How does identity theft protection work?
Identity theft protection can be implemented in a number of different ways by consumers, banks and businesses. There are a number of ways for both people and businesses to protect themselves against identity fraud. Some of the more useful ways for people to protect against identity theft include:Beware of phishing scams – never click on links provided via e-mail, they tend to have malware.Beware of social engineering scams. Banks, governments and online retailers never ask people for their personal information (ID card numbers, account or credit card numbers, passwords and PINs) via e-mail, phone calls or direct messaging.Keep your personal information secure and avoid giving out any potential identity information on social media platforms. Block your stolen credit card as soon as possible and report the theft.On the other hand, businesses can also use identity theft protection to keep out fraudsters. One of the commonly used measures for fraud protection is digital KYC or Know Your Customer verifications. KYC services allow businesses to detect fraud in real-time through ID verification and facial recognition. Identity theft protection services generally use an AI-powered verification software that verifies individual users by allowing them to scan their ID document(s). They can also authenticate users on the basis of their facial scans.Other than that, businesses can monitor customer transactions in order to point out suspicious activity. They can do so using machine learning algorithms and predictive analytics. Such systems track past behaviour of customers and use it to predict and detect possible fraudulent transactions.Learn more about identity theft protection here.
Which services do billionaires use to prevent identity theft?
Question:“Which services do billionaires use to prevent identity theft?”My answer:You ask a great question. I have a lot of clients who are millionaires and multi-millionaires. No billionaires (as of yet!). How I got to know them was that I helped to protect their employees at their respective companies.Millionaires and billionaires are human too. And to an identity thief, ANYONE is gold for them. Identity theft doesn’t care who you are, or how much money you have in the account.Most people do not understand that identity theft is much more than just financial. The best example here is the Equifax data breach. 145.5 million Americans are affected and the most sensitive information such as driver licenses, social security cards, date of births, addresses and more were stolen.My point Stanley, is that if a millionaire sees value in protecting their employees against identity theft (and their families), then you should too.I was a victim myself a few years ago. I would recommend going with a company called IDShield. Reason is because they are rather affordable and I love how they assigned me a licensed private investigator to handle most of the work on my behalf. All he asked me to do was to sign a limited power of attorney sheet! that’s it!I attached a reference below for you:
My ID and computer were stolen out of my car. How can I prevent identity theft?
You can’t.If someone is planning on using your identity for theft, there is nothing that you can do to prevent it.You can, however, mitigate it by taking several steps:File a police report - In the report, detail all of the items which were taken, no matter how insignificant that you think that they are.Contact all of your credit issuers and your bank and have your cards cancelled - The sooner that you do this, the better. Credit card companies legally can only hold you responsible for the first $50 in charges (almost all of them waive the charges) and your bank has to replace any fraudulent withdrawals made from your account as long as you report the theft within 60 days.Place a fraud alert on your credit reports - This will be a huge pain in the ass for as long as you have it on them, but it will prevent people from easily receiving credit using your identity.Contact the local library if you have a card and tell them that you have lost your card - Many people forget this and it’s a bad idea to do so because A) A crook can check numerous new and expensive books and videos on your account and sell them. B) The crook can have the library give them a copy of the form that you completed to obtain your card. That document has personal information on it which may not have been in your wallet.Check your driving record with your state licensing agency - The crook may attempt to pass himself off as you during traffic stops and that could lead to your being fined or arrested for outstanding traffic violations. Also, you might wish to check to see if any titles were issued to you for any vehicles that you may own or not own as crooks can use your ID to get a new title for your vehicle and either get a loan against it or steal it later and then sell it.Contact your medical insurer - A crook can use your medical insurance card to charge healthcare and dental work and to obtain prescription medicines (especially painkillers) to sell.Check your cell provider and see if additional phones or mobile devices have been issued in your name - A crook could obtain numerous new phones on your account and then sell them at a profit. Or use them until they are caught.Check your state’s corporation bureau/Secretary of State - A crook (or whoever he sells your identity papers to) could start a business using your information. This could put you tens of thousands of dollars in debt (or more) and result in numerous agencies looking for you (actually, the crook pretending to be you) for a wide variety charges.Keep a copy of your police report with you at all times - While the police have grown used to ID fraud, some may still detain or arrest you if you are pulled over. Having a copy of the report will make things far less difficult if you are stopped or detained.Expect the unexpected - There many ways that your ID can be misused by a skilled ID thief. From buying aircraft and boats on your credit, to purchasing firearms, to obtaining Internet service in your name and then using it for fraud or for downloading child pornography, if your identity is indeed compromised, you should ready for whatever might happen.Good Luck.
Identity theft: How dangerous is it to toss out old catalogs and other junk mail without obliterating my name and address from them?
It's extremely dangerous for anyone to know your name and address as nothing would prevent such a person from knocking on your door and then saying your name, combined with some form of greeting, when you opened the door. Even if you wisely choose never to open your door, such a person could say your name while you were on the other side of that door, in a foyer perhaps, which you would be forced to hear. This person could just say your name outloud anywhere, in a bar or a Starbucks, and act like he or she knew you, and if anyone says otherwise, respond, "well then how do I know his home address?"
