| Consumers warned about holiday ID theft
Attorney General Bill McCollum today advised Floridians to be careful when using credit and debit cards to pay for gifts during this holiday shopping season in order to avoid becoming victims of identity theft. He also cautioned consumers about a "phishing" scam that has surfaced recently, threatening to expose consumers� personal financial information. McCollum noted that occurrences of identity theft often increase during the holiday season and encouraged residents and guests to be extra vigilant to protect themselves. "Identity theft can be devastating any time it occurs, but it is especially destructive during the holiday season when it could threaten personal financial information, travel plans and other seasonal aspects of our consumers� personal lives," said McCollum.
Government bill attacks identity theft
OTTAWA - The federal government took a landmark step Wednesday toward battling the explosion of identity theft by introducing legislation making it illegal to collect personal documents belonging to others in order to commit fraud. "Every day the issue of identity theft affects or threatens more Canadian families and businesses," Justice Minister Rob Nicholson told a news conference Wednesday. "Identity theft is costly to banks, to retailers and consumers alike." Under the new bill, part of the government's toughened fall law-and-order agenda, it will become a crime in Canada to obtain, possess or traffic another person's passport, credit cards, drivers licences or other identity documents for the purpose of committing fraud. The legislation is meant to close a gap in the Criminal Code.
Protecting your identity is a smart thing to do
D ecember is Identity Theft Prevention and Awareness Month. According to the February 2007 Identity Fraud Survey Report issued by Javelin Strategy & Research, identity theft affected approximately 8.4 million people. The estimated loss to business and individual victims was $43.9 billion. Often, ID theft victims don't even realize their identity was stolen. They may find out when a creditor or collection agency calls or a credit card is declined. To help consumers protect their identity, a number of credit monitoring and insurance protection programs are available. But, are these products right for you? Most experts recommend that you obtain a copy of your credit report at least once a year from each of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) to ensure accuracy and to look for signs of ID theft.
How to leave identity thieves out in the cold
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. � It could happen to you. Somebody swipes your Social Security number, then uses it to open a credit card in your name. Before you know it, you've become a victim of identity theft and have a pile of bills for things you didn't buy. Sylvia Coates has found a way to prevent that unpleasant scenario from happening by freezing her credit reports. ``I can't tell you how wonderful it is. I think it is the only foolproof way,'' she said. Coates, who lives in Orinda, Calif., applied for a credit freeze soon after that option become available in 2003, thanks to passage of a state law there that requires credit reporting bureaus to let consumers initiate a credit freeze. Having a credit freeze means that access to your credit reports and credit scores cannot be shared with potential creditors or lenders unless you give permission.
New bill boosts war on identity theft
The federal government took a landmark step toward battling the explosion of identity theft by introducing legislation yesterday making it illegal to collect personal documents belonging to others in order to commit fraud. Under the new bill, part of the government's toughened fall law-and-order agenda, it will become a crime in Canada to obtain, possess or traffic another person's passport, credit cards, drivers licence or other identity documents for the purpose of committing fraud. The legislation is meant to close a gap in the Criminal Code. While it's currently illegal to commit fraud with another person's credit card or other personal information, police have no ability to take action against criminal rings collecting documents belonging to others. That gap has severely hindered the ability of police to catch criminals who engage in identity theft and related fraud, because such crimes are often perpetrated electronically or over the Internet by large groups that the police have difficulty tracking down.
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