Find and Dispute

It is always a good idea to check your report on a regular basis, even if you know you have a good credit score. Mistakes can happen in any part of life. If a mistake is placed on your credit report it can have various negative effects.

If you find an inaccurate item on your report, make a claim and file a dispute. The credit reporting agencies are required by law to investigate the claim. If the claim is found to be in your favor, the creditor is required by law to fix the mistake. This is all comforting, but most companies will not independently look into a formal complaint or request from the consumer if a dispute hasn’t been filed.

Disputing Inaccurate Credit Report Information

How to initiate a dispute

• Obtain a credit report and indentify the inaccurate charges listed.
• Contact the credit agencies in writing to inform them of your finding and request an investigation.
• Make copies of all communication and supporting documentation prior to mailing

Upon receipt don’t expect anything to happen right way. The reporting agencies will usually start their investigation within 30 day. All information you provided will be used in this process so make sure you send clear, accurate and valid information.

The creditors are then asked to find the mistake or the accuracy and report it back accordingly. If the information you provide is proved correct, the creditor has the reasonability to inform each agency so that your credit report may be corrected. If the information in your report is found to be accurate, there will be no change.

However, if the ticket remains unsolved, you have the option to leave a note of dispute on your credit report so that anyone who views it understands that this may or may not be accurate. All communication with any of the credit reporting agencies will be in write for your documentation as well as theirs.

All negative notations on your report are automatically dropped after seven years if the initial creditor does not re-file. This is a last effort on items that may remain unsolved, but it is always best to try to resolve any tickets listed on your credit report.

We all know that identity theft is on the rise, and has been for the last decade. There is a type of identity theft that can cause a whole slew of problems for an innocent victim that is impossible to prevent. That type of identity theft is criminal identity theft, in which a criminal will obtain a form of identification in the name of another person. When the criminal gets in trouble with the law, he gives the false information to the authorities, putting his or her criminal activity on the record of an unknowing individual.

Sometimes, criminals will go as far as to actually steal the identity of a specific victim, stealing their identification cards, bank account numbers, or other information that would create a situation in which a criminal can make another’s identity seem to be legitimately theirs. The criminal will then be able to do their illicit activity without having to pay the price.

In some cases, criminals will create a synthetic identity to give to law enforcement when they are criminally persecuted for their unlawful actions. Although a few cases of criminal identity theft have created names which belong to no one in existence, there is always a great chance that the fictitious name they create will be the actually name of a real person.

The horrible thing about criminal identity theft is that it has the potential to create a criminal record for a person who has never been involved in criminal activity. There has even been an incident, where a person has been fined or arrested for a crime which they were completely unaware of. It is hard to prevent, but if you can prove your alibi, there is a chance you can have your record cleaned. You may want to check out identity theft protection in order to combat this crime.

The First Appearance of “Phishers”

In the late 1990’s, America Online (AOL) released their first internet program. Many people rushed to purchase the internet software, but some of these people decided they didn’t want to do it legally. Some people signed up for AOL using fake credit card information. This didn’t last long, as AOL created additional software to prevent this from happening. However, the criminals did not stop after that, and they thought up a different plan to avoid paying. This plan was the beginning age of phishing.

The First True Phishing Plan

The new plan that the criminals thought up would cause a lot more harm than just using an AOL account without paying. The steps created would allow the criminals (now thieves) to obtain other people’s billing information, which could then be used for anything the thieves wanted. For the thieves, the plan was simple. The best part for the criminals was that it was almost impossible to catch before it was too late. Basically, the steps were these:

• First the thieves would buy pirated AOL software to create a fake AOL account and act as an AOL customer service representative.
• The thief would then send an instant message to another AOL customer claiming that a problem has occurred with the customer’s account.
• The thief would ask the customer for verification (over instant messaging) of identity. Generally, the thief would try to obtain the person’s password. Because phishing was unheard of at this time, it was not usually hard to do.
• After the thief got a hold of the customer’s password, they would be able to log in and access that customer’s account. This would also give them access to the customer’s billing information.
• Once the thief obtained the customer’s billing information, they would be able to use it for whatever they liked.

AOL’s Attempts To Stop Phishing

Once AOL realized what was going on, they began trying to warn their customers of these phishing attempts. They added a small not to the instant messaging system stating that AOL would never ask for passwords or other personal information through instant messaging. However, most people did not see this note until after it was already too late.

AOL then turned to the media for help. The company began informing the public about this problem through website newsletters and regular news posts. This is where the word “phishing” was first used. It was compared to the sport of fishing. Phishing was described as three main events:
1) The thief would hook the bait. This is where the thief would ask for a password acting as an employee of AOL.
2) The thief would catch the victim. This is where he/she would obtain the password from the victim.
3) The thief would finish off the victim. This is where the thief would access the victims billing information and use it.

AOL’s Winning Battle

Despite warning the public through the media, phishing attempts were still taking place. This is where AOL took serious action. AOL spent time designing software to add to their service that would block all pirated AOL software from having any connection with the real AOL customers. Once AOL succeeded in creating this software, almost all instant messaging phishing attempts halted. AOL may have won this war, but the criminals began creating new techniques to phish for a victim’s information. In time, these new techniques would become much harder to control.

