ID Theft - Prevent Id Theft Knowledge Base

Prevent Id Theft Knowledge Base

How to Prevent ID Theft after Income Tax Return was Stolen? My dad's truck was stolen and he had left his entire tax return inside. What are the immediate steps he should take to prevent ID fraud. I appreciate your help.

If I live abroad how can I prevent ID theft in US? For instance can I use my Soc sec # to stop any new applications or money transactions by reporting it to some US Goverment Body?

Who provides the best credit card monitoring service to prevent from ID theft?

How to prevent mail ID theft? For the past few days my friends complain that they hav been receiving irrelevant mails from my ID which i have not send. All those mails have had an attachment and obviously the attachemnts had virus in them! I changed my password but how could i make sure that this does not happen again! Is there a possiblity of filing a complaint with the yahoo customer care? This is my main ID and I would lose lot of mails if i change it! what could i possibly do! My last option would be to deactivate my ID. what else could i do to save my ID. Please suggest!

does anyone know how to prevent ID theft ?

I lost my social security card and birth certificate. how do I prevent ID theft?Who do I contact?

Tips to prevent ID theft?

Could a P.O Box help prevent ID theft?

What do you think about the new secure ID law? Do you think that it will really work? Or do you think that illegal immagrants will find another way to use one's ID? Do you think that it will actually prevent ID theft?

Solution to ID Theft? Do you think a biometric scanning flash drive would be a good way to help prevent ID Theft?

Best product or insurance out there to protect against ID fraud.? I know the personal step I can take to prevent ID theft but is there some anything out there? Software or credit alerts to protect myself. Not sure on how much more I can do to prevent theft.

So are you cool with the National ID card Act? The Act about the card that has the computer chip in it? so the government can track the card movement in order to prevent ID theft? So are you all gonna be cool with it when they decide forget putting the chip in the card and start putting it in peoples hands and foreheads???? Then they would have a fool proff method of preventing ID theft!!! Anyone ever heard of the mark of the beast??? Oh no, don't you think it is a good idea for the government to know what we are doing every second of every day??? Surely privacy is not one of our rights, is it???

How to get really protected from ID theft? One of my friends just told me many people where he lives, included him, have been victims of ID theft, he had to cancel all of his accounts because of this, but anyway there have already done 4 million dollars charges in his credit card. What can a person do in such a situation??? what can we do to prevent it???

Is there a financial alert you can put out if you are afraid of ID theft? I lost the paperwork for opening a new bank account, and it had a signed check attached to it. It had all my info on it - social sec. #, bank account #s, my home address and my signature. I am worried about identity theft. Is there anything I can do to prevent it or some alert that can go out to the financial world?

How do you prevent Identity Theft? What are things you do in everyday life that prevent identity theft? I have my name on all my cards without my middle initial, I do not sign the back. It says see photo ID. My legal signature ALWAYS has my middle initial on it. So if there is ever a dispute, I win! I ALWAYS take my mail containing checks to the post office. The red flag you pull up for the postman is a red flag for thieves too. They can take your check and alter it. Also, keep a gel pen in your checkbook, the gel can't be lifted from your checks the way ballpoint ink can.

If a tax return document has been lost in the mail, does this open us to ID theft? We were supposed to receive a 1099S form from the attorney's office for the sale of my mother's estate, following her death. We never received the tax forms that were mailed, and had to obtain copies from the attorney's office so we could file our tax return. I am concerned because those forms include a social security number. Assuming the worst - that someone tampered with our mail and now possess that information, is there anything I can or should do to prevent problems later?

What is Identity safe with Nortons? Is it better to use it rather than keying in information each time? I have heard that there is a virus that sends all of your keystrokes to the bad guys so that they can use your private info; so every time you key in a password or credit card number you are vulunerable. I also know you are vulunerable if you store your information on your computer even with a company like Norton. Which is the best and safest solution to prevent ID theft?

Can dog tags issued be used for ID theft? If so, how can this be prevented?

Why do people get mad when I ask for an ID for their debit cards? I work at a fast food restaurant, and we accept debit and credit cards. Whenever I ask for ID and someone is paying with a debit card, they get mad and say "Well,it's a debit card,why do I need ID?" I guess it's because they think they need to type in their pin,but that's not always the case. Every card swipes as credit on our machine,even if it's a debit. It's because you have to enter that it's debit manually, and we never do that. Therefore, there's no need to put in the pin. So, if that same person's card got stolen, and we didn't ask for ID, a thief could use their debit card. But the customers still get mad. But it's for their own protection and to prevent identity theft.

Identity Theft -- Current Laws? So..I have to write a research paper on a great issue in the U.S. with some kind of a law, or bill waiting to be passed on it. I chose to do mine on ID theft. All the good ones were taken.[abortion, patriot act, ect.] Well I was hoping someone could give me a list of all of the current laws going on right now to prevent Identity theft, because before I write about how there are no laws going on and how the gov. should do more I want to know all the current laws going on. Also, this needs to be arumental. I have my side, which is that THe goverment needs to do more for ID theft like passing more laws and bills that prevent it. BUTTTT I need an opposing views argument... HELP! OKAYY...Hope you can help me out. THANK YOU ALL!

