What Programs Are Being Sold For Protection Against Identity Theft?

By Felicia Butts

My brother's identity was stolen a few years ago. In less than a week, four different $300 charges materialized on his credit and his bank didn't make it easy for him to drop those items from his account. This time around wasn't too problematic, because the bank finally sided with my brother, cancelled the extra charges and gave him new numbers for his account.

The scary thing is that, even months later, there was still someone out there claiming to be my brother, and they even had his financial and personal information -- enough to get into serious trouble.

Thankfully, my brother was able to get beyond those problems, even though his credit still gets bothered by fraudulent charges every now and then. Luck was with him.

Losing your identity is one of the scariest things about being an interconnected, Internet based society. It's awful to lose piles of money and end up spending hours of frustrating phone calls trying to halt payment on inane purchases you never even bought. Businesses have stepped up to help protect the frightened people, and they are taking advantage of the fear to score serious cash. For a fee, you too can join in on the madness.

No Ability To Track Effectiveness

Protection against identity theft is not customer friendly; there is no possible way for customers to see how effective these service providers really are, or if they are improving computer security at all.

Most companies center their efforts around checking your credit score regularly so no charges can slip past you without you being aware of its presence. There's nothing complicated about reading your credit report -- you could do it too, for much cheaper, I might add. So, not counting this, what exactly do these businesses do?

There is no good answer to this question, which bothers every consumer who dares to pay these businesses money for theoretical security. Since there are no methods to tracking their actions, you have to accept everything they tell you as fact. The only way to measure their success is to consider if your identity has been stolen since you began working with them. If not, then it stands to reason that the new security must have paid off, right?

No. There are no guarantees.

Zero Features For Lots Of Money

The price of protection against identity theft can vary greatly with the number of features each program claims to offer. Not one company out there right now discloses exactly what features and services they provide in an explicit manner, which ones are premium and what comes in the package. Almost everything these companies will do for you, you can do for yourself.

Identity theft is certainly scary, and protection is important, but doing racking up bills through a third party company doesn't equate to safety and security. - 31381

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Avoid Identity Theft in Several Simple Steps

By EveryCall

The Better Business Bureau has reported a massive increase in telephone calls from phony debt collectors, people or companies calling unsuspecting consumers claiming to be a collection agency and millions of people fall victim to identity theft every year.

Government agencies such as the FCC or FTC have reported an increase in consumer complaints about fraudulent telephone calls and identity theft. You can visit either the FCC or the FTC's official website to obtain up to date information about the techniques used by these fraudulent callers by clicking on the information section of each website. Additionally, the Better Business Bureau has a wealth of information about how to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft.

One recommendation is to ask the caller to call them back and then perform a lookup of the telephone number of the caller. That way you can review what others have said about the caller to help you confirm if they are a true agency or not.

It is also suggested that you do not provide personal information such as bank account numbers, social security numbers and other financial information over the telephone.

Never send money via wire transfers or make any other payment based solely upon a telephone solicitations, this is a common scam that millions of people fall victim to each year.

The next time you receive a telemarketing call or debt collection call, we hope that this article has helped you with some tips to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft. It is important to be skeptical of any telephone calls you receive until you confirm the identity of the caller. - 31381

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Credit Card Generator Information

By John Case

It is first and foremost important to understand that using a credit card generator for purposes that are malicious in nature is definitely illegal. I am not condoning the use of credit card generators for any of the said purposes. This article is only meant to provide information on the generators.

What is a credit card generator? It is a piece of software that using mathematical algorithms in order to generate credit card information. These generators can be used for illegal purposes, such as buying goods with stolen credit information, but they also have legitimate uses.

How do individuals get access to credit card generators? The easiest way to get these generators is through illegal file sharing networks called p2p networks. These networks enable users to get other illegal stuff like video, music, and software. There is some legitimate software on these networks, but most of it is illegal.

Why would a person start using a credit card generator? Lots of people are short on cash and so they resort to something stupid like stealing. If you do not have enough money then you should look into getting another job and also work to reduce the amount of money that you spend. You wouldn't want someone stealing from you so why would it be ok for you to steal from them? Credit card fraud just isn't with it when you really think about it.

Some people use these generators for a laugh. This is a very stupid idea because you are risking your freedom. Stealing money is generally considered grand theft and this is a felony. A felony is punishable by jail time.

Other people use these generators just to prove it to themselves that they can. Some people feel the need to fuel their ego and they do not care who they hurt in the process. If you think you may be one of these people then the best advice I can give you is to find another way to feel this sort of happiness.

Who ends up paying for credit card fraud? Everyday people like you and me are the ones who pay in the end. Banks also experience losses, but they are able to cover these losses by charging consumers higher fees. Once again you can see that the everyday person losses at the end of the day.

What kind of punishment can you expect if you use a credit card generator? There was a recent UK case where a man was sent to prison for-- years for credit card fraud. Even if you think you will not be caught and will not go to prison it is not worth the risk. If you are caught it will go down on your permanent record and you will never be able to erase it. - 31381

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Beware of Affinity Fraud in the Forex Markets

By Tom K Kearns

At a very young age we were taught to look both ways before crossing the street, we were also told to pay attention to the cross walk guide, and the stop sign on the side of the buses that prevented us from crossing the street. In our older years we are still prompted to keep an eye on the predators that prey on us like the bully after our lunch money. Our concerns now are with money and internet scams.

Affinity frauds are like lions in the grass watching us like dinner. In the money markets, affinity frauds pounce on the identifiable and very specific groups, factions of religion, ethnicity, and demographics. It is a new type of fraud that is being watched closely in the Forex market. Playing in the field of predators, some brokers offer alleged investment opportunities to specific areas claiming affinity (likeness, similarity) towards them. Only to lure in a feeling of comfort to better the ability to reel them like fish to the hooked worm.

In a world of many peoples' the enormity of true connection is easily portrayed; via emailing, instant messaging and so on the quick and easy route to get things accomplished and get people connected is as effortless as watching ice cream melt in the son on a hot summer day. Individuals who are making investments with Forex brokers, or other types, need to be fully aware of this, and must carefully research the companies, regulators, and capital of their new found brokers, traders or investors.

Being legitimate is actually a typical move for these swindlers. They will have a few real customers and using that as collateral to fetch others by forming the bond, working hand in hand, and getting testimonials. For the "others" unfortunately, will be lead to a fraud that can lead to serious damages. The lack of notifying the authority is all too common in this situation; instead they try to fix issues within the group which leaves them shorthanded and alone.

Avoiding Affinity Frauds

1) The most important and first thing that should be done is to call and ask your state or provincial security agencies about the sales person, firm or company before investing ANYTHING. This simple maneuver can save most people a lot of money. See if the investment is allowed to be sold after asking if investor or company is registered. These investors do not care in any way for you and have a way with words so if they are not completely back away. DO your research.

2) Obtain written information from the investor on the procedures of the investment, risks of the investment, and procedures on getting your money out!

3) Ask for professional advice, from an attorney, accountant, financial planner; be it through a friend or you pay them, you are much better off.

4) Pay attention to testimonials dates. The investor's earlier people, that were legitimate, may have wonderful and enthusiastic things to say but later arrivals may not be so happy. Watch for repetitive names and out of the ordinary names. Be AWARE! - 31381

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