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Fifteen Easy Suggestions to Avoid Becoming a Victim of Identity Theft
Identity Theft usually occurs when a certain person unlawfully obtains access to your personal information such as your Social Security Number, Credit Card Account particulars, Driver’s License Number, address, date of birth and other information about you. The person who obtains your personal information utilizes it to his or her benefit and to your detriment and cost. Identity Theft is a crime that is growing each year, but there are steps that you can take that will minimise the risk to you and your family. 1. Do not give any of your personal details such as your birth date, social security number, credit card and debit card account numbers, PIN numbers, full name or address either over the telephone or by mail, just because you are asked for it. At all times, you should only provide this information to people or companies that you know, or have dealings with and that seems to be necessary to complete your business with them. For instance, if you are in a retail store and have purchased a bulky item that you will need them to deliver for you, then it is reasonable that they will require your address, but why would they need your Social Insurance Number? 2. Destroy all documentation that contains personal information before disposing of it. If possible use a shredder so that the information cannot be retrieved and pasted together. With most municipalities now encouraging the use of recycling bins, it is far easier for third parties to access any documentation that you throw out with your trash. Most particularly be extremely careful with bank statements, especially if your returned cheques are included, and all credit card and charge card statements. 3. Maintain a secure listing of all your credit card, debit card and charge account details including telephone numbers to contact in case of emergency. If you are not presently using your credit cards or debit cards, make sure you keep them in a safe and secure place. This does not mean your wallet or purse. You should also take care how you store your unused checks, social security card, credit card statements and bank account statements that you need to retain prior to destruction. 4. When making purchases with your credit card, always confirm that the card has been returned to you. On more than one occasion, the writer has left a restaurant without his credit card and has been very relieved that the restaurants in question had retained his card and held it in their cash register. Even though he considers himself fortunate on each of these occasions, he still thinks that the restaurants should have destroyed his card to eliminate possible misuse thereof. Also when making purchases, and particularly by either credit card or debit card, make sure you retain the kick out stub or receipt, as there is much useful information on these slips to encourage a would be Identity Theft criminal. 5. Request a copy of your credit report at least once each year and examine it closely to ensure that there are no mysterious entries on it. You are permitted to obtain this report free of charge. You do however have to insist in most cases that you need the free report, as the agencies much prefer to sell it to you for a fee. 6. Exercise extreme care whenever you use your debit card, be it at an ATM machine or when you complete an in store purchase. There have been numerous instances where cameras have been installed to record your PIN number that you enter on each purchase or cash withdrawal. Also ensure that no one standing around near the machine, is able to see you input your PIN. Also ensure that you retrieve your card as soon as the machine returns it to you. When at a retail outlet, particularly a gas bar or a restaurant, keep an eye on your card as there have been many cases where an under the counter machine has been used to skim the information from the magnetic strip on your card. This enables the thieves to access your account and or produce duplicates of your card that are shipped around the world to be used on your account. 7. When completing a purchase over the internet, ensure that the website is secure. Normally you will see a padlock on the site, and usually the browser will show that the website address begins with https. The “s” in this case meaning secure. Only deal with companies or organisations that you know, and if you maintain an account with Paypal or some other similar on line service, you might be safer to make your purchase through that account than by using your credit card. If you have a credit card that provides secondary cards to members of your family, you would be wise to utilise one of the secondary cards when making internet purchases as this will safeguard the privacy of the master credit card. 8. When using your personal computer, ensure that you have installed both a recognised firewall and also an anti virus program. When using passwords, it is preferable to mix letters with numbers and also lowercase and uppercase letters and symbols. Sometimes it is easier to use a phrase if that is permitted. The more complex your passwords the less likely they are to be compromised. If you need to keep a record, make sure that the record is also password protected and or kept in a secure place. Do not use passwords that relate to your birthday, anniversary, phone number or address as these are very easily compromised. 9. Never reply to emails that request any kind of personal information. If you need to change any of your personal records or passwords, only do so on line if you know that you are on the secure site of the company that you are dealing with. If not, call the company, using a phone number from your previous bills or statements. Never use a phone number contained in an email unless you really know where the email came from. Many “phishing” emails attempt to portray the logo of the company that they are professing to represent, so great care is required. Be assured that most financial institutions will never contact you by email and require you to provide or change your personal information. 10. If you are receiving notices from companies, advising that you can obtain a pre-approved credit card, that you do not want, call the company and have them remove you from their mailing or email listings. These offers frequently provide an application form that already has your name and address upon it and frequently only request minimal additional information from you. If this application falls into the wrong hands, it could end up causing you untold problems related to Identity Theft. 