Pre-emptive ID Theft protection? I left a usb flash drive at a public computer and it was swiped. It has sensitive information on it including documents with my name, address, social security number and name of my employer. Also one of my previous addresses. Given the nature of the place, where left items are usually turned in at a nearby counter, I know I can't rely on the goodwill of whoever took it. I don't think my credit is good enough for anyone to get a credit card under my name, though I still intend to be wary of that. What pre-emptive measures can I take to prevent misuse of the information on the drive, particularly ones that would could cause me financial or legal damage? It's copies of pay stubs I'm talking about here, which had to be transported and printed. My printer doesn't work so I had no choice. My employer shouldn't be printing my ssn but I can't really change the way they do things.

Does anyone else have Identity theft protection ? Where dou you get it? I have been considering joining idwatchdog to help prevent my identity from being stolen. Do you have any id theft protection and is it worth while? Thanx in advance

Need help proofreading? “The Government’s Response to Hurricane Katrina” Hurricane Katrina was the most destructive natural disaster to ever hit America. Over 90,000 square miles of land was destroyed, about the size of the United Kingdom. In Mississippi, the storm obliterated coastal communities and left thousands destitute. New Orleans was overwhelmed by flooding. Along the Gulf Coast, tens of thousands suffered without basic essentials for almost a week. More than 1500 people died and not just from the storm alone. Suffering continued in the days and weeks after the storm passed because of the government’s failure at all levels to plan, prepare for and respond aggressively to the storm. In this paper, will explain how the government’s response to Hurricane Katrina greatly affected the nation and the many factors that show the government’s inability to plan, prepare for, and respond to national catastrophes lead to one of the most talked about event in history. The first factor is the long term warnings that went unheeded. Before Hurricane Katrina, government officials knew for forty years of the potentially devastating threat of a catastrophic hurricane to the Gulf region and the destruction it could cause. Government officials had plenty of time to prepare for a catastrophic hurricane but refused to heed the warnings of past hurricanes to the gulf coast. For example when New Orleans experienced flooding in some areas of remarkably similar proportions from Hurricane Betsy in 1965, and when Hurricane Camille devastated the Gulf Coast in 1969 (NOAA/ National Weather Services). When Hurricane George hit the Gulf in 1998, the state of Louisiana to ask FEMA for assistance with catastrophic hurricane planning but little was accomplished in the six years of planning. With six years of planning, the government should have had time to develop and test a catastrophic hurricane plan. In 2004, numerous experts and governmental officials had been anticipating an increase in violent hurricanes, and New Orleans’ special and growing vulnerability to catastrophic flooding due to changing geological and other conditions. If these facts were known, why weren’t plans made in order to prevent a disaster such as this from happening? It seems as though that officials at every level of government did not appear to grasp the magnitude of the storm’s potential for destruction before it made landfall despite strongly worded advisories from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) and personal warnings from NHC Director Max Mayfield. Mayfield was so worried about Hurricane Katrina that he called the governors of Louisiana, Mississippi, and the mayor of New Orleans to discuss the effect Hurricane Katrina might have on their regions. Mayfield even talked about the force of Katrina during a video conference call to President Bush at his ranch in Crawford, Texas (Lush). If Mayfield was so worried about the effects of the storm, why weren’t his advice heeded and the necessary precautions taken to reduce the effects of Hurricane Katrina? The second factor was the terrible decisions in the days before the hurricane hit. Some coastal towns in Mississippi went to extraordinary lengths to get citizens to evacuate, including sending people door-to-door to convince people to move out of harm’s way. While New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin only orders a mandatory evacuation of all residents from the city of New Orleans. Yet instead of asking for assistance to help residents who lacked the means to leave the city, he orders the Superdome to be opened as a shelter of last resort. The Superdome proved to be more like a prison than a shelter. More than 20,000 people were forced to reside inside the Superdome without working plumbing, food, water, and other necessities for nearly two weeks. Yet Ray Nagin decided that this was appropriate shelter for those people instead of evacuating everyone out of the city. Hurricane Katrina’s devastating effects were felt before the storm even reached the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005. In the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Katrina battered the offshore energy infrastructure and forced the evacuation of more than 75 percent of the Gulf’s 819 manned oil platforms. Two days before landfall, U.S. energy companies estimated that the approaching storm had already reduced Gulf of Mexico oil production by more than a third. The government knew that if Hurricane Katrina had that much force to evacuate 819 manned oil platforms, that the havoc it would reap on the New Orleans would be devastating. Despite the understanding of the Gulf Coast’s vulnerability to hurricane devastation, officials braced for Katrina with full awareness of critical deficiencies in their plans and enormous holes in their resources. While Katrina’s destructive force could not be denied, state and local officials did not have enough of the resources at their disposal. And even though the Governors of the three affected states requested, and President Bush issued, emergency declarations before the Hurricane hit, none of it actually prepared citizens for what they were about to experience. Another terrible decision was the lack of transportation and supplies. FEMA failed to approach other federal agencies for help with transportation to ensure that the city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana had the means to evacuate their citizens. The City of New Orleans was unprepared to help people evacuate, as many buses from the city’s own fleet were submerged, while at the same time officials had not arranged in advance for drivers for those buses that were available. On Monday, August 29, 2005, Governor Blanco asked FEMA Director Michael Brown for buses, and Brown assured the state the same day that 500 buses were en route to assist in the evacuation of New Orleans and would arrive within hours. In spite of Brown’s assurances and the state’s continued requests over the course of the next two days, FEMA did not direct the U.S. Department of Transportation to send buses until very early on Wednesday, two days after Hurricane Katrina hit and the levees had broken, and the buses did not begin to arrive at all until Wednesday evening and not in significant numbers until Thursday (Millholom). By the time the government realized that they needed the buses to help get people out of the city, the levees had broken and most of the people who they intended to rescues had died or were either trapped on top of roofs on untraveled, flooded streets. