Identity Theft Prevention

In the course of a busy day, especially this time of the year, you may write a check at the grocery store, charge Bowl Game tickets, rent a car, mail your tax returns, change service providers for your cell phone, or apply for a credit card. In each transaction, you reveal bits of personal information, like your bank and credit card account numbers; your income, your social security number (SSN) or your name, address and phone numbers – a goldmine of information for an identity thief. Once a thief has that information, it can be used without your knowledge to commit fraud or theft.

Identity theft is a serious crime. People whose identities have been stolen can spend lots of time and money cleaning up the mess thieves have made of their good name and credit record. They may lose out on job opportunities, and loans for education, housing, or cars. The may even get arrested for crimes they did not commit.

Can you prevent an identity theft? As with any crime, you cannot completely control whether you will become a victim. But according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, you can minimize your risk by managing your personal information cautiously.

If someone has used your name or other personal information to commit a fraud, please visit http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft for information on how to proceed and how to file an identity theft complaint. The site has links to useful information from other federal agencies, states, and consumer organizations. The information in your complaint becomes part of a secure database that law enforcement officials across the nation use to help stop identity thieves.

If you know someone that needs this information and they do not  have access to the internet, they may call 1877-ID-THEFT, the FTC’s toll-free ID Theft Hotline.

Find Last Minute Holiday Travel Deals Online

The internet gives us access to just about anything we can imagine. This includes finding flights, trains, buses, hotel rooms, and rental cars that we can use to travel for the holidays. While most of these entities are more expensive when you travel over the holidays due the demand, you can still find some good deals if you take the time to look.

You will generally find that you can save the most money on holiday travel if you purchase a complete package deal. This is less expensive than buying each piece that you need individually. It also provides you with only one confirmation number that you need to keep track of instead of several different ones.

There are literally hundreds of sites online where you can look for holiday travel deals. You can search by your destination in a search engine or choose the various sites you have heard about. It is a good idea to keep a list of the sites you visit and the prices you are coming across. This way you can compare the prices and easily remember where you want to go back to.

Most of the time fares will be cheaper online than by contacting the place directly because it saves their business time of having to set up the travel arrangements for you. Make sure you carefully read all of the information though because some travel deals have hidden costs that you don’t want to be liable for. You also need to check into the cancellation policies and about rescheduling your trip.

Some online travel deals don’t offer any refunds at all so if a family member dies or you have an unexpected illness you won’t be able to get your money back. Even if you show up late for your flight because you got caught up at security they won’t honor your purchase. This can be extremely risky because there are too many variables that can affect holiday travel.

Make sure you also pay close attention to the amount of time that you will be in the process of getting to your destination. You may find a killer price but it isn’t going to be worth it if you have several connecting flights and layovers along the way. Look for direct methods to get to your destination whenever it is possible. There are simply too many delays during holiday travel to ensure you can get to those connections on time.

Many of the sites you visit online will allow you to sign up for special offers and promotions. You should take advantage of these offers so that you don’t have to continually return to their site to check for changes in prices. Some of them even allow you to enter a price so that you can be notified if the price of the trip you want drops to that price. For those that can only afford holiday travel if it fits a specific budget, this is a valuable feature.

During your search online for holiday travel, be flexible with your dates. You will be able to save hundreds of dollars just by being willing to leave a day earlier or leaving in the evening instead of the afternoon. Those that want a specific travel arrangement will find this ties them into more expensive offers. Even if you travel a day earlier and have to pay for a hotel room that extra night you could save hundreds of dollars.

It does take some initial planning of where you want to travel and how you are going to get there in order to find the best travel deals. Investing a few hours of your time in getting the best price though is well worth the savings you will get from it. Millions of people travel each year over the holidays but some of them pay more for the same trip because they didn’t look for holiday travel deals online.

Be Safe on your Travels.

Trapper

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Personal Safety eBook

Protecting your Debit and Credit Cards

Protecting Your Debit and Credit Cards

The best protections against card fraud are to know where your cards are at
all times and to keep them secure. For protection of ATM and debit cards
that involve a Personal Identification Number (PIN), keep your PIN a secret.

Don’t use your address, birthdate, phone or Social Security number as the
PIN and do memorize the number.

The following suggestions may help you protect your credit card and your
ATM or debit card accounts.

For Credit and ATM or Debit Cards:

Be cautious about disclosing your account number over the phone unless
you know you’re dealing with a reputable company.

Never put your account number on the outside of an envelope or on a
postcard.

Draw a line through blank spaces on charge or debit slips above the total
so the amount cannot be changed.

Don’t sign a blank charge or debit slip.

Tear up carbons and save your receipts to check against your monthly
statements.

Cut up old cards — cutting through the account number — before disposing
of them.

Open monthly statements promptly and compare them with your receipts.
Report mistakes or discrepancies as soon as possible to the special
address listed on your statement for inquiries. Under the FCBA (credit cards)
and the EFTA (ATM or debit cards), the card issuer must investigate errors
reported to them within 60 days of the date your statement was mailed to you.