11. If you have a mailbox that can be accessed easily, then consider obtaining a secure mail box that may be rented at a number of retail outlets that maintain a mail box service. When sending out mail, do not leave it in your accessible mail box, make sure that you place it in a post office drop box or deliver it to your local post office by hand. When you are away from home, have either a trusted person empty your mail box daily or arrange for the post office to hold your mail until your return. 12. When ordering replacement checks from your Bank, do not have them mailed to you, arrange to pick them up at the Bank when they are ready. 13. Consider whether it might be worthwhile to purchase Identification Theft Insurance. 14. You should consider registering with a credit watch office. They will monitor your credit report and advise you of all activity as and when it occurs. This will give you an early indication of something being amiss if the report contains activity that you do not understand or know about. 15. Review all the previous suggestions regularly, to remind yourself of many of the pitfalls, and update them with any differing information or suggestions that come your way. Although following these 15 suggestions will not guarantee that you will not become a victim of Identity Theft, they will surely dramatically reduce the likelihood. John Ritchie, Copyright to this article belongs to John Ritchie. http://www.johnritchieonline.com For more detailed information on Identity Theft, and to sign up for our 5 part e-course, go to http://www.identitytheftpreventionplan.com. You may download and distribute this article freely and without restrictions. You must not, however, delete the resource box link. Federal Law on Identity Theft: The Department of Justice’s Case against Identity TheftThis is the ninth in a series of articles which will increase your awareness about Identity Theft.Identity Theft is now the fastest growing crime in America. In 2002, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported that 43% of all fraud complaints they received were actually identity theft. By 2003, Identity Theft cases and incidents had reached 9.9 million. In the United States, one in every five families fall victim to the notoriety and insidiousness of Identity Theft. It is becoming more and more difficult to avoid becoming a victim of Identity Theft. It seems that no matter how we safeguard our personal information, the Identity Thieves always seem to be one-step ahead of us. The fact is that you can never be sure whether the safeguards you implement will definitely prevent you from falling victim to Identity Theft. There is still a measure of insecurity each time you either use your credit card, write a check, sign up for magazines, order something over the phone or internet or use your PIN number. There is always the possibility that the information you are providing will find its way, somehow, into the possession of identity thieves. Just being aware of that fact and being cautious about who you give your personal information to will serve to lower your risk level. Identity Theft is one of the most insidious forms of white-collar crime. In a traditional fraud scheme, prospective victims are usually contacted directly by criminals who use lies, force and deception to persuade the victims to part with their money. Identity Theft does not require direct interaction between the criminal and the victim. Identity theft is not a crime committed for its own sake. Criminals engage in identity theft to further and facilitate many other types of criminal offenses, including fraud. Starting in 1998 a number of federal laws were introduced to combat and prosecute cases of Identity Theft. Some of these laws are used to assist in the prosecution of Identity thieves. Others are there to assist victims in repairing, and recouping their credit records and reputations. The United States Congress passed the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act, which was signed into law on October 30, 1998. It made Identity Theft a federal crime to “knowingly transfer or use, without legal authority; a means of using the identification of another individual with the intention of committing or aiding any unlawful activity that constitutes a violation of Federal state law.” The first important change made by this Act was to make the actual theft or use of a person’s information a federal crime. Before this Act, federal law only defined the deceptive creation and the use or transfer of identifying documents and not the actual theft or the criminal use of an individual’s personal information. Since it is the criminal use of the victim’s identity that causes the majority of problems, the Act clearly defined it as a new federal crime. The development was much welcomed because with the technological information age still developing, all types of personal identification can be obtained from the Internet. Second is the definition of punishment for this newly created crime. Here is the major information stated under this provision: • If the act involves the transfer or use of one or more pieces of personal information of another person and the offense enables the perpetrator to obtain anything of value amounting to $1,000 or more during any one year period, the convicted criminal will be fined or imprisoned for not more than three years. • If the act involves unauthorized use of another person’s birth certificate, driver’s license, and other identifying documents issued under the authority of the United States, the convicted criminal will be fined or imprisoned for not more than fifteen years. • If the above-mentioned offenses are committed to facilitate a drug trafficking crime or terrorist activities, the perpetrator will be fined or imprisoned up to 20 and 25 years, respectively. Last is the aid to individual victims of identity theft. The Act created a centralised complaint and consumer education service for the victims and directed development and maintenance of such service to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Complaints are entered into the Identity Theft Data Clearinghouse, a database designed to aid law enforcement agencies in