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin could have prevented many deaths had he gotten people to drive the local buses through the residential areas to save the elderly and the people who had no way out. FEMA could have arraigned for buses from other towns close to New Orleans to rescue the citizens. Yet, these ideas were not thought of when they had two days before the levees broke. The government also failed to communicate properly throughout the entire Hurricane Katrina dilemma. The Homeland Security Operations Center (HSOC) was suppose to provide information about the disaster to decision-makers including the Secretary and the President but failed to create a system to identify and acquire all available, relevant information, and as a result situational awareness was deeply flawed. Yet reliable information on such vital developments as the levee failures, the extent of flooding, and the presence of thousands of people in need of life-sustaining assistance at the New Orleans Convention Center did not reach the White House, Secretary Chertoff or other key officials for hours, and in some cases more than a day. FEMA Director Michael Brown, then in Louisiana, contributed to the problem by refusing to communicate with Secretary Chertoff opting instead to pass information directly to White House staff (Taylor). Moreover, even though senior DHS officials did receive on the day of landfall numerous reports that should have led to an understanding of the increasingly dire situation in New Orleans, many indicated they were not aware of the crisis until sometime Tuesday morning. DHS was slow to recognize the scope of the disaster and that FEMA had become overwhelmed. On the day after landfall, DHS officials were still struggling to determine the “ground truth” about the extent of the flooding despite the many reports it had received about the catastrophe. Government officials did not grasp the need to act on the less-than-complete information that is to be expected in a disaster. DHS leaders did not become fully engaged in recovery efforts until Thursday, when in Deputy Secretary Michael Jackson’s words, they “tried to kick it up a notch”; after that, they did provide significant leadership within DHS and FEMA as well as coordination across the federal government. But this effort should have begun sooner. This effort should have been done when they realized Hurricane Katrina was coming to destroy New Orleans. They had enough time to investigate the reports that were given or to go and get a firsthand look at the destruction that Hurricane Katrina had caused. Another factor was the government’s knowledge that the levees could not withstand a level 4 or 5 hurricane. The levees which prevented New Orleans from being turned into a swamp were built to only withstand Category 3 hurricanes. Officials have known for years that the levees could fail under the pressures of a Category 4 or 5 hurricanes but did nothing to reinforce the levees (CNN). There have been many different sources acknowledging the affects the hurricane would have on the levees. In 2002 the New Orleans Times-Picayune ran a five-part series exploring the vulnerability of the city (The New Orleans Times). The newspaper and other news media as well, specifically addressed the possibility of massive floods drowning residents, destroying homes and releasing toxic chemicals throughout the city. Reuters reported that in 2004, more than 40 state, local and volunteer organizations practiced a scenario in which a massive hurricane struck and levees were breached, allowing water to flood New Orleans. Under the simulation, called "Hurricane Pam," the officials "had to deal with an imaginary storm that destroyed more than half a million buildings in New Orleans and forced the evacuation of a million residents," the Reuters report said (Kahn). If government officials knew that the levees could not stand a Category 4 or 5 hurricanes, then why wasn’t anything done to reinforce the strength of the levees. If nothing could be done to reinforce the wall, why wasn’t a secondary barrier put in place in case of the levees actually breakage? The government had enough time to do something about the levees but instead choose to ignore that it was a structural problem. If the problem had been fixed, many lives and homes would have been spared. Government has since then fixed the levees. Almost a year ago the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers declared that it had restored New Orleans' levees and floodwalls to pre-Hurricane Katrina strength. But yet again another storm weaker than Hurricane Katrina can destroy the levees once again. The new levees sit atop steel sheet piles driven 20 feet (6 meters) into the ground. The piles are long interlocking wall sections that retain water and transfer pressure deeper into the ground, where the soil is more stable (Bourne). But water from holes in the canal bed, excavated before Katrina or scoured by the storm, may be seeping under the barrier through permeable layers of sand and silt. Thus again making the levees a vulnerable target for the next hurricane. The government has spent 3 billion dollars on these levees only to have them possibly torn down again (MSNBC). What was the purpose of fixing the levees if they were still going to have major structural flaws in them that could possibly cause dozens of lives to be lost again? Another major factor is the law enforcement problem that New Orleans faced after Hurricane Katrina. Law enforcement outside the Superdome and the Convention Center was a major problem, and was fueled by several contributing factors, including multiple statements by government officials inflaming the public’s perception of the lawlessness in New Orleans (New York Times). Without effective law enforcement, real or imagined safety threats interrupted every aspect of the response. So without Fearing for their personal safety, medical and search and rescue teams withdrew from their missions. FEMA and commercial vendors of critical supplies often refused to make deliveries until military escorts could be arranged. In fact, there was some lawlessness, yet for every actual act there were rumors of dozens more, leading to widespread and inaccurate reporting that severely complicated a desperate situation (Dyson). Some were looters who were