Comments on: Is this an identity theft scam? http://www.identitytheftinformation.org/is-this-an-identity-theft-scam/ Identity Theft - Keep Your Identity For Yourself Thu, 19 Aug 2010 21:28:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Yvette B yvetteb http://www.identitytheftinformation.org/is-this-an-identity-theft-scam/comment-page-1/#comment-342 Yvette B yvetteb Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:24:24 +0000 http://www.identitytheftinformation.org/889/is-this-an-identity-theft-scam/#comment-342 you were right on with it.. and YES, i would put a freeze on your credit report (some states allow a freeze) so no new accounts could be opened without your permission. --10 MILLION people per year are victims of Identity Theft. --Todays growing target for criminals; are children and teens identities (SS#). Why? Because parents never think to check/protect their childrens reports. 1) run a free credit report from each agency (your allowed one free one per year, per agency). you need to know, so you need to get them. 2) Check your childrens also (check the link below as to how to) 3) if ID Theft has occurred, you need to make a police report first. the rest of what you need to do, is listed in the links below (with GREAT info too). 4) some states allow you to 'lock' or 'freeze' credit reports; to protect against theft. if your state allows it, lock 'em down. that way, no one can open an account on them. 5) once you discover their credit reports have activity on them, then contact each credit reporting agency (the 3 major ones) and report the ID Theft... and request they lock the reports (usually they automatically do it, but ask for it anyway). REMEMBER; you are only allowed to run credit reports on YOURSELF and YOUR MINOR CHILDREN (NO, not when they are adults). To run a report on anyone else, they have to authorize it, and you better have proof of that authorization. If you do it without their knowledge, you are legally liable and they can not only report you to the state/federal authorities, but they may decide to sue you in a court of law. http://www.ftc.gov/credit/ http://www.ftc.gov/privacy/index.html http://www.ftc.gov/os/2002/05/67fr36585.pdf “…security or integrity of such records; and protect against unauthorized access to or use of such records or information that could result in substantial harm or inconvenience to any customer. EFFECTIVE DATE: This rule is effective on May 23, 2003.” 'Active Duty' Alerts Help Protect Military Personnel from Identity Theft http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/dutyalrt.htm ID THEFT HELP/ INFO http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/idtheft.html http://www.ic3.gov/ http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/con_steps.htm http://www.idtheftcenter.org/index.shtml http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/ http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/credit/index.html http://www.fraudguides.com/consumer-identity-theft-children.asp http://www.ripoffreport.com/ http://www.fightidentitytheft.com/ http://www.ncpc.org/media/current.php https://rn.ftc.gov/pls/dod/widtpubl$.startup?Z_ORG_CODE=PU03 http://www.myidfix.com/ http://www.identitytheftassistance.org/index.html http://identitytheftnow.com/ ORDERING CHILDRENS REPORTS (yes, its free) https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/helpfaq ORDERING YOURS: ONLINE, PHONE, MAIL (yes, its free) https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/order FAQ ABOUT CREDIT REPORTS https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/helpfaq FAIR DEBT COLLECTION http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/fdc.htm STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS http://www.fair-debt-collection.com/statue-limitations-explained.html EACH STATES SoL http://www.fair-debt-collection.com/statue-limitations.html http://www.fair-credit-reporting.com/credit-laws/credit-reporting-periods.html CAPITAL ONE http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Banking/YourCreditRating/WeirdStuffThatHurtsYourCredit.aspx?GT1=8885 Capital One refuses to report its customers' credit limits to the three major credit bureaus. Instead, the bureaus use the highest balance a customer has charged as a proxy for the limit. As a result, the customers' all-important "debt utilization ratios" -- the portion of their available credit these borrowers are actually using -- can appear artificially high. That can depress borrowers' credit scores, the three-digit numbers lenders use to help determine creditworthiness. Lower credit scores can mean higher interest rates on mortgages, car loans and other borrowing, as well as potentially higher insurance premiums, since many insurers also use credit-scoring systems to help gauge risk. CREDIT REPORT INFO / REPAIRS / DISPUTES http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre21.htm http://www.kiplinger.com/columns/starting/archive/2007/st0221.htm http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/cc/20040116b1.asp https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/helpfaq http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/forms/credit-report-error-fix.asp http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/bankruptcy/20070313_credit_report_stains_a1.asp http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/forms/credit-report-error-fix.txt http://bankrate.com/ http://www.occ.treas.gov/customer.htm TO ORDER A FREE CREDIT REPORT (all three are free once a year) Equifax P.O. Box 740241 Atlanta, GA 30374 www.equifax.com 1-800-685-1111 _______________ Experian P.O. Box 19719 Irvine, CA 92623 www.experian.com 1-888-397-3742 _______________ TransUnion P.O. Box 2000 Chester, PA 19022 www.transunion.com 1-800-916-8800 FIND YOUR REPS http://www.usa.gov/ http://www.usa.gov/Agencies/State_and_Territories.shtml http://www.nga.org http://www.naag.org/attorneys_general.php http://judiciary.senate.gov/ you were right on with it.. and YES, i would put a freeze on your credit report (some states allow a freeze) so no new accounts could be opened without your permission.

