Protecting Yourself From Identity Theft and Fraud

Police had charged Heath William Culshaw, 38, of the United Kingdom - incorrectly, as it turned out - with charges for fraud after several people had paid deposits for holiday villas in Goa, another man using a photo-copy of Mr. Heath Culshaw’s passport bearing his information, had opened bank accounts in Goa and proceeded to take payments on non-existent holiday villas. Though Mr. Culshaw was initially fingered as the suspect, police now say he was a victim of identity theft and the charges had been dropped.

 

Mr. Culshaw was questioned in November 2009 after a man posed as him, using a bank account in Culshaw’s name had been taking deposits for holiday villas that did not exist. Bank documents indicating Culshaw had taken many hundreds of thousands of Indian Rupees in payments.

 

According to the Panaji Police Head Quarters. An unidentified man opened bank accounts in Goa and then used them to de-fraud holiday makers. Some holiday makers then notified local Police and they then questioned Mr. Culshaw and reviewed security footage and transactions, the Police understood that it was not in fact Mr. Culshaw and the charges were then dropped.

 

The Panaji Police are still searching for the unidentified man who opened the bank accounts and have requested the local banks there be more vigilant when checking passports in the future for new bank account openings.

The FTC estimates that nearly 9 million Americans are victims of identity fraud every year. Victims of identity fraud can lose out on numerous opportunities within their lives because of having their identity stolen. Many victims are unable to find jobs or make an application for bank cards and loans since their credit history is mainly negative after an identity fraud. Identity fraud is actually an expression utilized to describe the illegal usage of another person's identity. This could differ from one extreme to a different but ultimately identity fraud is the concept of utilizing an identity apart from your personal, without permission, to commit fraud or crimes. Identity fraud may take various forms, including: Financial ID Theft, Identity Cloning, and Business/Commercial ID Theft.

Financial ID Theft occurs when someone uses another person's identity to buy goods or services. The identity thief may use the victim's identity to acquire bank cards and other kinds of loans, or setup telephone and electricity services for his or her home. The following type of ID theft is Criminal Identity Fraud, that is when an individual is arrested and utilizes a stolen identity to pose as somebody else so they are "innocent." This enables the individual to evade capture and presume a brand new identity, a minimum of for now. Another type of ID theft, termed Identity Cloning is performed by stealing someone's identity and ultizing it as being your personal on the regular, daily basis. You can do this with Government Documents Fraud that will enable the thief to obtain a Social Security Card or perhaps a Driver's License using the victim's information however the thief's photograph, and several times coincides with Criminal ID Theft. An individual could also make use of a business' name to acquire credit for them, the case with Business/Commercial Identity Fraud. These kinds of identity stealing a few of the main forms a theft may take. A number of other crimes including illegal immigration, terrorism, espionage, and blackmail stem from identity fraud.

To get the information needed, an identity thief can employ the usage of various techniques. An identity thief may research a person online, government records, or gain information by stealing a person's identification card, or credit/atm cards. Using the ever increasing popularity of social network sites and job search engines like google, it is simple to have an identity thief to discover all the details they require from the personal MySpace page or from the jobseekers resume. Another common practice, called dumpster diving, requires the thief stealing mail or any other bits of details about an individual by sifting through their trash, or taking information from discarded equipment that is not properly deleted, like a pc. An identity thief could also "shoulder surf," that involves listening or peeking in on public transactions, like ATM withdrawals, to achieve private information.

Rather than the previous methods, cyber criminals evolve just as quickly as modern technology enables them to. The improved usage of technologies have allowed an identity thief to steal your data without ever seeing the face. A typical practice, called phishing, allows the cyber criminal to impersonate a reliable source or business via electronic communications. Fake e-mails are sent from legitimate looking sources trying to lure you into stopping private information. Hackers and crackers may also get access to computer databases by utilizing viruses as well as other such programs to steal information off of the servers. Even though this is a really technical, hands-on approach, an experienced cyber criminal can infiltrate a method and steal private information. Lastly, a thief may use skimming devices, which record credit and debit card information during transactions, to gain access to your credit and accounts.

The potential risk of an identity fraud is definitely lingering but minimizing that threat is the responsibility. Often times the thief is in fact someone the victim knows perfectly. Be as safe as is possible and steer clear of any risks that may endanger your identity. You are able to minimize this threat and stop identity fraud by always protecting your wallet or purse all the time, and particularly usually do not let it rest unattended. Usually do not carry an excessive quantity of cards, only identification as well as any debit or credit cards you will end up using. Additionally it is essential to always protect your Social Security number and steer clear of carrying your card along with you. Never allow a business to apply your Social Security number being a unique identifier. Instead they will be able to setup a unique account number so that you can reference. Also, never blurt your Social Security number. Instead, jot it down and after that bring it back once the representative is performed by using it. Being very cautious about your trash, mail, and e-mail can also be something to concentrate on. Shred any papers with private information and opt-from receiving charge card offers and telemarketing calls. Never leave mail with private information within an unsecured location. It is best to verify who you really are talking to. When the call seems suspicious hang up and call back among the numbers you discover on the bill or statement. If it truly is your charge card or utility company having to verify information, they are glad to enable you to call back. The same thing goes for e-mails. If the e-mail seems strange, then manually type the URL from the company rather than clicking a web link.

Using the dramatic rise in computer usage and ever-growing reliance on technology, it is essential to always take precautionary steps to avert being victimized with a cyber criminal. Firstly, only use highly complex passwords. Passwords should contain a combination of upper- and minimize-cased letters and numbers, and perhaps special characters like @#$%. When you can not memorize your passwords then write them down whilst keeping them inside a secure location. Next, it is best to destroy the difficult drive of the computer is that you are discarding it or selling it. In the event you prefer shopping online, always use bank cards rather than debit. Atm cards allows a thief to gain access to your banking account, which could not provide the same protection as credit cards. Also while shopping online, look at the site's online privacy policy, ensure all security certificates are updated, and used only secured networks for transactions. Lastly, only use a proxy server to surf the web. A personal proxy server will mask your Ip and enable you to surf the web without having to be tracked by ISPs, marketing companies, and look engines. These businesses track your surfing habits and make databases together with your information, that are bought and sold when needed. A proxy may also enable you to surf over an encrypted channel so your data remains secured from anyone spying on your own connection.

Identity fraud is really a serious issue that many people feel is not going to affect them. Lots of people allow themselves to come under the misconception that, "it can never occur to me." A victim of identity fraud will require, typically, 3 months to find out their identity continues to be stolen. Having a three month jump start the identity thief can clean out accounts, open fraudulent lines of credit, as well as be arrested together with your identity. Preventing identity fraud falls squarely around the individual's shoulders. Even though many companies offer identity fraud resources, ultimately, the person need to take a conscious step to avert being a victim. An individual must make the effort and preemptively integrate these details within their everyday lives. The only real person who can truly assist you to prevent and steer clear of identity fraud is yourself.

Read more here:http://www.articleorb.com/charges-dropped/4592248302