stealing just to be stealing but others were looting for the supplies such as water and food that the vendors refused to bring because of other crime or speculation. Unfortunately, local, state, and federal officials did little to stanch this rumor flow. Police presence on the streets was inadequate, in part because in a matter of hours Katrina turned the New Orleans police department from protectors of the public to victims of the storm as well. Nonetheless, most New Orleans police officers appear to have reported for duty, many setting aside fears about the safety of their families or the status of their homes just to maintain order amidst the chaos. The storm also laid waste to much of the city’s police headquarters and several district offices, along with hundreds of vehicles, rounds of ammunition, and uniforms were all destroyed within the first two days of landfall. Because of this reason, the government shipped out 15, 000 soldiers to enforce the law and maintain public safety (USA TODAY). Crime eventually died down and this was one area that the government actually accomplished something and did it correctly without hesitation. Another factor was the terrible living conditions that people faced while stranded in New Orleans. Over 20,000 people took refuge in Louisiana’s Superdome under unbearable living conditions. The halls reeked of urine and feces were everywhere, a sign of the broken plumbing system; food and water supplies were diminished; and crime ran rampant in the Superdome also known as the “Terrordome” (Brinkley). The Superdome was so packed, that thousands were turned away daily that were seeking refuge from the rising, polluted floodwaters. Many people who were trapped in the city due to the flooding from the breaking of the levees. Flooding in New Orleans drove thousands of survivors to attics and rooftops to await rescue. Some people were trapped in attics and nursing homes and drowned as the dirty waters rose around them. Others escaped only by chopping their way through roofs. Others were sleeping on bridges, cars, and any place they could find that the water could not reach them. The government failed to provide these people with appropriate shelter and when they did provide shelter, the living conditions were deplorable. They failed to provide them with enough food to make sure that they were well fed and not mal-nourished. While authorities recognized the need to begin search-and-rescue missions, other aspects of the response were hindered by a failure to quickly recognize the dimensions of the disaster. Not only did they face terrible living conditions in New Orleans but during the after math as well. FEMA did not even provide adequate temporary relocated homes for many victims who got displaced because of Hurricane Katrina. FEMA offer these people, some of whom lost 300,000 dollar homes, with trailers to live in. Others were stuck in hotels across the U.S. But that didn’t last long, FEMA terminated their contract with the hotels and many people found themselves homeless once again (New York Times). The government didn’t even have a system in place for those who lost their personal information. Many victims found it difficult to reconstruct their shattered lives. In many cases, they had either lost or forgotten basic documents, such as insurance information, birth certificates, and marriage licenses, which would later prove essential to rebuilding their lives. Most of the evacuees did not have access to their medical records, which increased the risk of complications when receiving medical treatment. And many of these citizens were faced with identity theft and no way to prove if they had payed certain debts off. After the government realized that its initial response and the actions it took towards the Hurricane Katrina situation, it releases “The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned”, an extensive review, that identifies deficiencies in the Federal government's response and lays the groundwork for transforming how the Nation - from every level of government, to the private sector, to individual citizens and communities - pursues a real and lasting vision of emergency preparedness and response (Fragos-Townsend). In conclusion, there are a lot of factors that contribute to the government’s appalling response to Hurricane Katrina and destruction that it caused. There are a lot of mixed feelings when it comes to this topic but I think the government has a lot of work to do in regards to creating and implementing a hurricane disaster program. Many things could have been done to prevent Hurricane Katrina from being one of the worst natural disasters in America but it can only provide as an example to teach the government how to be more prepared when disaster strikes. Bourne, Joel K. "National Geographic News." 6 May 2007. National Geographic. 11 March 2008 <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/05/070506-orleans-levees.html>. Brinkley, Douglas. The Great Deluge. New York City: HarperCollins, 2006. CNN. "CNN.com." September 5 2005. CNN.com. 11 March 2008 <http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/09/03/katrina.chertoff/>. Dyson, Micheal Eric. Come Hell or High Water. New York City: Basic Civitas/ Perseus Books Group, 2006. Fragos-Townsend, Frances. The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned. Extensive Review Report. Washington, D.C.: Homeland Security and CounterTerrorism, 2006. Kahn, Michael. "Reuters.com." 19 April 2007. Reuters.com. 11 March 2008 <http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSSIB97535720070419>. Lush, Tamara. "St. Petersburg Times Online." 30 August 2005. St. Petersburg Times Online. 11 March 2008 <http://www.sptimes.com/2005/08/30/State/For_forecasting_chief.shtml>. Millholom, Michelle. "Free Republic." 18 September 2005. Free Republic. 11 March 2008 <http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1486872/posts>. MSNBC. "MSNBC." 15 December 2005. MSNBC. 11 March 2008 <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10480727/>. New York Times. "New York Times." 1 September 2005. New York Times. 11 March 2008 <http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/01/national/nationalspecial/01storm.html>. —. New York Times. 31 August 2006. 11 March 2008 <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/h/hurricane_katrina/index.html?offset=60&s=oldest>. NOAA/ National Weather Services. "National Hurricane Center." 31 August 2007. National Hurricane Center. 11 March 2008 <http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/history.shtml>. Taylor, Matthew. "Yahoo News." 31 September 2005. Yahoo. 11 March 2008 <http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/katrina_disaster_response>. The New Orleans Times. "The New Orleans Times." 22 September 2002. The New Orleans Times. 11 March 2008 <http://www.nola.com/katrina/>. USA TODAY. "USA TODAY." 21 June 2006. USA TODAY. 11 March 2008 <http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-06-20-national-guard-new-orleans_x.htm>.