Keep a record — in a safe place separate from your cards — of your account
numbers, expiration dates, and the telephone numbers of each card issuer
so you can report a loss quickly.

Carry only those cards that you anticipate you’ll need.

For ATM or Debit Cards:

Don’t carry your PIN in your wallet or purse or write it on your ATM or debit
card.

Never write your PIN on the outside of a deposit slip, an envelope, or other
papers that could be easily lost or seen.

Carefully check ATM or debit card transactions before you enter the PIN or
before you sign the receipt; the funds for this item will be fairly quickly
transferred out of your checking or other deposit account.

Periodically check your account activity. This is particularly important if you
bank online. Compare the current balance and recent withdrawals or
transfers to those you’ve recorded, including your current ATM and debit
card withdrawals and purchases and your recent checks. If you notice
transactions you didn’t make, or if your balance has dropped suddenly
without activity by you, immediately report the problem to your card issuer.
Someone may have co-opted your account information to commit fraud.

So far, in the past three posts we have talked about lost or stolen credit
and debit cards, fraudulent charges and in this post how to protect your
cards. Join us in our next post as we wrap this up with buying a
Registration Service and all the contact numbers and info you may need.

Sincerely,

Trapper

PS…do you have your FREE ID Theft available at:

http://www.personalsafetyebook.com/PPP.html

ATM or Debit Card Loss

ATM or Debit Card Loss or Fraudulent Transfers (EFTA)

Your liability under federal law for unauthorized use of your ATM or debit card
depends on how quickly you report the loss. If you report an ATM or debit
card missing before it’s used without your permission, the EFTA says the card
issuer cannot hold you responsible for any unauthorized transfers. If
unauthorized use occurs before you report it, your liability under federal law
depends on how quickly you report the loss.

For example, if you report the loss within two business days after you realize
your card is missing, you will not be responsible for more than $50 for
unauthorized use.

However, if you don’t report the loss within two business days after you
discover the loss, you could lose up to $500 because of an unauthorized
transfer. You also risk unlimited loss if you fail to report an unauthorized
transfer within 60 days after your bank statement containing
unauthorized use is mailed to you.

That means you could lose all the money in your bank account and the
unused portion of your line of credit established for overdrafts. However,
for unauthorized transfers involving only your debit card number
(not the loss of the card), you are liable only for transfers that occur after
60 days following the mailing of your bank statement containing the
unauthorized use and before you report the loss.

If unauthorized transfers show up on your bank statement, report them to
the card issuer as quickly as possible. Once you’ve reported the loss of your
ATM or debit card, you cannot be held liable for additional unauthorized
transfers that occur after that time.

Stay tuned for our next post. We will discuss how to protect your ATM or
Debit card and also your credit cards.

Sincerely,

Thomas “Trapper” Sherwood
www.sherwoodlocksmithing.com

PS…Do you know the definition of Identity theft?  No?
You can now with our FREE Report. Visit:

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PS…

Lost or Stolen Credit Cards

Many people find it easy and convenient to use credit cards and ATM or debit
cards. The Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) and the Electronic Fund Transfer Act
(EFTA) offer procedures for you to use if your cards are lost or stolen.

Limiting Your Financial Loss

Report the loss or theft of your credit cards and your ATM or debit cards to
the card issuers as quickly as possible. Many companies have toll-free
numbers and 24-hour service to deal with such emergencies. It’s a good idea
to follow up your phone calls with a letter. Include your account number, when
you noticed your card was missing, and the date you first reported the loss.

You also may want to check your homeowner’s insurance policy to see if it
covers your liability for card thefts. If not, some insurance companies will allow
you to change your policy to include this protection.

Credit Card Loss or Fraudulent Charges (FCBA).

Your maximum liability under federal law for unauthorized use of your credit
card is $50. If you report the loss before your credit cards are used, the FCBA
says the card issuer cannot hold you responsible for any unauthorized
charges. If a thief uses your cards before you report them missing, the most
you will owe for unauthorized charges is $50 per card. Also, if the loss involves
your credit card number, but not the card itself, you have no liability for
unauthorized use.

After the loss, review your billing statements carefully. If they show any
unauthorized charges, it’s best to send a letter to the card issuer describing
each questionable charge. Again, tell the card issuer the date your card was
lost or stolen, or when you first noticed unauthorized charges, and when you
first reported the problem to them. Be sure to send the letter to the address
provided for billing errors. Do not send it with a payment or to the address
where you send your payments, unless you are directed to do so.

Next post we will cover ATM or Debit Card Loss or Fraudulent Transfers
(EFTA).

Sincerely,

Trapper

http://www.sherwoodlocksmithing.com

PS…Have you requested your FREE report on Identity Theft?
Request your copy and download it at:

http://www.personalsafetyebook.com/PPP.html