combating Identity Theft. The FTC is also asked to assist Identity Theft victims in resolving credit problems arising from the illegal use of their credit by perpetrators. By the enactment of Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act, all of us were provided with additional protection in the event that we became victims of Identity Theft. Earlier laws had only addressed the fraudulent creation, use, or transfer of identification documents, and not the theft or criminal use of the underlying personal information. To criminalize the fraud in connection with the unlawful theft and misuse of personal identifying information, the Identity Theft Act also added that it is unlawful for anyone who consciously transfers or uses, without lawful authority the identification of another person. The Identity Theft Act also made way for the review and amendment of Sentencing Guidelines and penalties imposed for each offense under Section 1028 by the United States Sentencing Commission. These major steps and many others, by the Federal government demonstrate that now, the whole US regards Identity Theft as a serious crime problem. Further, it is also an indication that the Federal government, together with the individual States have started a comprehensive and coordinated approach to fighting Identity Theft. John Ritchie, Copyright to this article belongs to John Ritchie. http://www.johnritchieonline.com For more detailed information on Identity Theft, and to sign up for our 5 part e-course, go to http://www.identitytheftpreventionplan.com. You may download and distribute this article freely and without restrictions. You must not, however, delete the resource box link. Defining the Insidious Crime of Identity Theft
It was already late at night and you were walking down the street alone. The wind was blowing briskly through the tall buildings you are passing by. Then, a person appeared out of nowhere. He proceeded to run by you and knocking you over, made a grab for your wallet or purse and disappeared around a corner. It could be a scene from a movie, but it did happen in real life. However, this type of theft, although you may still see it in movies, has become less prevalent over the past few years. Why, you may ask. Nowadays, thieves prefer not to rob a person, bank or any other establishment because it is frequently easier and safer just to steal an individual’s personal information. Once they have this, they can proceed to obtain employment, assuming they have a penchant for work, access credit card accounts, bank accounts, lines of credit, open new accounts, obtain mortgages, get insurance coverage and just about do anything that you can do because they are using your identity, spending your money, utilising your credit facilities and along the way destroying your finances and your good credit. This kind of activity has, now alarmingly, affected millions of victims in the United States and Canada and is known as Identity Theft. This crime has been reported in newspapers, radio and television news for several years but the public is still largely unaware that the crime exists. In September 2003, the FTC reported that Identity Theft victims suffer terribly from these crimes. On average, an Identity Theft victim was spending more than $1,400.00, in costs and over 200 hours in time to try and restore their personal and financial reputation. As Identity Theft crime becomes more flagrant, victims may have to spend considerably greater sums of money than this and probably a good deal more time, than was estimated in 2003. Identity Theft is an insidious crime of obtaining and using another individual’s personal information. Personal information means, your name, address, telephone number, phone card information or credit card details and Social security number, etc. The subsequent criminal activities are carried out without the knowledge of the victim and usually over a very short period of time, days rather than months. The victim of Identity Theft is frequently left with the cost of unordered goods and services, frequently finds that his bank accounts have been drained, lines of credit and credit card accounts have been maxed out, new accounts have been opened in his name including credit cards, retail credit accounts and bank accounts, all of which have also been maxed out. Then to add insult to injury, the victim may well discover that their application for a loan was denied because without their knowledge, they have accumulated too many debts due to the handiwork of an identity thief. Individuals are not the only targets of Identity Theft. Thieves also target business establishments, regardless of size. In some cases there have been instances of high tech theft of computer files and records. Corporate identity theft occurs over a wide range of areas but can be as simple as when an individual applies for credit or purchases goods, on behalf of the company, under the pretence of being a company director or officer. Both individuals and corporations must be proactive to avoid becoming a victim of Identity Theft. All must be doubly sure that all our personal documents and information are protected and are not passed on into wrong hands. John Ritchie, Copyright to this article belongs to John Ritchie. http://www.johnritchieonline.com For more detailed information on Identity Theft, and to sign up for our 5 part e-course, go to http://www.identitytheftpreventionplan.com. You may download and distribute this article freely and without restrictions. You must not, however, delete the resource box link. Data Loss affects over 12 million Bank CustomersThis is the seventh in a series of articles which will increase your awareness about Identity Theft.In February 2008, Bank of New York Mellon Corp reported that they had lost between six and ten unencrypted tapes during a transfer of back up tapes, resulting in the loss of personal information on 4.5 million customers, this number was later revised upwards to include 12.5 million customers. Data lost includes the following: Customer names, Customer Addresses, Customer Social Security Numbers, Customer dates of birth. This security breach is the largest case reported in the U.S. so far in 2008, according to the Identity Theft Resource Centre. The Governor of Connecticut announced in May a probe of the breach, and is pursuing a possible fine, restitution, and other legal remedies against the Bank. Apart from the actual facts released concerning this breach of security, the remedies being sought by the Governor do not appear to assist any customers who might become victims of Identity Theft due to this loss of data, although if restitution is granted, it may lessen the impact financially upon any victims. John Ritchie, Copyright to this article belongs to John Ritchie. http://www.johnritchieonline.com For more detailed information on Identity Theft, and to sign up for our 5 part e-course, go to http://www.identitytheftpreventionplan.com. You may download and distribute this article freely and without restrictions. You must not, however, delete the resource box link. Crime: Identity Theft Using Credit Card