Identity Fraud Alert, lost ss card, need advice? Someone may have stolen my ss card recently, or I possibly could have misplaced it. What actions can I take if the card was stolen to prevent ID theft, and if I put out a initial fraud alert (90 days), how does that affect me? Or after that if I put out an extended fraud alert ( 7 years), how does that affect me? I am very concerned because I believe it was taken by a shady person (who I know nothing about) so any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

So are you all cool with the National ID card that the gov wants to issue to everyone that will have a comput? sorry computer chip in it so it can track your every movement? Will it be alright when they decide they just want to forget about the card altogether and just start putting the chip directly into people? That's a sure way to prevent identitiy theft there!

Lost Wallet !!!? Okay I lost my wallet Friday night. and have been wondering for it ever since. Fortunately I had my debit Card in my pocket and STILL have it with me right now, So that's all good. But I have my ID, Social Security Card, and My Bank # in their. Library Card and A Video game card which isn't necsassary. What steps do I take prevent Identity Theft?

please help and answer fast? ok i have had the same yahoo account for about 2 years and yesterday i was bout to check my mail like every other day and it wouldnt let me sign in...i tried on two diff computers and then my sister tried her account which worked...i thought the comp was just acting up n id try later...well i tried later n still couldnt get in...it said "wrong userf ID or passwrd" i kno i had the right user name and id...i tried a billion times...so i put forgot password and filled out my birthday n stuff n answered ?'s to confirm my identity...well it gave me a new passwrd...and after i got that fixed i got the password theft seal thingy to try to prevent it...but this morning it did it again...i htink im gunna change my ID ....i dont know why its doing it...is it a hacker or wat???

a couple questions about SPYWARE!!? first, lets say i use a credit card to buy something online, then i get a spyware infection, how does it know where to look on my computer for that info, i'm sure my computer has many temporary files and folders, how does it know where to look? also.... same situation, except after using my credit card i run ccleaner ''secure delete '' THEN i get the infection, am i safe from it getting that info? can cleaning up your pc with a program like cleaner prevent id theft? info please!

wHAT ABOUT IMMIGRATION........? every one has an opinion about immigration these days but lets ask what you think of the following that don't get addressed.....A..WHAT IF YOUR BORN AMERICAN..but due to theft you cannot prove all of who you really are to get ID? ...B..WHAT IF YOU ARE FROM MEXICO BUT 10-30 YRS LEGAL...but even if you wanted to go over the border...you were prevented with 9/11 measures? ..C . WHAT IF THE MEXICANS THAT ARE ILLEGAL HERE.....did jobs like picking cotton, planting trees, and vegtables and looked after your kids and cleaned as many often do..BECAUSE AMERICANS ARE TO PROUD TO DO IT..OR HAVE A YALE DEGREE ..BUT THEY TAKE YOUR JOBS? like your gonna make 10 dollars a day picking beans in Cali? D...What about the 400 WOMEN DEAD WORKING IN US FACTORIES ON THE BORDER...DO THEY GET A THOUGHT? JUST SOME THOUGHTS AND POINTS TO THINK ABOUT..... BORN AMERICAN..BORN HERE IS WHAT I MEANT TO SAY BUT ADOPTED HERE IN THE USA. ...THAT GOES FOR ALL NATIONALITIES TOO, SORRY ABOUT THAT.....

