According to Credit.com news, two students face up to $1million dollars in fines and 10 years in prison for identity theft tied to over $23,000 in secured student loans.  The Russellville Courier recently reported bond hearings for a woman accused of forgery and possible identity theft.  And… in Minneapolis another man is charged with identity theft and mail fraud.  Check the news – rarely a day goes by without some reference, such as the Russellville, Arkansas woman stealing the identity of a Texas resident, or a California man found having victimized over 50 people.  Do headlines noting that five people were indicted in Baltimore by stealing the identity of patients at John Hopkins hospital perk up your ears?  The bottom line is that over 10 million people a year fall victim to identity theft, and that number is continuing to rise.

I am really passionate about helping prevent the crime and to protect the innocent, but as I continue to educate and market an identity theft protection product, I have to ask, “Are we, as a public becoming immune to the news of these crimes?”  According to an e-wisdom.com article by Pete Miller a few days ago, although there is an increase in the services being provided to protect us against identity theft, it appears as though the numbers of people willing to purchase and pay for those services is on a decline.  Does this mean that we are becoming more personally responsible for protecting ourselves from identity theft?  Possibly!  In fact, in the little town of Green Valley, Arizona, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department has coordinated a community-wide, free Shred-A-Thon – noting it to be a drive-thru event where you can bring personal documents to be dropped into a large bin for shredding.  Other similar events are being held in Los Angeles this weekend, as well.  Or does it mean that with the crunch in the economy, it is a protection we feel we will just take our chances with not having protection… after all, it has only happened to “other” people thus far!

Although any shredding program is to be applauded, knowing it will diminish the amount of dumpster diving that is at the heart of identity theft, and becoming more personally responsible is empowering, these are answers to only a small part of the far-reaching facets of identity theft.  If you want to learn about just how “creative” these thieves are, check out the list on my website – as I was researching the problem, I had a couple of eye-opening moments, and I am sure you will too!

Many of you who read this are young, energetic and optimistic.  Your parents and grandparents are less so, and it is our graying population that is getting hit really hard with the ravages of identity theft.  In fact, according to a recent AARP report, this criminal activity in people over the age of 50 accounts for over 35 percent of the identity theft being perpetrated. This same AARP report supports that it takes an average of 165 hours to resolve even one small issue with identity theft!  What does that, in the end, really cost you – not to mention the additional fees for an attorney, daycare, photocopying, long distance calls and postage?  If this has inspired you to know more about identity theft protection and you want to know, when you need an attorney – who you need to call – - I have the answer to that question for on my website.

I have been posting to my social media throughout the month of September – National Disaster Preparedness Month, and want to segue into the fact that the second week in October is supported by National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) and Council of Better Business Bureaus for National Protect Your Identity Week (PYIW), October 17-23, 2010.  The most natural thing for me to do in this, my last post about National Disaster Preparedness Month is to discuss how these emergency situations impact protecting your identity and to invite you to watch for great posts about Identity Theft during October.

The news continues to cover flooding throughout the U.S., together with intermittent hits about fires, tornados, hurricanes and even a few man-made disasters here and there.  There is little doubt that every disaster is frightening, and puts our lives in a state of chaos, thus my continuing focus on whether you are prepared… for the unexpected!  The same energies and actions you put into creating a disaster plan, will serve double-duty in avoiding possible identity theft during a disaster.

Managing Vital Documents during a Disaster…

The best evacuation plan calls for your gathering, in advance, all vital documents, storing them in a safe place, in a storage unit that is readily available and easy to transport.   I believe in the PortaVault; it is perfect for managing all of your vital documents  – and especially so in the case of an emergency. Aside from all the obvious documents you need to protect, make sure you have included the following items you may not otherwise have considered:

• Birth certificates for each family member
• A current photograph of each family member
• Driver’s licenses
• Social Security cards for each family member
• Death certificates
• Insurance papers, wills, deeds, property records, and photos or video of personal belongings
• Other vital documents for each family member, such as immigration papers, marriage licenses
• Financial account information that might be needed in an emergency
• Brief medical histories including medical equipment/supply need including style/serial numbers, all prescriptions and dosages for each family member.
• Copy of medical insurance cards.

Note:  Listed items found at:  http://www.idtheftcenter.org

Evacuation…

The potential for identity theft during a disaster is increased.  Thieves are much more likely to loot vehicles – the more prudent course of action is to use the shoulder strap of the PortaVault, keeping the documents on your person, while still being able to move about, and locking them in the car only after you have completed your evacuation and are going to be with/in your vehicle.

Should you be required to stay in a shelter, it is again the best step to keep the PortaVault physically on your body at all times.  The container, which looks much like a book bag will be less likely to draw attention, or to be considered to contain the valuable items it does, but you certainly don’ t want to increase the risk of losing the very documents that will help you work with insurance companies and other disaster services. 

