Branch is currently Associate Dean of Student Services, Henley Putnam University. This on-line university specializes in professional studies in Intelligence, Protection Management and Terrorism-Counterterrorism studies for military, law enforcement, security and intelligence professionals. He was formerly the Manager of Safety and Security Compliance at Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
Mr. Walton has more than 40 years direct experience in federal law enforcement, private security and college teaching. He retired from the United States Secret Service after a 21-year career. Assignments included Special Agent-in-Charge of a field office, instructor and Assistant Agent-in-Charge of
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After you’ve had identity theft done to you, you may wonder what that thief will be doing with your information. There are many reasons why people seek to steal others information if only to make a better life for themselves at your cost. Because of this crime, you should consider using ID protection to help limit your exposure.
Opening credit card accounts with your information and charging up those bills is one thing identity thieves do. Of course they will not be paying back that money, but you will be stuck with the bill. At least until you have it straight about your card being stolen.
See they will change the address and you won’t even get the bills. So the biggest way a lot of people will find out they have been the victim of identity theft is when they get a call. That call will be from a credit reporting agency, or collector. Asking when you plan on paying your bill, one that you weren’t even aware of until that moment.
Right at this very moment there could be someone walking around claiming to be you and using your credit cards. It is not very hard to steal someone’s identity, so why don’t we try to make it just a little more difficult for them. To avoid becoming a victim of identity theft, here are a few simple steps you can take.
1. You can greatly reduce the risk of being a victim of identity theft by closely watching your credit and financial transactions. Always be sure to monitor your credit card and banking statements online once a week at least. If you see any suspicious activity, report it immediately to the institution involved.
2. If your wallet, purse, or items such as credit/debit card or drivers license are lost or stolen, report it immediately to the appropriate institutions and authorities.
3. When you apply for new credit cards after having the others stolen or lost, you should look for them in the mail within a few business days.
Identity theft is a cold and callous crime, which affects millions of Americans year on year. It is far from being a white collar crime, nor is it a crime that only affects those with millions of dollars in savings. Far from it! In fact those most likely to be victims are just regular folk. Consider utilizing identity theft protection from a company such as TrustedID to help defend yourself from this crime.
Once an identity has been stolen, there are many crimes that can be committed seemingly in your name, or the name of your friends, family or children. Take the necessary steps to protect identity so that you are not faced with these issues.
One of the most common forms of crime is credit card fraud. A new account will be opened, and spending can be done almost immediately.
In many cases, the addresses given on the credit card applications will not be your present address.
Simply put, identity theft occurs when someone other than you uses your personal information. In almost all cases, this information will be used to commit fraud and other crimes.
A form of fraud, by sheer definition, identity thieves often use this information to create bank accounts, obtain credit cards and secure mobile phone contracts. With such systems in place, they can go on racking up charges, seemingly incurred by you, and not have to pay for it.
In some of the most extreme cases, it has been known for such criminals to obtain houses, cars and even yachts using such practices.
Identity theft comes in many forms of course, but is most often linked with the illegal use of information such as your name and address details, your social security number, credit card details and bank details.
It is estimated that nine million US citizens are victims of identity theft each year, though this number could be much, much higher according to experts in the industry.
(December 31, 2009) Here we are again, getting ready to face a new year. Time to set those dreaded New Year’s resolutions. You know, lose the 10 pounds, give up the chocolate, quit smoking, and win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Along with the breaking of some bad habits, now is the time to take on some new habits to protect you against identity theft. The ITRC offers the following top 10 resolutions you can make in 2010:
- Lock up your social security card! Get it out of your wallet! Put this valuable card, along with all other important personal documents, in a safe, locked box or safety deposit box.
- Don’t share your Social Security Number (SSN) unnecessarily. Ask questions: Why do you need it? What happens if I don’t give it to you? Who gets to see it? What are you going to do with it?
I am traveling to the InSight 2009 Annual Conference in Orlando this week to meet with scores of healthcare organizations struggling in the face of a growing epidemic of issues related to medical identity theft. In preparation, I have given a great deal of thought to what hospitals can and must do to protect themselves and their patients.
First, let’s examine the challenges that hospitals and health providers are dealing with:
Medical Identity Theft Is Growing:
- Medical identity theft increased 300% between 2007 and 2008
- 85% of healthcare providers experienced a data breach in 2008
Patients Are Unhappy:
- 40% of consumers change their relationship with affected businesses
Regulation is Getting More Complex:
- In 45 states not reporting a data breach is illegal
- Enforcement of the FTC’s Red Flags Rule begins November 1, 2009
- New HHS guidelines require patient notification of data breaches
Costs Are Soaring:
- Data breaches cost an average of $202 per record lost
- The average hospital will spend 450 hours a year meeting Red Flag compliance requirements
- FTC Red Flag fines can be up to $2,500 per incident and up to $11,000 per day per organization
The Diagnosis: Left untreated, healthcare organizations will remain in critical condition. Hospitals must come to grips with identity theft, data breaches and compliance in order to lower their financial and legal exposure, maintain patient loyalty and protect their reputations with regulators, the media and the public.
The Treatment Plan: Hospitals must be proactive. Simple, cost-effective steps can be taken that will dramatically improve the chances of avoiding harm.
- Build a data breach-free environment.