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[C889]Compare Identity Theft Protection

by Randy, Ran

When a child is born, aparent may apply for a Social Security number for that child. Achild's Social Security number is very much sought afterby identity thieves. The child identity thief could be a familymember (uncle, aunt cousin), another adult who has access and is allowed inyour home, someone who has stolen your mail or hacked into your computer. We think we know who the child identity thief could be, but wedon't.

Most parents apply for thebaby's SSN so that they can claim the child on their taxes and you mustsubmit the SSN on the official tax forms, so now, anybody who has themeans to see that tax form can copy the child's information. The child'sidentity could be stolen at the hospital or at a health professionals' office. What about the dishonest legal professional who sells the child's identityto an unscrupulous client. It does not matter what profession a person isin, they have the potential to be dishonest.

The thief could beanybody. Typically, your not going to check your child's creditrating (why would you), so your not going to know their identity has beenstolen. Now the identity thief has more than a decade to create anew identity for him and gain credit cards, loans, cell phones, utilities, bankaccounts, drivers license etc. etc. The crime is not discovered untilyour child has grown and applies for her first education loan, apartment,credit card or job! By now, the trail has become ice cold and yourchild's credit record has been cut to ribbons. In all likelihood all ofthe accounts opened in her name have been purchased by a collectionagency.

It would be verydifficult for your child to repair what has happened because of thedifficulty in tracking down the original loan applications and transaction recordsif the original account has been through several hands becauseof companies merging and being bought-up. Our children need to betaught about the dangers of providing their personal information and yourpersonal information when they are logged onto the net. Today's kids havea burning desire to log into the many chat rooms and social networking sitesand they may be asked for personal information on a registration screen or byan identity thief.

The preventative identity theftcompany, LifeLock, has already launched thefirst-of-its-kind Children's ID Theft Prevention Program. Now, LifeLock'ssubscribers can add the children's ID theft program to their existing fullsuite of ID theft preventative services. The children's theft preventionprogram is for minors 16 years and younger. A recent study in the stateof Utah revealed that 1,800 Social Security numbers assigned to children 12years of age and younger had been forged, according to the state's IdentityTheft Task Force.

The Federal Trade Commission(FTC) has advised that between 5% and 7% of identity theft victimsare under the age of 18 and if you include college-aged individuals, it isalmost 20%.

?Due to the extreme increase in ID theft amongminors, we have taken the initiative to develop a first-of-its-kind program toprotect children,? said Todd Davis, CEO of LifeLock. Tracking creditbureau activity and monitoring depository accounts are considered standard whendealing with identity theft. But Davis insists that working with theSocial Security Administration and identifying work activity from unusuallyyoung minors is a red flag that warrants further investigation. ?LifeLockis in the process of working with local and federal agencies, as well asleaders in Washington D.C. to lead the efforts in protecting our children fromidentity theft. This is a critical aspect of our overall service,? continuedDavis. ?As the Utah investigation demonstrated, sadly, there are numerousvictims yet to be discovered.? LifeLock subscribers can pay $10 peryear for the Children's ID Theft Prevention Program through which LifeLock willregularly audit the credit bureau, monitor depository banking accounts, andtrack any unusual ?work activity? with the Social Security Administration onbehalf of LifeLock's youth customers. All minors enrolled in the program willalso benefit by LifeLock's standard $1 million guarantee.

Do you want to learn about Identity TheftPrevention & .Stop Identity Theft with LifeLock. LifeLock can guarantee identity theft neverhappens to you. To see how works

If you report an identity theft within two days Visa, Mastercard and some bank-issued credit and ATM cards may limit your liability to $50. If you report within 60 days, your losses may be limited to $500. Don't wait longer or you may be responsible for your entire loss.

Cancel your cards and ask that accounts be marked 'closed at consumer's request'. Do not pay excess charges, and request written confirmation once issues are resolved. Choose new and unique passwords for your new cards.

The major credit-reporting agencies - Equifax, Experian and TransUnion - have departments dedicated to addressing fraud. If you contact one all of them should be alerted, but try to contact them individually. Ask them to issue a fraud alert to prevent damage to your credit rating. There are two types of fraud alerts: initial alerts, which remain on your credit report for 90 days, and extended alerts, which remain for seven years. To request an extended alert you will need to provide an identity theft report.

Once you have filed a fraud alert you may access your credit report. Review this for discrepancies. Unfortunately, credit agencies are not legally bound to observe fraud alerts.

Contact your local police department, and the department where the theft occurred, to file a report.

If you are contacted by a debt-collection agency, inform them of the theft. Request contact information for the creditor that hired them and contact them directly.

If your social security number has been misused, contact the Social Security Administration. Before you decide to change your social security number, remember that it will be difficult to separate your identity from the originally issued number.

If cheques have been stolen inform your bank, close your account and contact the major check-verification firms (Certegy at 1-800-437-5120 and Telecheck at 1-800-710-9898). You should also contact SCAN, a national database that tracks bad cheques, at 1-800-296-0170. Finally, call Chex Systems at 1-800-428-9623 for a copy of your consumer report, which lists accounts opened in your name.

If you have a landline, contact your telephone company. Provide a password, and instruct the company not to change your service without it. Do the same at your state's Public Utility Commission.

If you have a cell phone, call your service provider as well as the Federal Communications Commission at 1-888-CALLFCC.

Identity thieves may change your address to facilitate the delivery of fraudulently purchased merchandise. If you suspect this, notify your postal inspector through your local post office.

If you think that a driver's license has been established in your name, contact your state's Department of Motor Vehicles.

To determine if a passport has been created in your name, contact the U.S. Department of State Passport Services Office at Consular Lost/Stolen Passport Section, 1111-19th Street, NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20036. Their phone number is (202)955-0430.

If bankruptcy has been filed in your name contact the U.S. Trustee at the Department of Justice in the region where the bankruptcy was filed. You may require an attorney to navigate your recovery from false bankruptcy.

If tax fraud has been committed in your name, contact the IRS at 1-877-777-4778.

If criminal violations have occurred in your name, your Attorney General can provide information to help you clear your name.

Reclaiming your identity can be time-consuming and expensive. Remain vigilant even after issues have been resolved. Request copies of your credit report regularly and review them carefully. Making an aggressive effort to protect yourself is far easier than recovering from the theft of your identity or your businesses.

Article Source : Pg. 32

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Both Randy & Eric Jilson are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Randy has sinced written about articles on various topics from phones, Broadband and Acne. Mr. Randy is the owner of Integrity Upfront, the aim of Intigrity Upfront is to educate the people of North America about the identity theft and its protection. While the LifeLock is the industry leader in the rapidly growing field of Identity Theft Prote. Randy's top article generates over 12100 views. to your Favourites.

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