It’s a typical weekend. You drove to your friend’s house, asked your friend to hang out with you at the mall while having a shopping spree. The two of you then met a group of your friends at the local bar to have a few drinks and some food while you all talked about what happened during the past week. Before you left the bar you paid the bill with your credit card. After a great night you all went home and slept. The next morning, you checked your mail which included your credit card billing statement. As you looked at it, you were shocked to see that you had been charged on your credit card for things that you never purchased. You called the bank to advise them of the problem and asked them to remove the charges that you were disputing, from your account. The bank advised that they would look into the matter and get back to you when they had investigated the charges. At about this time you are getting upset, because you expected the bank to take your word for the disputed charges and clean up your account without delay, and you are wondering how these charges could possibly have ended up on your account. If you have suffered through this kind of experience then you know that you may have been a victim of Identity Theft. This crime is called Identity Theft or identity fraud. Identity Theft is a crime perpetrated against you after someone obtains and uses your personal data, such as your name, credit card number, address, social security number, etc., without you knowing about it. In many cases, because you were using your credit card, the bank, after making enquiries, would probably have refunded the amount of the disputed charges, leaving them as the victim of the theft. If you think that you have been a victim of Identity Theft you should try to proceed as follows: • File a police report. Be sure to obtain a copy of the police report. You may need to show it to third parties to help substantiate your claim that you have been victimised. • Advise your local credit bureau, by phone and follow up with a written report. You only need to contact one credit reporting agency, as they will automatically pass on the information to other credit bureaus. Once you have filed your complaint you can request that any new credit enquiries be reported to you as they arise, so that you can provide input into the response that the credit bureau needs to provide. • If someone is using counterfeit checks drawn on your account, then also file a report with any local check verification companies. Identity Theft is a very serious crime. If you ever suspect that you are a victim of Identity Theft, it would be prudent to immediately report the crime to all authorities concerned. Attempting to have your credit history restored to its previous level of respectability, after suffering from Identity Theft can be a very time consuming, expensive, and difficult task. John Ritchie, Copyright to this article belongs to John Ritchie. http://www.johnritchieonline.com For more detailed information on Identity Theft, and to sign up for our 5 part e-course, go to http://www.identitytheftpreventionplan.com. You may download and distribute this article freely and without restrictions. You must not, however, delete the resource box link. Comprehensive Steps to Prevent Identity TheftThis is the fifth in a series of articles which will increase your awareness about Identity Theft. Have you been hearing and reading reports about the crime of Identity Theft? Do you have any idea what Identity Theft is? What is Identity Theft? It is the stealing of items of your personal information such as your social security number, Drivers license number, address, phone number, debit card details, credit card details, bank account numbers, and even your mother’s maiden name, with the intention of using this information to defraud you and make money for the person who is perpetrating the crime. You need to exercise extreme care at all times to protect all of your personal information. Only by being very careful at all times, can you expect to avoid becoming a victim of Identity Theft. How can you prevent yourself from identity theft? Here are a few suggestions. More suggestions can be found in other articles that I have written on the subject of Identity Theft. See website below for further information. When You are at Home: • If you have roommates or visitors, or in some cases members of your family living with you, make sure that you keep your personal information secure at all times. I am not saying that these people will attempt to steal identity items from you, but there have been numerable cases that have been prosecuted, where the instigator has been close to the family and well known to the family. • Place your outgoing mail in the post office collection box or else mail it at the nearest post office, rather than put it in your mail box, which can be accessed by anyone who wishes to do so. Remove your incoming mail from your mailbox as soon as practically possible. If you are going to be away from home, have the post office hold your mail until you return. • Destroy all your documents that you receive in the mail, after you have dealt with them, including junk mail items that may have credit or personal information on them, such as credit card company solicitations. If you are able destroy this information by shredding. If you are at Work: • You may be requested to provide personal information. Enquire as to how this information is to be used and what kind of security is in place. You do not want your personal data left lying around in an office where prying eyes can acquire it. On the Internet: • If you are contemplating business transactions online, read thoroughly about the confidentiality of the website. Make