Does anyone have any idea? I found out recently that the Social Security Dept has no way to protect our SS #'s if lost or stolen, unless we can show that the # has actually been used fraudulently. As a matter of fact, they won't prevent it's fraudulent use even if they DO know about it. If they find out that your SS# is being used by more than one person, they put any money collected via payroll deduction, into a special account which is not included as part of "regular" SS funding. I am trying to find out who I could contact in order to change this. I want to see a way for you or I to report it if our cards are lost or stolen, and put a block of some sort on it to make sure that NOBODY ELSE can use it. I also want to see a way for you or I, the OWNER of that number, to be notified if/when the SS Dept finds out that there are descrepancies and help us to prevent ID theft in that regard. How can we prevent ID Theft when the SS Dept has NO WAY TO STOP IT???? Who do I contact The Social Security office will not even let you know if they find your number being used in fraudulent ways. I know of someone who found out on her own when she called the SS dept when she found herself not able to get a job due to her card being used by what turned out to be over FIVE HUNDRED OTHER PEOPLE! We need this to change! Thanks for the answers thus far Mandylyn That is a great piece of advice. I still feel that if someone calls the SS Dept and says "my social security card was stolen" the SS Dept should have a way to put a notice on that number within their system, to prevent anyone other than that person from using that number for ANY reason, not just credit cards, loans and such. I include jobs and so on with that. If someone else has screwed up your social security # it can prevent you from renting, getting a job, etc. It can also prevent you from being able to collect if you become disabled or even retire. They need to put a stop to it. Excuse me but where do you get the idea that I have a political agenda? The fact is, my daughter ended up losing her SS# when her wallet was lost on her way somewhere. She had neglected to remove the card after she had to show it for a job she got recently. Yes, it was her fault, she should have removed it. I truly feel that the SS dept should have a way to protect the numbers from fraudulent use. Is that a political agenda? NO. Thanks though.

Password Reset? I recently created another Yahoo email account, with completely random birthdate, etc. to prevent ID theft. Now, I can't remember my password for that, and I haven't been contacted on my other adress (which I put as my alternative). Is there any way to reset the password? Also, there were past emails on it that I need now... If there were any way to get a specific E-mail, please tell me.

Email Identity Theft...How to prove who did it??? My Yahoo ID & Password was used without my knowledge and the person using it has destroyed a relationship I had by personating both me and my friend. This person was sending emails to my friend (like they were from me) and this person also made a fictitious AOL email using my friend's name (making it look like the emails were from my friend) and sending them to me. How do you prove who really sent the emails? I have changed my password on Yahoo but I'm really not safe because anyone can take your name and create a new account making it look like the emails are from you and they can email anyone and create a lot of hardship and stress in having to go back and prove that you really didn't send the emails. How do you prevent this from happening??? Can you get a record from Yahoo showing where the emails came from? How do you go into your recycle been for Yahoo and retrieve old email or can you?

change drivers license number ?? my mother had her purse stolen along with checks..she did everything she needed to do to prevent id theft and what not...but from what weve investigated...these people are using diff check #s(probably other stolen checks) and routing numbers and using my moms drivers license # is there any way that the drivers license # can be changed to keep my mom from being liable? also is this a common practice of these theifs? i jus found out that info right now...of course im going to call the DMV but they are kinda closed right now...i just thought people would have some kind of idea....

Somebody with same name using your phone number? A friend of mine received two phone calls asking for her by name, from people she does not know. One of them said that he was hoping they were the same people he knew, and that he had searched on the internet to find their phone number. He was sorry that he had the wrong people, but they happened to have the same names as another couple he was looking for! His phone number showed on their caller ID. Then, she got another call last night, but it showed on the caller ID as "blocked call," and this person kept insisting she knew them. They finally got her to leave them alone, but she acted very angry that they didn't know her. Is there a new kind of identity theft that starts with using the phone number of somebody with the same name? It's creepy. What does a person do to prevent any further problem with this?

