|
As criminal cases of identity theft increase in numbers and severity, we are sometimes forced into a defensive mode of identity protection. Often our readers write us about their identity theft cases and ask questions which we try to answer as much as possible. Their issues range from debit card fraud to social security number theft for employment purposes. The sluggish economy, unemployment, business security incidents and negligence, and sophistication of fraudsters are causing the increase in identity theft cases and making prevention and detection even harder. For example, our personal information are increasingly being lost or shared by businesses and fraudulent transactions are designed to bypass banks’ fraud detection systems. Monitoring account activities and promptly following up on suspicious or actual cases of fraud is very important to detect and resolve identity fraud. Although prevention is still the most important aspect of a sound identity protection strategy, you must also be very proactive to detect fraud on a timely basis. Set up account alerts to be notified when a transaction hits your account, periodically monitor account activities online or by phone, review your monthly account statements, get free copies of your credit report and carefully review them, and sign up for automated services to be notified when a change is made to your credit report. These steps will help you detect identity fraud on a timely basis. Please continue to share your stories or questions and we will consolidate and answer your questions in future issues of Identity Management Journal or our identity theft blog as much as possible. Recent blog articles are listed below for your convenience. If you are interested in individual or group identity protection education and professional certification, please contact us or visit Identity Diet and Identity Management Institute websites. Until next time, be identity safe, Recent Consumer Articles Where is My Tax Refund? - Many people who file their taxes and expect a tax refund usually just ask one question while they impatiently wait for their refund check which is where is my tax refund? Replace Social Security Card - There are times when you must replace social security card especially when you discover someone else is using your card for credit and employment purposes or if you lost the card. Debix Identity Protection - As a result of an IBM security incident and notification in January 2011, my health insurance provider, Health Net, offered me a free Debix identity protection for two years. Recent Business Articles Call Center Training - Many companies realize the necessity of call center training for reducing customer service risks including fraud, corporate espionage, customer disloyalty, lawsuits and penalties. |