Digitally Stored Information…

If a great deal of your personal information is on your computer, and taking a laptop or removing a hard drive is difficult or time consuming, you might want to consider purchasing a small external hard drive to which you back up periodically, and placing that in your PortaVault as a part of your evacuation process.  A laptop or computer can be replaced; your data cannot.

The side of a disaster, outside the realm of your control, that you might not think about while rebounding to any disaster, is the personal data that is stored by businesses with whom you conduct business.  Once the crisis has been diminished and you are able to contact these companies, determine whether any of your identification records have been jeopardized, and if so, what steps you must take to minimize potential identity theft.

Note:   any solution offered by Vital Enterprises, LLC should not be used in lieu of legal advice.

If you have interest in either of these serious life-considerations, please visit my website, Vital Enterprises, LLC, where you will find rich and plentiful resources about both Disaster Preparedness and Identity Theft

I have long been passionate about bringing the issue of Identity Theft to a higher level of recognition within my community, and I was just shocked to hear that Arizona is actually considered the identity-theft Mecca of the U.S!  I thought what attracted people to our state was golf and sun. 

According to an article on MoneyCentral.msn.com, for the second year in a row Arizona held the top seat in the FTC’s complaints, followed – not so closely – by Nevada and California.  These numbers are probably higher than noted in the statistics because many people don’t know they have been victims or they have not known how or where to report their situation.  You can review this list at MoneyCentral.Com 

Logic lends reason to why the same towns hit the top of the list year after year – the population plays a huge part in the problem.  Just think about it.  You just couldn’t get away with it in a smaller town somewhere in Idaho or Wyoming where everyone in town knows you.  Identity-theft can thrive in places where thieves can immerse themselves in a crowd!

Many people worry about computerized identity theft because the thieves can target consumers in any location, but the reality remains that the criminals still tend to favor the easier methods of dumpster diving and mail theft – again, making highly populated areas more attractive for identity-theft opportunities.  Another combination is the pickpocket and the identity-thief who frequently work in tandem… the pickpocket taking the tangible items, and selling personal identification information to those trading in identity-theft.

Be aware, and check out my next blog when I will discuss how BIG this problem is when you combine it with travel…

P.S. If you, or someone you know has been the victim of identity theft, and are having problems finding resolution, I would appreciate your “comments” so that others might truly embrace how VITAL protecting your identity really is.

We live in an information-oriented society. Technology allows us to do business – making transactions literally in a matter of seconds. Unfortunately, this abundance of information has given rise to identity theft.

Did you know that…

• 28 million Americans have been victims of this crime in the last five years.
• According to CBS News, “Every 79 seconds, someone’s identity is stolen.”
• The direct cost to us, the consumer, is over five billion dollars.

According to the FTC almost 60% of identity theft issues don’t pertain to existing credit card accounts. Are you aware of medical identity theft? Do you know there are approximately 250,000 cases per year? It is estimated by one of the largest health insurance companies that $600 million per year in expenses is attributed to medical identity theft. We the consumers pick up the tab for this in higher medical costs and higher health insurance costs. Medical identity theft occurs when someone uses a person’s name and other parts of their identity (such as insurance information) without the person’s knowledge or consent – to obtain medical services or goods or to make false medical claims.

Medical identity theft frequently results in erroneous entries being put into existing medical records, and can involve the creation of fictitious medical records in the victim’s name. Medical identity theft is a crime that can cause great harm to its victims. Yet despite the profound risk it carries, it is the least studied and most poorly documented of the cluster of identity theft crimes. It is also the most difficult to fix after the fact, because victims have limited rights and recourse. Medical identity theft typically leaves a trail of falsified information in medical records that can plague victims’ medical and financial lives for years.

HIPPA rulings do protect our medical records, but has no real mechanism for enforcement. Legislation has established penalties for such crimes, but there are no reporting mechanisms or inspections to make sure compliance is guaranteed. There have been numerous cases where an employee of a hospital, doctor’s office or clinic sold patient information. This crime is very profitable to the thieves involved in selling the information.

What can you do to take an active roll in trying to protect your medical identity? Many hospitals use your social security number as your identification number when you become a patient. Your social security number or other identification appears on your chart and wristbands for anyone to see. At check-in, ask the hospital to use a different number to circumvent this problem. If they won’t cooperate with your request, ask them to black out all but the last four numbers. Also request that the last the computer only show the last four digits of your social security number. You may not even know your medical records have been stolen until you are denied coverage because of a condition that is considered “pre-existing”, a condition you don’t have.

To protect yourself against this particular crime, ask for copies of your medical records. Treat your them as you would your bank statements. Make sure you go over your medical records on a regular basis; if anyone meddles with your information, you’ll be aware of it, and immediately be able to work toward correcting the situation.