sure you are giving any personal information to someone who is going to maintain it securely. If in doubt, do not provide the information. • You should consider using your Pay Pal account whenever possible to make payments to third parties. This will protect the credit card information that you might otherwise be needed to provide. • Avoid giving your personal data over the telephone, via email, or online unless you have initiated the contact or you already know the person with whom you are doing business. In conclusion, always be alert. If someone asks for your personal information, be it a friend, acquaintance, or business, ask the reason why they want it from you and how they will protect it if provided. John Ritchie, Copyright to this article belongs to John Ritchie. http://www.johnritchieonline.com For more detailed information on Identity Theft, and to sign up for our 5 part e-course, go to http://www.identitytheftpreventionplan.com. You may download and distribute this article freely and without restrictions. You must not, however, delete the resource box link. Combating Online Identity Theft
It is quite disquieting for you to know that aside from the irritating viruses that plague your computers, there is another, bigger and more pressing problem in existence and growing rapidly on the Internet. Yes, it is true, whether you will like the news or not, you have to be aware of Identity Theft, which is considered to be the fastest growing crime both on and off the internet. The main difference between Identity Theft and On Line Identity Theft is that the latter is surrounding you every day when you are working on the internet. We know that Identity Theft occurs when your personal information including your name, bank account information, address, date of birth, social security number etc. are stolen by someone else, who then uses this information to steal and or commit fraud. When working on the internet you need to very aware of what is happening with your personal information. If you are completing a purchase on line, make sure that you know the organisation from whom you are making a purchase. Most valid websites offer you a secure page to provide your personal information and complete your purchase. Make sure that the website is in fact secure. You will usually see a padlock showing on the site and also the page you are using should start with the letters “https” and not “http”. Identity thieves frequently duplicate web sites belonging to reputable companies, and post this information on their own websites, that differ slightly from the website of the reputable company. Always look for tell tale signs, like poor spelling or site set up with no secure pages to order from. Also always look at the company name on the web site page to see if it is in fact authentic. If in doubt, do not use the web site. If you call the company, do not use a phone number appearing on the website, as this will be suspect if the web site is suspect. Spoofed emails are e–mails sent to you, asking for your personal information, in exchange for you obtaining a winning prize, vacation, lottery win or some similar scheme. Some emails will ask you to click on a hot button, which will bring up a website that purports to belong to a financial company, bank, credit card companies, retailing websites like eBay, PayPal etc. that you have dealings with. You are then asked to input your personal identity to access your account or to help the financial institution restore their data base. These are almost never legitimate web sites, but if you provide the required information, watch out, you could be in deep trouble. As a rule of thumb, most financial institutions never ask their clients to provide personal information over the internet. If you have made arrangements to access your bank or other financial institution’s website over the internet, then ensure that you always open a new browser page before you input the website information for the company that you wish to visit into the address bar. The writer receives in excess of 50 emails a day that require him to provide personal information in return for something. Even though the emails areI reported as “spam”, they still turn up in his in box, day after day. So be prepared to wrestle with these problems but remember. Only provide personal information to someone you know and then only if it is requested through a secure web site page. Also be on the lookout for all the junk emails that will attempt to entrap you. John Ritchie, Copyright to this article belongs to John Ritchie. http://www.johnritchieonline.com For more detailed information on Identity Theft, and to sign up for our 5 part e-course, go to http://www.identitytheftpreventionplan.com. You may download and distribute this article freely and without restrictions. You must not, however, delete the resource box link. Check your Credit Report Regularly to avoid Becoming a Victim of Identity TheftThis is the third in a series of articles which will increase your awareness about Identity Theft.All of us know the importance of credit reports in our lives. Your credit report shows your personal information including your legal name, alias names, addresses, current and previous employers, social insurance number and date of birth. It also shows details of most credit enquiries carried out by financial institutions, retailers and many other credit reporting agencies including: Current and past credit status Total number of open and closed accounts If the balances of our accounts are current or delinquent Public record information such as federal bankruptcy records local government court records, liens, judgments, and child support records (information that can stay in your record for up to 10 years) Credit inquires that are used when you apply for a credit card, bank loan or retail financing. Detailed account history - very up to date information about your loans, financing and credit card payments Credit score. Your credit score is a number ranging from between 330 and 830 in most states of the U.S. The higher the number assigned to you, the better your credit is. The higher your credit score, the better your chances are of obtaining additional credit cards and or loans. Your credit report will also include information provided to Auto insurance companies, who usually obtain a credit report as part of their process when applications are made for auto insurance. Sometimes employers