Identity Theft

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Some tips for avoiding identity theft:

• Don't carry a checkbook. Pay by cash or credit card.
• Don't carry your Social Security card with you or use your Social Security number as your driver's license number.
• If you're a victim of identity theft, get a police report from your local police department, ask each of the three credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit report, and fill out affidavits of fraud with each company that issued credit in your name. Keep these documents forever.

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New free way to protect your child's identity

Protecting your child's identity is about to get a whole lot easier and cheaper thanks to a new free service in the marketplace. Child identity theft is one of the worst forms of identity theft because it often goes unchecked and unnoticed for years. You might not have any idea ...

Tips to protect your privacy online

How safe are you on the web? The June 2012 issue of Consumer Reports says you're more vulnerable than you think. Thirty million computers infected in just in a year with malware. Sixteen million households in which somebody suffered identity theft. More than 9 million times where someone had their ...

SurfEasy offers secure browsing on public wifi

Secure web browsing is a big problem when you're on unencrypted wifi. Thankfully, there's a new device that lets you lock down your data while you still enjoy free public wifi wherever you are. For $60, SurfEasy.com will sell you a unit that plugs into the USB port of your ...

Credit freezes are effective tool against data breaches

Are you doing things that lay yourself wide open to an identity thief fouling up your life? I'll tell you how to protect yourself. New numbers from Javelin Research suggest you're almost 10 times more likely to suffer a full-scale identity theft if you have been subject to data breach. ...

Mac users face virus attack

If you're a Mac user, you may think your computer is impervious to viruses. But that's no longer the case. For a long time, it was accepted as gospel that if you wanted to avoid viruses on your computer, you got a Mac instead of a PC. Now estimates suggest ...

Popular websites mishandle your personal info

Not all websites are created equal. Some really are nosy with their spying on you and others are not really into that. If you want to know if a popular site you visit regularly should be giving you the full creep-out factor, you can go to PrivacyScore.com. The site estimates ...

Zappos security breach highlights need for customizable passwords

Yet another hack at a website has people wondering, "So, what do I do about it?" Zappos is a renowned shoe retailer that caters to women on the web. They have one of the best customer service reputations. But lately, they've been catching some heat for not being forthcoming enough ...

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Why You Need To Check Your Credit

Are you among the almost half of Americans who never check their credit scores and reports? What you don't know can hurt you. Here's how to do it for free.

College kids and 20-somethings are prime targets for ID theft

College students and young people in general are among the most-targeted groups by identity thieves. The Better Business Bureau reports that a quarter of all identity theft cases are among college kids. Meanwhile, a FOX TV affiliate cited different data from the Federal Trade Commission that said young adults age ...

Child identity theft is a growing problem

I'm getting more and more questions about identity theft as it pertains to children, so I want to make one recommendation and one promise to you. Identity theft is a constant refrain in a world where the old rule of business -- "know thy customer" -- is a relic of ...