Steps to Avoid Identity Theft with your Stolen Checks

The simplest way for fraud to get access to your bank statement is by the use of your own checks. Well, how could other people get your checks? It is so simple! They just snatch your checkbook when you are about to pay for your purchases or they can just pick it from your pockets or bags.

Checks are usually susceptible to thieves especially if you are not attending to it that much. The thief may get one piece of your check or worse, he or she might take your whole check book.

Once you realize that your check book is missing or stolen, you should stop payments for it and have them cancelled. It is wise that you should inform your bank immediately after you realize your check is missing. It is also necessary to request for any check verification service from the bank to know if your missing or stolen checks have already been used

However, if you are a check user and afraid of being a victim of identity theft, here are steps which you can use to protect yourself from having your financial identity, through your stolen checks, used by a thief on his/her shopping spree:

1. Request for an annual credit report from the three major credit agencies to verify all your account transactions. This is to make sure that there are no strange activities in your credit report.

2. Make sure to report all your stolen checks. In addition, it is also good to have a copy of your checking account number. Notify your bank once your check is missing or stolen.

3. Do not put your checkbook in a purse or bag together with your valid ids or passports.

4. Make sure not to put any checking account statements in your mailbox.

5. Request for privacy procedures and information application from your bank. Know the situation once your bank gives your checking account information to someone.

6. Keep all your checking accounts statements to know if you issued each check appropriately.

7. When requesting for a new checkbook, be sure to claim it at your bank personally. Do not permit your bank to just mail it to you since most thieves acquire your personal and financial information by stealing your mails.

8. Do not put your Social Security number on your checks. Do not write/print any of your financial credit information outside an envelope.

9. Review all your check statement and cashed checks using your periodic bank statements to know if there are any unofficial transaction and charges.

10. When applying for a checking account, it is wise to ask the bank how they dispose of your application. Once you have received a confirmation about your checking account application, be sure to shred it to pieces.

11. When writing on your check, use a permanent marker with fine point and write a line before your write the amount. In this way you are already avoiding someone to write an additional “something” on your check.

12. Once you notice that one of your checks is missing, immediately contact your bank about it. You can also file a report to the nearest police station and have a copy of the police report to present to the bank if ever they ask for it.

By having a correct and complete account records, you are preventing identity theft happening to you.

Just follow the steps given, and you will be sure of the safety of your checks and your personal protection therefore, avoiding identity theft.

How to Avoid Identity Theft: Keeping your Financial Records Safe

Picture this, you are browsing through your mail, you get your bills and you didn’t count on seeing your credit card bill with a five-figure charge. Its bad enough that you get charged for purchases you didn’t do, you also get slapped with a bad credit rating that will certainly jack up all your credit rates.

Aside from that, the legitimate card holder can also suffer from different consequences. The credit account can be transferred to fraudulent individuals or corporations and the savings data will leak permanently. Important information like credit card password and numbers are also stolen. Client’s confidentiality can also be changed by the impersonator. Worse, the social security of a person may be used for different criminal acts.

In most part of the globe, the issue on identity theft is a rapid growing offense. In United States, a study was conducted last 2004 revealing how serious the situation of the crime is. The Federal Trade Commission recently concluded that almost 9.1 million individuals are victims of identity theft crimes.

Aside from that, in a United Kingdom based study done last 2003, 20 percent of the entire consumer groups have also fell victim to identity theft crisis. On the other hand, the Home Office in United Kingdom does not assemble the information for identity theft. Instead, they make some alternatives on how to avoid this kind of situations. This only goes to show that identity theft is prevalent in both sides of the globe.

How to prevent credit card identity theft from happening

In order to prevent this kind of scenario, here are some important insights and safety tips about identity theft.

• Leaving the receipt or pay slip on any ATM station or gas pumps is not a good habit. Be observant with details. Always make sure to lock and sort out files for bills, and bank account receipts. Before throwing those things away make sure to shred them first. Bits and pieces of information can be used by a seasoned identity thief.

• In a current investigation done by the FBI, 30 percent of the victims admitted that they had been a victim of identity theft by a co-worker or a friend. In this case, be very wary of the people around you. Don’t just trust any bank documents to anyone else. Most of the suspects know the pattern and lifestyles of their victims

• Do not forget to get a copy of credit reports and statements. Get it from a reliable source like credit banking and bureaus.