may also request credit reports as part of their hiring or promotions process. In the United States, the Experian, Trans Union, and Equifax are the major credit bureaus that collect, maintain, and distribute this credit information. You are permitted, by law, to obtain one free copy of your credit report each year from each of these reporting agencies. However, when you apply for a copy of your report, you will usually see that fees apply to all requests for this information. Usually the free report is only available if you apply by mail and you must follow the requirements of the reporting company to obtain your free copy. The information contained in your credit report, thus reflects your credit and consumer habits. Unless you obtain a copy of your credit report, you may never know your credit worthiness. Another more vital reason to obtain a copy of your credit report is to check to see if you have fallen victim to Identity Theft. Verifying and checking your credit report is a vital means to make sure no one has obtained your identity. You may think that it may not happen to you, but there is nothing wrong by making absolutely sure. If you see any transactions on your credit report that do not make sense to you, immediately make enquiries to satisfy yourself whether the entries are legitimate or not. If they are not legitimate, it could be a mistake made by the credit reporting agency, and they will advise you very quickly if this is so and make the necessary correction. If the information is correct but not known to you, then you need to be on guard because you may have seen the beginnings of your identity being stolen. You must take immediate action if you wish to avoid major loss and or damage to your personal reputation that presumably took you so many years to establish. Here are some suggested ways to check your credit report. Carefully examine your credit report upon receipt. Look into the section dealing with inquiries on your report. If you do not know what some of these relate to then make immediate enquiries. Remember, however, that any time you apply for credit, especially at the retail level, there will be a credit enquiry made upon your account, but you may not recognise the name of the company asking for the information as retailers seldom do their credit checks using their company name. If you notice errors, such as a bill paid off but still show as outstanding on the report, then notify the agency and request for it to be removed. You must follow up personally on these corrections and make sure that your specific request has been acted upon. Watch out for accounts opened in your name that you do not know about. Sometimes, maybe a family member has opened an account without letting you know. If this is not so, then maybe a stranger has opened the accounts and that puts your credit and finances in danger. Be alert always and take the issue of Identity Theft as a serious threat to your good name. Make sure that your personal and financial information never get into the wrong hands. John Ritchie, Copyright to this article belongs to John Ritchie. http://www.johnritchieonline.com For more detailed information on Identity Theft, and to sign up for our 5 part e-course, go to http://www.identitytheftpreventionplan.com. You may download and distribute this article freely and without restrictions. You must not, however, delete the resource box link. Being an Identity Theft Victim is not EasyThis is the second in a series of articles which will increase your awareness about Identity Theft. According to studies, there were around 10 million American victims of identity theft in the year 2003 alone. That was 5 years ago. You can expect the number to have risen over the years. Individuals who find themselves victim to this kind of crime will go through much suffering. Not only have they lost their identity, they have probably lost financially as well and they will also have to endure long hours patiently trying to re establish their hard earned credit ratings. Since Identity Theft, shows no signs of either being slowed down or even being stopped soon, early detection is the only solution available to you if you want to avoid the risk of becoming an Identity Theft victim. How these “thieves” obtain your personal information is easy enough. It can be as easy as someone fishing through your thrash, especially made easier for them by municipalities that provide “Blue Boxes” or such like to enable you to recycle your paper, someone watching you punch in your pin number at an ATM machine or Debit Card reader or sending emails that look legitimate, to which you respond. Once thieves obtain your personal information, they can change your billing address. You will not be aware of this until you realise that your bills are no longer being mailed to you. Below are sure signs that you are, or are about to become, an identity theft victim. Upon checking your credit reports, you find that there are some new charge cards issued by companies you do not know anything about. You might not pay attention to errors on your Bank Statement or Credit Card Statement because you think that your bank just made some mistakes in your billing and they will be corrected later. You are receiving bills for new credit card accounts that you did not open. On many occasions, these accounts are opened by spouses, so be very careful. You are receiving calls from business owners regarding items that they said you bought but you actually do not have any idea about. Debts are starting to show on your credit report and you find yourself being denied renewal Cards or loans. If you are beginning to notice these things, or any similar irregularities, you need not panic at first. Just consider that there might be some logical explanation for this. But if there is not, then report these things immediately, and follow up to see that your report has been acted upon. Remember to keep a close watch on your credit card activities. Your Credit Card is not necessarily needed to make purchases over the telephone or over the internet. It is a well known fact that the majority Credit Card holders do not scrutinise their billing statement each month. This makes it easier for identity thieves to get away with hundreds or even thousands of dollars of purchases on your card. Identity thieves may not only be spending all your money, they may also be using your available credit to buy items and merchandise. The