Ten Things the IRS Wants You to Know About Identity Theft

Ten Things the IRS Wants You to Know About Identity Theft

Criminals use many methods to steal personal information from taxpayers. They can use your information to steal your identity and file a tax return in order to receive a refund. Here are 10 things the IRS wants you to know about identity theft so you can avoid becoming the victim of a scam artist. Identity thieves get your personal information by many different means, including stealing a wallet or purse or accessing information you provide to an unsecured Internet site. They even look for personal information in your trash. They also pose as someone who needs information through a phone call or e-mail. The IRS does not initiate contact with a taxpayer by e-mail. If you receive an e-mail scam, forward it to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov. If you receive a letter from the IRS leading you to believe your identity has been stolen, respond immediately to the name, address or phone number on the IRS notice. Your identity may be stolen if a letter from the IRS indicates more than one tax return was filed for you or the letter states you received wages from an employer you don’t know. If your Social Security number is stolen, it may be used by another individual to get a job. That person’s employer would report income earned to the IRS using your Social Security number, making it appear that you did not report all of your income on your tax return. If your tax records are not currently affected by identity theft, but you believe you may be at risk due to a lost wallet, questionable credit card activity, or credit report, you need to provide the IRS with proof of your identity. You should submit a copy of your valid government-issued identification – such as a Social Security card, driver's license, or passport – along with a copy of a police report and/or a completed Form 14039, IRS Identity Theft Affidavit. Show your Social Security card to your employer when you start a job or to your financial institution for tax reporting purposes. Do not routinely carry your card or other documents that display your SSN. If you have previously been in contact with the IRS and have not achieved a resolution, please contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit, toll-free at 1-800-908-4490. For more information about identity theft – including information about how to report identity theft, phishing and related fraudulent activity – visit the IRS Identity Theft Resource Page, which you can find by typing “Identity Theft” in the search box on the IRS.gov home page. IRS TAX TIP 2010-58 Visit The Identity Theft Shield website for the best protection!

Preventing Holiday Identity Theft

Before you swipe your card, think about this, 11 million Americans had their identities stolen last year.

Narda Reed's husband was one of them.

"We've had people take free trips to Europe, to Disneyland, Disney World, purchase major items," she says.

And police say the holiday season is the prime time for thieves to steal your information.

"We're not ahead of this curve yet. It is definitely still a growing problem. More and more people are figuring out how to do it, how to commit that offense. Yes we catch them from time to time, but it doesn't take away the hassle that the victim has," says Temple Police Sergeant Brad Hunt.

Don't use public Wi-Fi connections like the ones in coffee shops to shop online. More ID theft happens in stores than online, but four in ten shoppers say they have little or no worries about identity fraud happening to them.

"You are at risk and in this day and age to it's very easy for someone to come along and be close to you and write the number down or get your credit card number and snap a picture of it," AAA Spokesman Dan Ronan says.

Ronan says you should cover up the number as you swipe and shield the keypad when you enter your pin.

"You don't want your card to be out of sight for a long period of time where someone could write down the number, write down the personal code on the back," Ronan adds.

Ronan also suggest taking only one card with you when you go shopping. He also says you should check your credit report at least two times a year.

http://bit.ly/bt8VYu

Tips:

• When shopping online, make sure you use a reputable site and look for the security icon before putting in your information.
• Protect from the view of a mobile phone camera - When Shopping, Put your Thumb over part of the Credit Card # and shield any PIN# entry.
• Take only One Credit Card with you when you shop
• Check your Credit Report every quarter using annualcreditreport.com - once for each credit repository (bureau) every three months.
• Enroll with the best Identity Theft Shield with the Pre-Paid Legal Plan, because you need an attorney to help you in case of some forms or ID Theft like Criminal and Medical ID Theft.

Medical Identity Theft Ordeal

Medical Identity Theft Ordeal

You've all heard stories about identity theft, but nothing like this. Imagine: someone walks into a hospital to get major surgery that costs thousands of dollars and does it all in your name. Then that person sticks you with the bills. It happened.....

Preventing Medical Identity Theft

Monitor your insurance claims to make sure they are accurate. spotting a suspicious medical claim may be the easiest way to catch medical identity theft early. Now here are six more tips to help guard against identity fraud in general:

1. Be Vigilant: Regularly monitor your bank and credit card accounts. Set up alerts to both e-mail and a mobile device.

2. Protect Personal Data: Don't provide sensitive financial information over the Internet or phone unless you initiated the interaction with a trusted entity.

3. Move Online: Cancel paper invoices, bank statements, and checks and replace them with electronic versions.

4. Check Who Is Watching: Be mindful of your environment and who may overhear or see sensitive information.

5. Guard Liability: Use credit and debit cards from financial institutions that provide no liability if a card is used without authorization.

6. Employ the top of the line Identity Theft Shield from Pre-Paid Legal Services. The Value outweighs the cost.

Patient Billed for Phony Liposuction as Medical ID Theft Rises

(Bloomberg) -- Sierra Morgan was billed $12,000 on her health-care credit card in November for liposuction, a procedure she never requested or had.