How to prevent Identity theft? PLEASE HELP? I lost my wallet in high school on friday right before the memorial day weekend. In it i had my Driver's license, my ID, Humana insurance, and Dental Insurance, as well a PayPal debit card too. I reported a stolen or lost card for the paypal, but I don't know what should I do for the Driver's License. When I go to their website it says that they're going to send me a duplicate. I'm scared that the founder may use this against me by getting credits and all kinds of stuff on my name some day. WHat should I do now? I tried to look for it, but after many tries and going to the lost and found and the office, I couldn't find it! Any suggestions will be good! THANK YOU

Does anyone else have Identity theft protection ? I have been considering joining idwatchdog to help prevent my identity from being stolen. The cost is $19.99 a month or $179.00 for a year of protection. Do you have any id theft protection and is it worth while? Thanx in advance 10 points for a best answer http://www.idwatchdog.com/index.php

runescape wont work even with java downloaded? like ok.. yesterday my computer was working just fine.. and rs was working so... ok i went to wal mart today and bought defender pro 5 in 1.. its anti -virus anti-spy, fire wall, id theft, and pc reapir i bought just to be safe becouse som1 hacked my account (not rs) so to prevent it i bought this i downloaded evrything and i went to play rs.. evrything was fine until i went to load worlds.. and it didnt show i got the red x.. i restared computer didnt work, i DELETED THE DEFENDER PRO.. and restarted the computer and still doesnt work,check that i have java.. i still have it, tried to delet and download again still doesnt work.. what do u think i should do?

Setting up Tax ID # --- to or not to? I am a medical transcriptionist that is self-employed. Is there any reason that I would NOT want to setup a tax id number? Everything I have read makes it look like it would be the best thing to do for record keeping purposes and to prevent identity theft. Is there any reason I should NOT?

what are the dissadvantages of putting a freeze on your own credit? My wife and I have two credit cards that are paid in full every month. Our mortgage is a 30 year fixed at 5.75%. We have a heloc with a 0 balance. So we have plenty of credit available and yet we stay out of debt. My wife does child car in our home and must give her clients her Social sec. # for tax purposes. We are considering putting a freeze on her credit to avoid ID theft. I would like to know the disadvantages. would it prevent us from us from refinancing or just make it more difficult.

How do I change my original Yahoo address to a new one without having to delete my original account? need different Id within yahoo to prevent identity theft

Outline HELP!....(desperate need) Outline=Identity Theft? Hello ..I need major desperate help on just fixing my outline adding or minusing things: I did an outline for my term paper : Identity theft : My teacher said that *I need a "problem" *Nothing addressed how it can be prevented *She wrote - Since ID tehft costs consumers and businesses billions, can it be prevented? Here is my outline: Tentative Outline I. What is Identity Theft a. Define Identity Theft b. Statistics of Identity Theft Occurrences c. Number of convictions II. Major Types of Internet Fraud a. Auction & Retail Fraud b. “Work At Home” Schemes c. Investment Schemes 1.Telemarketing d. Credit Card Schemes e. Identity Theft III. How Can Internet Fraud Be Avoided a. Avoid Giving Out Valuable Personal Information Online b. Don’t Judge By First Appearances c. Exercise Caution if Dealing with a Person or Agency who Disguises or Hides their Identity d. Be Careful of Advance Fee Agencies IV. Where Does Internet FraudGet Reported A. Agencies Dealing With Internet Fraud a. Department of Justice b. Internet Fraud Initiative 1) Federal Trade Commission 2) National Advocacy Center c. Internet Fraud Complaint Center d. FBI e. National White Collar Crime Center f. Securities and Exchange Commission g. Fraud.org h. National Consumers League I showed it to another teacher that i have and she said that it was ok ... BUT MY TEACHER not that teacher is ANAl and picky and a hard garder ... I want to fix my outline... she said it was too informational . -It is for an Analytical research paper -This outline is important since I have to split the work up into 4 people.... - CAN SOMEONE HELP ME EDIT?FIX IT .... This is an outline that has been graded and turned in already ... I need to fix it because this outline will guide us on doing out paper ... SHE ALSO SAID THAT THERE IS TOO MUCH OVER LAP BETWEEN c. investment schemes and a. avoiding out valuable personal info.outline..... i really need help ... Thanxs so much

How do you freeze your credit? I think I just set myself up to be a victim of ID theft, how do I freeze my credit to prevent that from happening? Okay it's not my credit card that might have been stolen it's my name and SS# meaning I don't need to cancel one credit card I need to freeze my credit so no more can be taken out...how do I do that?

I love God very much!? But on the says: Revelation 13:17 17so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. RFID<~~~~~~ U.S. passport: Holds RFID chip with information and digital photo. Washington state Enhanced Driver's License: RFID chip complies with U.S. Department of Homeland Security requirements for border crossing. ORCA (One Regional Card for All): System linking bus, ferry and other transit in the Puget Sound area. Contactless payment systems: Used to pay for gas or other items by holding card near a terminal. Clothing: Retailers use tags to prevent theft, plan to target advertising. Supply chains: Wal-Mart, 7-Eleven and others use RFID tags to track merchandise. Medicine: Used to ID blood samples, plan to track prescription drugs, prevent counterfeiting. What should i do noting and pray or tair every up and do noting and pray! I am VERY depressed! I hate the devil.. HELP

what do I do? my lap-top was stolen on 5/26/08 and I had it set to auto sign in thru yahoo messenger. Please? HELP!!!! Please advise me as to what I can do to prevent any kind of ID theft. want to keep all my saved mail. Thank You for your time. Max G Cully

help i lost my ID(california ID) what can i do? hi ok so i lost my california id card the one dmv gives you and i live in an are that people use other ppls info to sell it and since i lost it in the street i wanna know what can i do to prevent identity theft!! can i call dmv and tell them to make a stop on my id number or what can i doo pleasee help me

I lost my wallet, how do I protect my self from identity theft? I have called and canceled my credit cards but what about my license and other id cards how can I prevent someone from stealing my identity?