Once an individual’s identity has been stolen – trying to rectify the situation can take numerous hours and a substantial amount of money – including costly attorney fees. Over the past several years numerous companies have sprung up offering protection. Many insurance companies offer identity theft coverage extended from home and auto insurance policies. However, none of these companies offer as broad as coverage as the identity theft shield.

Kroll Inc. in partnership with the identity theft shield provides the expertise in working with those individuals that have had their identity stolen in addition to constantly monitoring those that have purchased the protection. For more than 35 years, Kroll has helped companies, government agencies and individuals reduce their exposure to risk. Kroll is an operating unit of Marsh Inc., and with offices in more than 60 cities in the United States and abroad, Kroll can:

• operate and restructure businesses;
• scrutinize accounting practices and financial documents;
• gather and filter electronic evidence for attorneys;
• recover lost or damaged data from computers and servers;
• conduct in-depth investigations;
• screen domestic and foreign-born job candidates;
• protect individuals;  and
• enhance security systems and procedures.

Over the last several years, Kroll has developed a unique solution for victims of identity theft. Kroll has the expertise, the knowledge and experience that far surpass all of these new start up companies who offer to protect and restore (in some cases) identity theft.

Who do you want on your side an experienced company or a start up company?

For more information on the identity theft shield please visit Vital Enterprises, LLC

Jan Vitale… your investment protetor

Vital Enterprises, LLC

• Database Breaches
• Diverting Mail
• Impersonation/False Pretext
• Dumpster Diving
• Theft

As you can tell, I am passionate about informing and providing the public with information and products to protect and organize individuals in every-day life. When our lives are in order, we have peace of mind and we are able to relax and enjoy life.

Based on security expert reports, crimes involving identity theft tend to increase during hard economic times. Your employment and financial stability aren’t the only things you have to keep an eye on during a recession. It is Vital that you protect your identity as well. Don’t make the mistake of thinking, “It can’t happen to me!” Whether male female, young, old, rich, poor; there is no status in life that makes you any less of a candidate for identity theft. This, then, poses the question:

How Do Thieves Steal Your Identity?

Skilled in their trade, identity thieves are creative in obtaining personally identifying information such as your name and social security number, credit card numbers or other financial account information. My intent is not to make you paranoid about security, but to provide the Vital knowledge to treat your personal data with caution and protection.

Database Breaches

Stop and think of how many databases hold a significant amount of your personal and financial information. As of this writing, more than 245 million consumer records have been exposed to data breaches in the past four years. Unfortunately, it is beyond our ability to protect ourselves against this form of Identify Theft.

Just last month I received notification from my bank informing me that my debit card number was stolen from one of their bases. A new debit card was issued; however, I have to wonder what other information was stolen. The good news is I don’t have to “worry”. I had previously invested in both an Identity theft Shield and Prepaid Legal Plan to “Protect and Restore” my identity should I become a victim.

Diverting Mail

There are currently increasing numbers of protective actions being put into place by credit card companies to help prevent mail diversion. However, there are still large numbers of reports of change of address mail fraud. It is Vital that you monitor your monthly statements regularly. In any given month, if you do not receive a statement immediately make a telephone call to confirm that your address has not been changed.

Impersonation/False Pretext

We are called upon to learn a new language to protect ourselves from the practice of identity theft on the internet. One of those words is “phishing” – the act of thieves who impersonates a representative of a financial institution or other well-known company and sends span or pop-up messages to get you to reveal your personal information. It is Vital that you be suspicious of any actions of this nature and not respond. In addition, never give out any personal information on the phone unless you have initiated the call and have knowledge of the person you are speaking with. There are cases every day where thieves have used false pretenses to obtain personal information pretending to represent financial institutions, telephone companies and other sources.

Dumpster Diving

Many identity thieves go dumpster diving – rummaging through trash – looking for bills or other paper with your personal information on it. The best way to protect yourself from this act is to purchase a “cross” shredder and make sure that any mail or personal information you discard goes to the dumpster shredded. Identity thieves have been known to try and piece together shredded documents. Owning a “cross” shredder is Vital in order to prevent the piecing together of shredded documents.

Theft

Other than being very cautious about how you handle your purse and/or wallet, you have little protection from those who will perpetrate outright theft of purses and wallets. A few Vital suggestions are as follows:

1. When grocery shopping keep your purse on your shoulder or arm instead of the grocery cart.
2. When paying by credit or debit card or showing your identification be sure to put back the card where it belongs immediately.
3. Never leave your purse or wallet unattended or in the car.

Note: If you have been a victim of identity theft and would like to share your story please e-mail me at janvitale@cox.net. We will review your story and contact you to authorize publication in the article section. Your story may be extremely valuable in stopping identity thieves from creating another victim.

If you would just like more information about the protection that is available to you, you are encouraged to look around my website.

Jan Vitale, your Investment Protector

When you need an attorney …

who will you call