“It’s depressing to know that someone used my name and knows so much about me,” said the 31-year-old respiratory therapist from Modesto, California.

There were more than 275,000 cases in the U.S. last year of medical information theft, twice the number in 2008, according to Javelin Strategy & Research, a Pleasanton, California-based market research firm. The average fraud cost $12,100, Javelin said.

“A trend we’ve seen over the past few years is using stolen information to file false claims,” said Louis Saccoccio, executive director of the Washington-based National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association, a non-profit research group.

Criminals set up fake clinics to bill for phony treatments, said Pam Dixon, founder of the World Privacy Forum, a non-profit consumer-research group based in San Diego, California, which has worked with more than 3,000 victims. Thieves also may impersonate a patient, like in Morgan’s case, and some medical workers download records to sell, she said.

Read More at: Bloomberg Business Week: http://bit.ly/b11nu8

Protecting Your Children from ID Theft

ID Thieves are targeting minor's Social Security Numbers because they may be able to use them for several years before discovery. The victim, your child, wouldn't discover that they have a bogus credit record until they apply for a credit card or a job.

The Identity Theft Safeguard for Children can be obtained at www.prepaidlegal.com/idt/asmith

Get the Experts on their side, too!

When it comes to identity theft, age isn't a factor.

In recent years, identity thieves have zeroed in on children as potential prey. Their young age and the fact that they have no credit history make them prime targets for identity theft. In fact, a child who has become a victim of identity theft may not even know for years; until they are old enough to apply for credit.

-Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. offers a special enhancement to the Identity Theft Shield, geared toward minor children. Under the plan, your children (under 18 years of age) can receive valuable services to help safeguard against one of the fastest growing crimes in America.

Identity Theft Services for Minors include:

SAFEGUARD-It's important to educate children as early as possible on the importance of safeguarding private information. Safeguard provides valuable material on credit education for minors, advice on the best practices for the use of a child's Social Security Number and Personal Identifying Information, as well as many other crucial safeguarding practices.

DETECTION - It's vital that a child's credit be monitored throughout childhood. Our service will monitor for the existence of a credit file and notify you should anything be found.

CONSULTATION- Licensed private investigators, specializing in identity theft issues,are available to address any questions or concerns you may have about issues regarding child identity theft.

RESTORATION - Licensed investigators will take immediate action to correct any damages caused by identity theft. They will assist in obtaining a police report, provide available credit reports, dispute all fraudulent accounts with creditors, collectors, credit bureaus, banks, and others. In addition, a 7-year fraud victim statement or a Credit Bureau Minor Fraud alert will be placed with the credit reporting agencies.

Protect those you love at http://www.prepaidlegal.com/idt/asmith

ID Thieves Now Targeting Children

The latest form of identity theft doesn't depend on stealing your Social Security number. Now thieves are targeting your kid's number long before the little one even has a bank account.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The latest form of identity theft doesn't depend on stealing your Social Security number. Now thieves are targeting your kid's number long before the little one even has a bank account.

Hundreds of online businesses are using computers to find dormant Social Security numbers -- usually those assigned to children who don't use them -- then selling those numbers under another name to help people establish phony credit and run up huge debts they will never pay off.

read more at http://www.delicious.com/asmith1

Inmate pleads no contest to ID theft counts

It just shows you that you cannot control who gets and uses your personal information.

A Multnomah County jail inmate accused of pretending to be a grandson who needed cash to bail out of jail has pleaded no contest to multiple counts of identity theft.

Prosecutors say 44-year-old Stephen Lee Brown's crimes included impersonating the 20-year-old grandson of an 86-year-old Portland couple in March. The grandparents took a cab to the jail. Jail employees caught on to the scheme before the couple could deposit $1,500 in Brown's jail account.

Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Henry Kantor ordered that Brown repay their $50 cab fare.

The judge also sentenced Brown to six years in prison and recommended that prison officials keep him away from phones.

Deputy District Attorney Chuck Mickley says 29 of Brown's 66 convictions have been for crimes committed while he was in jail or prison. As Brown pointed out to the judge, the prison yard is full of phones.

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Information from: The Oregonian

Senators push Data Breach Notification Bill

Two prominent Senate Democrats have offered a bill that would require businesses and nonprofit groups to meet baseline standards for safeguarding consumers' personal information, and to act quickly to provide notification in the event of a breach.

The Data Security and Breach Notification Act, introduced by Sens. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) and John Rockefeller (D-W.V.), would mandate firms that engage in the collection and storage of personal information to implement "reasonable security policies and procedures" to prevent leaks or breaches.

In the event of a security breach, covered businesses and nonprofits would be obligated to notify all affected individuals within 60 days.

"As more and more of our personal information is collected and stored online and on computers, we need to ensure that the businesses storing this information are keeping it safe and giving us quick warning if it falls into the wrong hands," Pryor, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Insurance, said in a statement.

Read More at: http://www.esecurityplanet.com/news/article.php/3897501/Senate-Dems-Push-Data-Breach-Bill.htm