consider doing this if you suspect that you are a victim of identity theft. You would want to order a copy of your credit reports from all three credit reporting agencies which are: Equifax www.equifax.com 1-800-685-1111; Experian www.experian.com 1-888-397-3742; and; TransUnion www.transunion.com 1-800-916-8800.

What should I do if my identity is stolen by someone? Contact the three credit reporting agencies as soon as possible and let them know that you are a victim of ID theft and ask them to place a fraud alert and your statement as a victim in your credit report file. Order a copy of your credit report from each agency to check the information on your report.

Contact the credit reporting agencies fraud units at these telephone numbers or addresses: Equifax: 1-800-525-6285, P.O. Box 74021, Atlanta, GA. 30374-0241:: Experian: 1-888-397-3742, P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX. 75013:: TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289, Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA. 92834-6790.

Should I close my credit and checking accounts if ID theft has occurred? Yes, you may want to consider closing your credit and checking accounts if you suspect identity theft. Contact your bank and creditors about your identity being stolen and consider closing your accounts and establish new ones.

If your checks are stolen, request that your bank notify the check verification company that they use. You may also want to contact the major check verification companies as well.

The major check verification companies that you would want to contact are the following: Telecheck, 1-800-710-9898 or 1-800-927-0188:: Certegy Inc., 1-800-437-5120:: and; International Check Services, 1-800-631-9656.

You may also want to contact a company known as Scan at 1-800-262-7771 to find out if an identity thief has been using your checks. In addition, you should also contact your local police department and report that your identity has been stolen.

Make sure that you file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission about your identity being stolen as well. You can file this report at www.consumer.gov/idtheft.

Identity theft, or simply ID theft, is the fastest growing crime in America. The reason is simple; it pays and often the criminals off with light sentences. This article offers ways to prevent identity theft.
You should also know that that there are different forms of identity theft. Some of these are as follows:
1. Full identity theft: someone steals your data and then goes on to live as you. He/she will pose or disguise his/herself as you, obtain an identification documents and then clean you out – that is bank account, credit lines etc.
2. Credit hijacking: The thief will simply use your name and good credit to open new credit lines and then go on spending sprees, of course, without paying the bills. You only realize when you either get denied credit, get a call from your bank or some other bank or creditor, or receive a bill you have no idea about.
3. Synthetic identity theft: This involves using bits and pieces of personal information from several victims to create a whole new identity. This is perhaps the most difficult form of ID theft to detect.
There are the obvious precautions anyone can take and often offered as preventive ways. These will probably stop a petty thief, but the modern ID thief is much more sophisticated.
These mundane identity theft prevention ways include advice such as “shred your documents”, “don’t carry your social security card in your wallet”, and “don’t throw documents in the trash” and the like. Good measures, but the sophisticated thief would laugh at these.
You can stop most ID thieves on their tracks by placing a fraud alert on your credit file with the three major credit bureaus. Unlike credit monitoring, which alerts you after the fact, with a fraud alert you get contacted before any new credit lines are opened.
A fraud alert is only good for three months. After three months, you have to renew it, which the bureaus are not enthusiastic to do as they make money by selling your information to third parties for marketing purposes (which they cannot do if you have a fraud alert on your file).
You should also invest in a good antivirus and spyware remover for your computer. Keystroke loggers can get downloaded into your system, without you realizing it. Keystroke loggers track everything typed into a computer and then report back to the scammer via the Internet.

ID Theft and Identity Theft Prevention

Identity theft affects over 9 million Americans alone each year. As the degree of damage varies from individual to individual, the lasting effects are nearly the same. ID theft ultimately affects your credit score. And in many cases ID theft can cause major damage without the victim even realizing it at first. Identity theft can occur simply by a ID thief obtaining a person’s identifying information such as their name, Social Security numbers, credit care and other account numbers and more.

There are many ways thief can use a person’s identity and not just so they can steal money and buy home theater systems or take lavish vacations, like the recent college-aged thieves caught after years of stealing credit to finance expensive vacations, but many will even steal such information for paying their own rent, telephone bill or even checking out books at the public library.

There are many ways in which an identity thief can obtain your information. Many of the methods used more frequently include going through your trash, going through your mail and stealing a credit card statement in order to obtain your credit card number, email scams, stealing purses and wallets, and even an employee at a restaurant or store jotting down your credit card number as they are running your card.

These events and more can really damage a person’s credit report and overall score which could take a while just to get back in order.

So how can a person protect themselves from identity theft? The most effective way to combat identity theft is to check your billing statements regularly as well as monitor your credit report regularly. Monitoring ones credit does not have to occur daily. But, if done on a monthly basis, one can see any discrepancies on their credit report soon after a potential identity theft occurrence appears on their credit report or billing statement.

Despite the fact that the ID theft occurrence may not be entirely the credit holder’s fault, the lasting effects become that victim’s responsibility to discover and fix. However, there are now services that provide identity theft protection which can be found in more detail at our site. These services can help you keep a close eye on your credit and all identifying information and help prevent identity theft overall.

With the way the world is, it is completely up to you to make sure that you have some sort of id theft protection plan in place. Whether this is something you are going to do and monitor yourself or you plan on hiring an identity theft resource center to do it for you, it is something that must be done.
Id theft protection starts with you taking the first step to make sure thieves are not accessing your personal and private information and using it to better their lives.
When you are considering id theft protection, it is important to think about all the different ways that someone could be stealing your credit and identity from you. This is important so that you do not miss anything and no stone is left unturned. Believe it when it is said that if you forget one area, that is the area that the thief will find in order to steal your identity.
The best thing to do for id theft protection to be done right is to talk with professionals about your financial and personal safety. They will probably be able to suggest things that you never thought of so that you can cover all bases.
More Reasons To Go With Professionals
When it comes down to it, your life may be extremely busy in that you will barely be able to find time to manage your own id theft protection plan of action. This is why hiring a service or company for your id theft protection is ideal since you will not be out anything but a small fee every month.
And when it comes to your identity, there is no fee that is too great to make sure that you are completely protected. Make sure though that you research a company before going with them as you will be sharing with them a lot of your personal information.
Once you find a company that you can trust to take care of your id theft protection, you will be one step ahead of the criminals. If something does happen, the id theft protection company will notice it right away and will be able to bring it to your attention.
This is a lot faster then waiting until you apply for your next car loan to find out that your credit is shot because you did not have an id theft protection plan in place. Do the smart thing and get started at protecting your financial and personal future by starting an id theft protection plan of action.

I’m scared of ID theft and want to get insurance for it but is it worth it?

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