What does every one think about the idea of the US "National ID" card that they plan to start implementing? In 2008, all drivers licenses issued to those born after 1964 are supposed to be complient with a program enacted into law in 2005 and administered by the Department of Homeland Security called REAL ID. It is supposed to prevent terrorism and identity theft. I just wonder myself if the cost of this so called safety may end up being allowing tyranny in the US government to thrive. What does everyone else think about this program, cause it seems like a loss of freedom to me? I just looked on the Homeland Security site and they ARE for a FACT implementing these new licenses as of this year. It is in the final stage of happening in the United States now.

National ID Cards??? Why do you think that the national ID card is good/bad? I think it is a good idea. I have nothing to hide so if the government wants to follow me around they can go ahead. I also think it is a good way to help prevent identity theft, and help keep voting more secure so no one can vote unless they have the right to. I am sorry but apparently no one on here knows how to be civil. All I asked for was your opinion and I gave you mine. Why are you being so hostile? I did not say you were wrong?! Jeeze get a grip people. They are trying to make these things more secure. Social Security cards are not supposed to be used as a form of ID. If you use it as such it makes your identity more vulnerable. I don't know what they are going to do as far as passports go, but not all people have those. That is why they want these ID cards. I don't think this is a window to a "cashless" society. Just my humble opinion though. thank you for not jumping me. : ) Based on your 4th amendment logic, is it a violation of the 4th amend. for employers to have ID cards that you have to swipe in order to go threw locked doors? This way they now where you go and what you are doing?! Thank you as well for giving me an answer without being hostile. Tell me, how does an ID card tell you how to spend your money? If the states were saying they wanted a state wide ID card would it be ok then? They way this question has been answered I would guess not.

Identidy Theft HELP!... pleaese? Ok. before anything i lost my License about 2yrs ago. I went to the DMV and got a new one the bad thing it was the same exact one with the same numbers and all. I tried asking for a new one with difrent id number but they said no. ok. now 2yrs later I know for sure i am a victim of Idenity theft because some company's keep sending me in letters of returned checks ! First of all i dont even have a bank account.lol. the funny thing is the checks match exactly to my license id number. I did a credit report and im ok since my credit is still luckily good since they dont have my soc sec number. Now my question is : is that still bad them using my name to open up accounts and how the heck did they open it with my lic.id. and without soc sec numbers? Also what can i do to prevent future problems and can i possibly go to the dmv and ask for a diffrent numbers and a new license? please help!

May I see some id please? Last week while I was at work, I was told of the high rate or credit card theft. Wanting to slow it down and prevent it from happening at my register, I asked customers for their id when using a credit card. Of all the people I asked, only one lady got pissed. "Why do I have to show id for a $5 purchase?" My manager went over to apologize to the customer and told me not to ask for id's anymore. About an hour later, I had an older caucasian male in his mid 30's come through with a credit card that had a chhinese/japanese name on it. I truely believe that credit card fraud stops at the registers. If more cashiers asked for id, the rate would truely go down. What's your thoughts on this topic? I'd rather give 5 seconds to show my id, than to have someone taking 5 months plus of my time with me straightening the fraud out. Thanks in advance.

hi outline for comm. studies? Outline Identity Theft Main Idea: Identity theft is a rising problem in not just America but other countries as well and there is need for more protection against the crime that can ruin a person’s credit that could take years to fix. 1)What is identity theft? Identity theft is a term used for fraud that involves pretending to be someone else in order to steal money or get other benefits. In Illinois identity theft is a class A misdemeanor for the first offense and class 4 felonies for subsequent offenses. 2) What can be done to prevent it? (you) There are many protection services that can give you protection against identity theft such as Trusted ID. Trusted ID claims to protect you and your family from identity theft with many different features in their service. Some of the features are fraud flags which protect your credit with the three major credit bureaus by requiring companies to verify your identity before taking any action that could put your credit at risk, such as a new loan or credit card application. Another feature is $1,000,000 Warranty Protection this feature is that they back their service with a $1,000,000 service warranty to cover out of pocket costs associated with identity theft. One other feature is Credit card scanning where Trusted ID people patrol the black market internet where thieves buy and sell stolen credit card numbers and if your credit card numbers are found you are alerted immediately. 3) What can be done to prevent it? (Government) The government has websites such as http://www.idtheft.gov/. that tell you about what you can do to prevent it and what can be done to fix it. 4) What can you do to fix it?