bottom line is that not only are they getting the money you have worked so hard for, but they are also destroying the credit ratings you have tried so hard to establish and maintain. Another step to take so you will not become an identity theft victim is to make payments in safe places. With thieves, you can never tell. They might appear as bystanders minding their own business but are actually looking closely when you start writing out personal details, using personal codes at machines and even when talking at Bank counters or to staff at the bank. Be one step ahead of them by thinking what other strategies they can use in stealing your identity. Be wary of persons you are next to when shopping and when paying bills. You might be taken advantage right there and then. Although trusting other people is a must, you just have to choose very carefully the persons to whom you will give your trust. Strangely many identity thieves are people who you do trust, like family, close friends and co workers. John Ritchie, Copyright to this article belongs to John Ritchie. http://www.johnritchieonline.com For more detailed information on Identity Theft, and to sign up for our 5 part e-course, go to http://www.identitytheftpreventionplan.com. You may download and distribute this article freely and without restrictions. You must not, however, delete the resource box link. 8 Million Hotel Guests Face Risk of Identity Theft8 Million Hotel Guests Face Risk of Identity Theft This is the first in a series of articles which will increase your awareness about Identity Theft. In August 2008, up to 8 million people were thought to be at risk for some sort of Identity Theft, after the Best Western hotel chain, the world’s largest hotel chain, disclosed that their on line reservation system had been subjected to a successful breach of security. It is estimated that information pertaining to any guest of the Best Western Chain who stayed at a Best Western Hotel in Europe during the past year, may have been compromised, and it is thought that the data was being sold by a web site operated by an organised crime gang based in Russia. Data reported as stolen includes: Home addresses, Credit Card details, Employment information. The company is investigating how the breach of security happened, but at this time does not have any answers. This is a further, real life instance, one of many over the past few years, involving loss of data from corporate or government owned data facilities that were thought to be protected and secure. I will update this article if and when I obtain further information regarding investigations, fall out and or arrests. John Ritchie, Copyright to this article belongs to John Ritchie. http://www.johnritchieonline.com For more detailed information on Identity Theft, and to sign up for our 5 part e-course, go to http://www.identitytheftpreventionplan.com. You may download and distribute this article freely and without restrictions. You must not, however, delete the resource box link. Training for Success with Your Internet Business, Article 10 Promotional Items.
2:35 PM, 8-25-2008
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The success of your sales efforts depends upon your presentation. Fortunately, the cost of promotional items, gifts and samples are deductible expenses for your business.This includes: Any products purchased by you to be tested in your home. You may deduct the cost of at least one of each product for testing to determine its effectiveness, quality, durability, or reliability to your own satisfaction. The initial start-up package of products and tools, if you are required to purchase them. Demonstration products. Items loaned to prospects, after they have completed a program demonstration. Any tapes you buy either to loan out, to train yourself, or to give away to promote your business. Books used to help you build the business. Pins, plaques, or any form of awards associated with achieving goals that you decide to use. Gifts costing up to $25 each provided to people important to your business. There is a once per year limitation. There is no limit on the number of people to whom you may give gifts provided they are business-related. When calculating the cost, do not include the cost of gift-wrapping, engraving on jewellery, packaging, and mailing. A business gift must be given with the expectation of earning a profit. However, you do not have to actually profit from each and every gift in order to deduct the cost. There must also be some business connection between you and the recipient of your gift, either as a current or prospective customer or client. This is especially true if you want to deduct gifts you make to relatives and friends (not the best of uses). Be careful, though, if you order any of these items on the same order form as products for sale. Do not include them as purchases in determining your cost of goods sold. You should deduct the cost of promotional items as operating expenses. A good practice is to buy these items on a separate order form to prevent year-end confusion, and in some countries to limit consumer taxes. The same caution must be exercised if you order products for your own personal use. Again, these personal-use items must be subtracted from the total of your purchases to accurately determine the amount of merchandise ordered for resale. If you occasionally take a sample for personal use, you must subtract the cost of the item from your deductible sample expense. Do you sometimes use demonstrator products for personal purposes? If so, you will have to allocate the cost between the time the product is used for business and the time it is used for personal reasons. Only the business portion of the cost is deductible. Note: Taxation legislation differs between countries and each country may change their rules at any time. The information provided in these newsletters is accurate at time of publication. You should however seek specific information from your Tax Advisor or Taxation Department as it relates to your own situation each year that you are required to provide Income and Expense Statements. John Ritchie, A.I.B., A.I.C.B, F.I.C.B, email:brlynt@gmail.com Copyright to this article belongs to John Ritchie. http://www.johnritchieonline.com Having Fun Making Money. You may download and distribute this article freely and without restrictions. You must not, however, delete the resource box link.
