| ID Theft Hit 8 Million Americans in 2005 Federal Trade Commission
Dec 04 2007 : Identity theft affected 8.3 million adults, or 3.7 percent of the adult U.S population, in 2005, according to a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) study. The report is based on 4,917 telephone interviews with a random sample of American adults. For the study, the FTC categorized ID theft victims according to specific Federal U.S. laws. It estimated that 3.3 million American adults, or 1.5 percent of the adult population, experienced the misuse of one or more of their existing non-credit card accounts in 2005. This fraud category included checking, saving or telephone accounts. Based on the study, the FTC also estimated that in 2005 there were 3.2 million fraud victims in the category of �existing credit cards.� In addition, there were 1.8 million victims in the category of �new accounts and other fraud,� where fraudsters opened new accounts in the victims� names, or committed other frauds using their ID.
Thwart thieves by freezing credit
When it comes to keeping a thief from obtaining credit in your name, consumers have a tough weapon in the form of a so-called security freeze. When you freeze your credit report, you thwart would-be thieves by preventing creditors from checking your credit history. Few lenders will lend you – or a thief – money without first checking your credit report. Texans got added muscle in September, when a new law took effect that allows consumers to freeze their credit report without first having to have a police report. Previously, Texans couldn't freeze their credit reports unless they were victims of identity theft. .
Identity theft targets kids, and relatives often the perpetrator
While only a small percentage of identity-theft victims are children, the number is growing, and the impact on the victim's credit, confidence and relationships could be devastating. The crime can go undetected for years and is most commonly committed by a family member, according to a report released this week by the Identity Theft Resource Center, a San Diego nonprofit organization. Fortunately, simple precautions, such as keeping your child's Social Security number secret, can prevent some of the abuse. For instance, you can check your children's credit reports at credit bureaus to nip identity theft in the bud. .
New Phishing Scam Email Circulating Through Tri-State
Phishing scams are easy to spot. They may appear to come from a bank you don't do business with. But two days ago, a new phishing scam appeared in the Tri-State. The e-mail claimed to be from Equifax-- the credit reporting service that keeps all our credit information. Charlene Mecklenburg of Colerain Township received the email and calls it very dangerous. It asks the recipient to update their account information. Mecklenburg and her husband check their credit record yearly with Equifax and realize only a scammer would be sending out something like this. But someone might fall for it and go to the crooks' fake website - billed as Equifax eport. If you update your personal information here you could become the victim of identity theft. I called Equifax and it has now put out a warning about this on its website.
Survey: Many believe N.O. worse off than it is
It's easier for people to say, in the abstract, Yeah, the government should spend more money," before realizing the cost that could mean to them personally, said Bob Sims, director of the UNO Survey Research Center. The poll, taken Nov. 29-Dec. 4, surveyed 775 people outside of Louisiana to gauge their attitudes about New Orleans. Some respondents had been directly affected by Katrina or had friends or loved ones who were affected. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points. The poll suggests concerns about where the aid is going: Asked how well they think federal or charitable funds have been spent, "based on what you know or personally believe," 62.2 percent answered "not very well" or "not well at all," compared with 37.8 percent who said "very well" or "somewhat well." One-third were on the fence about their willingness to contribute to private efforts aimed at recovery; nearly as many, 30.2 percent, said they were "somewhat willing" to personally give.
Take precautions for safer internet shopping
But online shopping doesn't come without risks. Having the proper software installed and being savvy about choosing sites to shop are key to a safe, pleasant cyber experience. Hardware/software tips Make sure you have the latest anti-virus and anti-spyware installed and running on your PC. Online threats increase during this time of year. Boulder, Colo.-based Webroot Software reported a 173 percent increase in global online threats between October and December 2006 compared with other times of the year. Englewood, Colo.-based security company MX Logic predicts spam will rise an additional 50 percent over current levels by the end of 2007 because of the holiday retail rush. "Scan your computer for malware before you shop to make sure you're not harboring key loggers (that track your keystrokes to steal passwords and credit card numbers) or other spies," said a Webroot spokeswoman.
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