How common is identity theft in India?
Identity theft, also known as identity fraud, is a crime in which an imposter obtains key pieces of personally identifiable information, such as ADHARcard number or driver's license numbers, in order to impersonate someone else.The information can be used to obtain credit, merchandise and services in the name of the victim, or to provide the thief with false credentials. In addition to running up debt, in rare cases, an imposter might provide false identification to police, creating a criminal record or leaving outstanding arrest warrants for the person whose identity has been stolen.Types and examples of identity theftIdentity theft is categorized two ways: true name and account takeover. True-name identity theft means the thief uses personal information to open new accounts. The thief might open a new credit card account, establish cellular phone service or open a new checking account in order to obtain blank checks.Account-takeover identity theft means the imposter uses personal information to gain access to the person's existing accounts. Typically, the thief will change the mailing address on an account and run up a huge bill before the person whose identity has been stolen realizes there is a problem. The internet has made it easier for an identity thief to use the information they've stolen, because transactions can be made without any personal interaction.There are many different examples of identity theft, such as:Tax-related identity theft, where a thief files a false tax return with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) using a stolen Social Security number.Medical identity theft, where a thief steals information, including health insurance member numbers, to receive medical services. The victim's health insurance provider may get the fraudulent bills, which will be reflected in the victim's account as services they received.Child identity theft, where a child's Social Security number is misused to apply for government benefits, open bank accounts and other services. Children's information is often sought after by criminals, as the damage may go unnoticed for a long time.Senior identity theft, where a senior is the target of an identity thief. Seniors are often in contact with medical professionals and insurance providers, and may be used to giving out their personal information. They may also not be as aware of the scamming methods thieves use to steal their information.Identity theft techniquesAlthough an identity thief might hack into a database to obtain personal information, experts say it's more likely the thief would obtain information by using old-fashioned methods. Dumpster diving, or retrieving personal paperwork and discarded mail from public trash dumpsters and the trash of businesses, is one of the easiest ways for an identity thief to get information. Recipients of preapproved credit card applications often discard them without shredding them first, leaving identity thieves free to attempt activating the cards and using them.Another popular method to get information is shoulder surfing: The identity thief simply stands next to someone in a public venue, such the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and observes as the person fills out personal information on a form or conveys it over the telephone.Steps to take for identity theft.Phishing and spam email are used as methods of tricking people into offering up their information to identity thieves masquerading as legitimate financial entities, a colleague the recipient trusts or an individual who makes monetary promises in exchange for information. The email may contain attachments bearing malware designed to steal personal data or links to fraudulent websites where the person would be prompted to enter their information.How to tell if your identity has been stolenHere are some warning signs that a person may be an identity theft victim:Victim notices withdrawals from their bank account that weren't made by them.Victim doesn't receive bills or other important pieces of mail containing sensitive information.Victim finds false accounts and charges on their credit report.Victim is rejected from a health plan because their medical records reflect a condition they don't have.Victim receives an Internal Revenue Service notification that another tax return was filed under their name.Victim is notified of a data breach at a company that stores their personal information.If a person has lost or has had his wallet containing bank cards, driver's license and other forms of identification stolen, it is possible their information may end up being used to commit identity theft.Identity theft recoveryDepending on the type of information stolen, the victim should contact the appropriate organization -- the bank, credit card company, health insurance provider or the IRS -- and inform them of the situation. The victim should request to have their account frozen or closed to prevent further charges, claims or actions taken by imposters. The identity theft victim should file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission and inform one of the three major credit bureaus -- Equifax, Experian and TransUnion -- in order to have a fraud alert or account freeze placed on their credit records.If someone's personal information was compromised in a data breach, they should follow up with the company responsible to see what types of assistance and protections it may have in place for victims and their data.Image source :- ,Google
What products and services are most-likely to leave you vulnerable to identity theft or spying?
Theoretically any product or service you acquire online, either by accessing a website or by replying to an email, can leave you vulnerable to identity theft. That’s because scammers are now employing very sophisticated malware and spoofing technologies.For example, they can now plant malware in a real estate firm’s server and access an agent’s email to see who is in the process of buying a home. They will then contact the buyer, knowing everything there is about him or her and their transaction, and request that a wire transfer to cover the purchase be sent to the scammer’s own bank account. Once the money has been paid the scammer closes the account and disappears. Yes, this has happened plenty of times!Another example is spoofed web sites that look exactly like, say, the IRS’s or your bank’s. Or Netflix’s. The scammers will send phishing emails to a million people at a time that look like they’re coming from Netflix and ask you to verify your identity on the spoofed site. Once you do they’ve got all they need. And with over 100 million subscribers, the odds are that whoever they spam is in fact a Netflix customer.Plenty more examples where these come from.