See: http://www.amazines.com/article_detail.cfm?articleid=593190 http://www.articlecube.com/submitarticles.php?act=edit&id=371524 http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=1090280 http://users.search-o-rama.com/Article366980.htm http://www.ideamarketers.com/?articleid=394486&CFID=59169369&CFTOKEN=53649534
Training for Success with Your Internet Business, Article 9, Travel Expenses.
2:26 PM, 8-25-2008
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You have to love “travel expenses” as a category of expenses for your business. The primary purpose of your trip away from home must be for business purposes. If your trip is for a business purpose then you are permitted to deduct the cost of transportation between your home base and your destination. In addition, you may also be able to claim costs of lodging, meals, and all related and necessary travel expenses, not only for the days you engage in business activity, but for time you spend on other activities while you are on your trip. This will include sightseeing, trips, entertainment and meals while building a relationship or enjoying other non business activities at your destination. The costs of recreational activities, during the personal portion of your trip are not, however, deductible. The cost of a vacation taken at a non business destination before or after reaching your business destination may be deductible, but you will need to ensure that you qualify for these deductions. For U. S. Residents, your foreign trip will be considered entirely for business if you are outside the U.S. for one week or less, or less than 25% of your time was spent on non business activities. You may also be eligible if you had no substantial control over the trip or you can establish that a vacation was not a major consideration for your trip. If your foreign travel is entirely for business, all of your transportation, lodging, and meal expenses are deductible. If your primary purpose was business, but your travel was not entirely for business, your travel expenses must normally be allocated according to the number of business days. For non U. S. Residents, you will need to check with your tax advisor, as permitted expenses may differ from those advised in this article. Attendance at a convention connected with your business is deductible. However, you may not deduct the cost of attending investment, political, social, or fraternal conventions. Sometimes, you may quality for a deduction for post convention trips that include educational advancement. For U. S. Residents, no deduction is allowed for the expenses of attending conventions outside the North American area, unless the convention was directly related to your business and it was reasonable to meet in a foreign location. The North American area includes Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, U.S. possessions, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Samoa, and Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. Conventions may also be held in "eligible" Caribbean countries. Cruise ship expenses directly related to the active conduct of a trade or business are deductible up to $2,000 a year. All the ports of call must be in the A written statement signed by an officer of the group sponsoring your foreign convention or cruise must be attached to your return. In addition, you must attach your own statement showing the total days spent at the convention, the number of hours each day devoted to business activities, and a copy of the convention program. If at least 6 hours per day are scheduled for business activities and you attend at least two-thirds of the total hours of scheduled activities, each day of the convention or cruise will be considered a business day. If you take your spouse along on a convention or business trip, his or her travel expenses are non deductible personal expenses, unless (1) your spouse is also a partner in your business or an employee of your or your employer's company, (2) your spouse's presence has a bona fide business purpose, and (3) your spouse's expenses would be otherwise deductible. If your spouse does accompany you for a business purpose, the amount by which your hotel expenses exceed the single rate and the cost of your spouse's meals are not deductible. Note: Taxation legislation differs between countries and each country may change their rules at any time. The information provided in these newsletters is accurate at time of publication. You should however seek specific information from your Tax Advisor or Taxation Department as it relates to your own situation each year that you are required to provide Income and Expense Statements. John Ritchie, A.I.B., A.I.C.B, F.I.C.B, email:brlynt@gmail.com Copyright to this article belongs to John Ritchie. http://www.johnritchieonline.com Having Fun Making Money. You may download and distribute this article freely and without restrictions. You must not, however, delete the resource box link.
See: http://www.amazines.com/article_detail.cfm?articleid=551543 http://EzineArticles.com/?id=1396879 http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=1060361 http://users.search-o-rama.com/Article361966.htm http://www.ideamarketers.com/?articleid=390568&CFID=59169369&CFTOKEN=53649534 http://www.articlealley.com/article_610120_80.html http://www.articlecube.com/submitarticles.php?act=edit&id=358794 | |