The Court Of Public Opinion

Identity Theft scams continue to flourish on the web. One that you need to be aware of and beware of is any site that seems to be selling high-demand items (digital cameras for instance) at a much lower (almost unbelievable) price than you can find on other sites or the manufacturers site.

Often the victims are told to pay nothing until they receive the merchandise. The person behind the scam uses the victims name and a credit card number belonging to another person to purchase the item at a legitimate site.

Once the item is shipped, the victim then authorizes his credit card to be billed or sends payment directly to the scammer. The scammer has now put you in the position of being in receipt of stolen merchandise while they get away with your money.

Another scam that still seems to be working is being contacted through e-mail by someone claiming to be from your credit card company, your internet service provider, Paypal, or Ebay.

The scammer will send a message stating that your account information needs to be verified because their files were hacked into, their database crashed or they believe that someone has tried to steal your account information and they want to verify your information in order to protect your account. The con artist then uses the information supplied to verify your account to run up fraudulent charges.

NEVER give personal information to a company, such as AOL or Ebay, that already has it. If you are suspicious about being contacted, contact the company yourself before giving out any personal information.

About The Author

2003, Your Free Credit Report Now

Author: James H. Dimmitt.

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Chances are good that you know someone who has been victimized by the fastest growing crime - identity theft. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported that there were 10 million cases of identity theft in 2002 alone. Its estimated that someones identity is stolen every 79 seconds.

The bad news is with increasing amounts of personal information available to an experienced identity thief, it shows few signs of slowing down. The good news is that identity fraud is now a federal crime with stiff penalties for those who perpetrate these crimes.

Here are a few simple steps you can take now to minimize your risk:

1) Check your credit report annually, if not more often. Most victims of identity theft dont realize theyve been victimized until 14 months after the crime. By then the damage is done and you will spend a significant amount of time and money trying to correct it.

2) Keep your Social Security number private. Do not have it printed on your personal checks or drivers license. Do not share it with anyone, including merchants, unless they can provide a good reason for having it. Once someone has your Social Security number they have the key to unlocking your identity and using it fraudulently.

3) Shred offers for pre-approved credit cards that you receive by mail. Do the same with any receipts that contain account numbers or your Social Security number. Identity thieves are not afraid to go dumpster diving in order to obtain your personal information.

Identity theft has become the fastest growing crime because it is the most profitable crime. On average, the loss from identity theft is about $18,000.00. Taking these precautions now can you save you from becoming another statistic in the fight against identity theft.

About The Author

2004, http://www.yourfreecreditreportnow.com

James H. Dimmitt

James is editor of TO YOUR CREDIT, a weekly free newsletter. Subscribe to the newsletter by visiting http://www.yourfreecreditreportnow.com. He is also author of Identity Theft - How to Avoid Becoming the Next Victim! available at http://tinyurl.com/bc45

jimdim815@aol.com

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