• Choose out of the mailing list. The bank mailing list must come from the contacts of credit bureaus. As much as possible, call the bank registry office. This office can give an idea which mailing list is safe from identity theft.

• Never write down the security card number on the check. Many individuals can read it and can use it against the account. Do not also put the security card number in the wallet. It must be kept on a secured area for privacy.

• Another thing is, never print the bank account number on any documents, like for example a driver’s license.

• Delete any spam email messages that requires an account number. It can be a fraud strategy top get vital information from you. And also, stop other credit card offers from the internet. There are some hackers that can corrupt the bank notifications. Installing firewall and anti spyware software can also help. These softwares can protect the password of the computer and other personal data sheets.

• When getting a new batch of checks, it is important to get first the initial printed name instead of the whole name. It is also important to get the check from designated bank purchaser office.

• The password account must be private. The pin number must not be carried inside the wallet. Any personal information should not be given over the phone.

As an advice, if an individual feels that he is a victim of an identity theft, it is appropriate to contact the nearest Justice Department. If not, a bank office can also help in that particular situation. Remember, in every action, taking extra care and getting help from the appropriate agencies is the safest thing to do.

How to Avoid Becoming a Victim of Identity Theft?

Identity theft simply putting it is a case of someone else assuming another person’s identity with the intention of committing fraud which usually results to trails of ruined credit, debts and collectors. And in most cases identity theft can lead to wrongful arrest.

The worst thing about identity theft is that most victim will only know that their identity have been robbed after everything that they have worked hard for is taken from them and the sad part is that most of the offenders usually gets away with it.

The case of identity theft is increasing in an alarming rate every year and to the great number of people who have become a victim of this crime the experience is comparable to a terrifying nightmare that has made them to live a life of fear and uncertainty. In what manner can your identity be robbed? There are actually so many ways on how an identity thief can acquire information about you like from your driver’s license, bank accounts, credit card accounts and others.

After the thief gathered all your information he or she will then direct all the bills and statements of his or her transactions to a temporary address. This is now where he or she waste all of your credit line for all its worth in cash advances, loans and credit card debt without the least intention of paying. After you are financially drained that is the only time that the thief will stop using your identity.

However, there are also some cases wherein an identity thief assumes somebody else’s identity not with the purpose of financially robbing the person but just to destroy the reputation of the person. This is usually where wrongful arrest occurs.

High Technology Provides a Great Venue for Identity Thieves

With today’s advanced technology it is no longer surprising that even identity thieves have also utilized the up-to-date resources especially in terms of the internet. Most of the identity thieves make use of the information provided by customers during online transactions. So if you are one of those avid consumers of online products and services you are a potential victim of identity theft.

The Federal Trade Commission suggests ways on how you can avoid becoming a victim of identity theft and here are some of them:

· Never give more than the information that is required of you especially in shopping online or in joining online services. Likewise, refrain from answering unsolicited emails since most thieves’ poses as representatives of legitimate businesses and often times would require for you to supply some additional personal information about yourself.

In cases such as this it would be wise if you would contact the company and ask them about the email and why they are asking for some very personal information. If the company denied the email then you better report the person that has sent you the email to FTC (Federal Trade Commission) or you can send a fraud alert to consumer reporting companies so that they can keep track of the thief.




· For your additional protection try also to place passwords on your bank accounts, credit card accounts as well as your other lines of credit. Make use of other numbers other than your social security number to guard against identity theft.

· Always keep your social security card in a safe place. If you want you can place it on a safety box or if you have a home safe you can also place your social security card there together with some of your other important documents. And for those who are fond of putting their social security number on their wallet just be careful not to lose your wallet or else you might just wake one day with somebody else walking around town posing as you.

· As much as possible keep refrain from giving out your social security number unless of course you are to obtain a credit report, loan or some other legitimate transactions. If ever you are to conduct other transactions that are entirely different from the above stated and is required to give your social security number be sure to ask why your social security number is needed and always try to find out the legitimacy of your transaction before giving away such important information.

· If you are an avid web user make sure to refrain from giving any personal information to web sites that are not employing Secure Sockets Layer especially in transferring information. Look for web sites that make use of https and encrypt all information between your computer and the site. Likewise, always read the privacy policy of the web site in order to gain insight on how they process and secure information their gathered information.