–10 MILLION people per year are victims of Identity Theft.

–Todays growing target for criminals; are children and teens identities (SS#). Why? Because parents never think to check/protect their childrens reports.

1) run a free credit report from each agency (your allowed one free one per year, per agency). you need to know, so you need to get them.
2) Check your childrens also (check the link below as to how to)
3) if ID Theft has occurred, you need to make a police report first. the rest of what you need to do, is listed in the links below (with GREAT info too).
4) some states allow you to ‘lock’ or ‘freeze’ credit reports; to protect against theft. if your state allows it, lock ‘em down. that way, no one can open an account on them.
5) once you discover their credit reports have activity on them, then contact each credit reporting agency (the 3 major ones) and report the ID Theft… and request they lock the reports (usually they automatically do it, but ask for it anyway).

REMEMBER; you are only allowed to run credit reports on YOURSELF and YOUR MINOR CHILDREN (NO, not when they are adults).

To run a report on anyone else, they have to authorize it, and you better have proof of that authorization. If you do it without their knowledge, you are legally liable and they can not only report you to the state/federal authorities, but they may decide to sue you in a court of law.
http://www.ftc.gov/credit/
http://www.ftc.gov/privacy/index.html

http://www.ftc.gov/os/2002/05/67fr36585.pdf
“…security or integrity of such records; and
protect against unauthorized access to
or use of such records or information
that could result in substantial harm or
inconvenience to any customer.
EFFECTIVE DATE: This rule is effective on
May 23, 2003.”

‘Active Duty’ Alerts Help Protect Military
Personnel from Identity Theft
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/dutyalrt.htm

ID THEFT HELP/ INFO
http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/idtheft.html
http://www.ic3.gov/
http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/con_steps.htm
http://www.idtheftcenter.org/index.shtml
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/credit/index.html
http://www.fraudguides.com/consumer-identity-theft-children.asp
http://www.ripoffreport.com/
http://www.fightidentitytheft.com/
http://www.ncpc.org/media/current.php
https://rn.ftc.gov/pls/dod/widtpubl$.startup?Z_ORG_CODE=PU03
http://www.myidfix.com/
http://www.identitytheftassistance.org/index.html
http://identitytheftnow.com/

ORDERING CHILDRENS REPORTS
(yes, its free)
https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/helpfaq

ORDERING YOURS: ONLINE, PHONE, MAIL
(yes, its free)
https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/order

FAQ ABOUT CREDIT REPORTS
https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/helpfaq

FAIR DEBT COLLECTION
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/fdc.htm

STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS
http://www.fair-debt-collection.com/statue-limitations-explained.html
EACH STATES SoL
http://www.fair-debt-collection.com/statue-limitations.html
http://www.fair-credit-reporting.com/credit-laws/credit-reporting-periods.html

CAPITAL ONE
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Banking/YourCreditRating/WeirdStuffThatHurtsYourCredit.aspx?GT1=8885
Capital One refuses to report its customers’ credit limits to the three major credit bureaus. Instead, the bureaus use the highest balance a customer has charged as a proxy for the limit.

As a result, the customers’ all-important "debt utilization ratios" — the portion of their available credit these borrowers are actually using — can appear artificially high. That can depress borrowers’ credit scores, the three-digit numbers lenders use to help determine creditworthiness.

Lower credit scores can mean higher interest rates on mortgages, car loans and other borrowing, as well as potentially higher insurance premiums, since many insurers also use credit-scoring systems to help gauge risk.

CREDIT REPORT INFO / REPAIRS / DISPUTES
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre21.htm
http://www.kiplinger.com/columns/starting/archive/2007/st0221.htm
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/cc/20040116b1.asp
https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/helpfaq
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/forms/credit-report-error-fix.asp
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/bankruptcy/20070313_credit_report_stains_a1.asp
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/forms/credit-report-error-fix.txt
http://bankrate.com/
http://www.occ.treas.gov/customer.htm

TO ORDER A FREE CREDIT REPORT
(all three are free once a year)

Equifax
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374
http://www.equifax.com
1-800-685-1111
_______________
Experian
P.O. Box 19719
Irvine, CA 92623
http://www.experian.com
1-888-397-3742
_______________
TransUnion
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19022
http://www.transunion.com
1-800-916-8800

FIND YOUR REPS
http://www.usa.gov/
http://www.usa.gov/Agencies/State_and_Territories.shtml
http://www.nga.org
http://www.naag.org/attorneys_general.php
http://judiciary.senate.gov/

]]>