Phishing is a technique that Identity thieves use to obtain personal information, credit card information (see credit protection), and account passwords from people by posing as someone who actually works with the company they’re claiming to be. This will usually take place through email or instant messages. Email phishing schemes are often bank related. For example, the thief will create a webpage practically identical to the real bank’s webpage. He/she will then send a legitimate-looking email to someone who has an account at that bank. The email will usually mention some type of problem that has occurred with the user’s account, and will ask them to verify their password, personal information, or credit/debit card information on that account.

How Can I Tell If the Website/Email Is Real or Fake?

Phishing is not always an easy thing to identify. The thief phishing for your information will usually work extremely hard to make the websites and emails look like the real thing. There aren’t many specific signs to tell you whether they are real or not, but there are some clues you should keep an eye out for throughout the emails, and throughout the websites.

1) Most real banks will never ask for personal information or account information through email. If contacted by “your bank” through email, refrain from entering your password on their webpage.
2) In the email you receive, check for spelling errors. Banks will be sure to have their messages written 100% perfectly. If there is even the slightest spelling error, don’t even go to their webpage.
3) Look at the website’s URL, and verify it to be completely accurate. Sometimes it may appear like it is all correct, but will have a tiny difference in the URL.

What Should I Do If I’m Still Unsure about the Email’s Information?

If all information looks correct and you’re still wary, stop by your bank and speak with them in person. By going to the business that you know is the real one, you know that you will be speaking with someone who really works there. Ask them if they sent you the email message. If they did, take care of any the issues they had mentioned while you’re there. If they didn’t, contact your local authorities and report the issue. If you’re ever unsure of the legitimacy, don’t take the risk. If it turns out to have been fake, then your identity’s just been stolen.

Just like with regular automated messaging, there are several ways scammers contact the public. These ways are by phone, by email, and by text messaging. The oldest technique is by phone, followed by email messaging and then text messaging.

Over fifty years ago, DialAmerica Marketing Inc became the first telemarketing company dedicated to selling products simply by calling people at their home. At first, many people were impressed that they could purchase something without even having to leave the house. But as the years passed, telemarketing went from being impressive to being extremely annoying. With the use of automated messaging systems, telemarketing companies are able to reach thousands of people in a single day, usually offering products and services that most people want nothing to do with. However, due to modern technology, automated phone calling is become less used for scammers to find their victims.

For scammers, the easiest way to find people to scam is by email messaging. The only issue for the scammers is that most people can identify what is spam mail and what isn’t. Some email providers even identify the spam mail on their own, and don’t even send the message to a person’s inbox. Sending messages one by one to potential scam victims would take up a lot of time that the scammer usually does not want to give up. This is where automated messaging comes in.

Most spam mail is sent through an automated messaging system that can send thousands of emails to thousands of people in just seconds. This gives scammers a much larger chance at pulling in an innocent citizen and scamming them out of their money. This abused use of automated messaging systems has created a highly negative view on automated messaging systems, despite the positive ways that they can be used. Many people believe that automated messaging systems should not be allowed anymore, and that the only use for them is to spam people.

Due to the high amount of spam sent through email, people often forget the positive ways that automated messaging systems impact their daily lives. Some people take advantage of these systems and use them to scam people, but not everyone does. It is unknown whether scammers will ever be prevented from using automated messaging systems for their dirty work. But if that day ever comes, scammers will have a much harder time reaching people with their spam mail.

Lear more about mobile marketing.

How Does the Scammer Benefit Just from Offering a Prize?

When you’ve been offered a prize online, the “company” would need contact information and possibly credit card information in order to “send you” your prize. Prize scammers don’t always have the same motives for scamming people, but with someone’s personal information, scammers could steal your identity or gain access to a bank or credit card account.

How Can You Tell If a Prize/Lottery Winner Alert is a Scam?

It doesn’t take much work to tell that a prize or lottery offer is a scam. The key thing to remember is that if you did not purchase a lottery ticket or a ticket to win a prize, then the offer is a scam. Companies don’t give out random items and money to random people; if there is a drawing for a prize through a company, you only are eligible if you had signed up for it. When it comes to the lottery, it’s the same thing. If you get an email telling you that you won the lottery in France, it’s a scam. Unless you had gone to France and bought a lottery ticket, the lottery you’ve been informed of winning is not real.

Other signs that you should look out for to identify prize and lottery scams are:

1) When you are told you won a contest or lottery that you didn’t sign up for.
2) When you are asked to give out bank or credit card information to claim your prize.
3) When you are asked to give personal information about yourself to prove you are the person who won the prize.
4) When the sender tells you that the offer is completely real and completely legal.

If you see any of these signs in the message you’ve received, it is probably a scam.

What Can I Do to Protect Myself From Prize and Lottery Scams?

The first and best way to protect yourself against prize and lottery scams is by immediately delete any emails you receive about winning the prize without opening them. This ensures that absolutely no virus or software bug enters your computer from the email, and that the sender receives no additional information about you.

However, if you mistakenly open one of these emails, all hope is not lost. Other tips that you should remember to protect yourself are:

1) Don’t reply to the email, or click on any links in the email.
2) Don’t call any phone numbers that are given to you in the email. Sometimes phone numbers that cost an extreme amount of money per call per minute are given.
3) Even if you accidentally open the email, still delete it immediately.

If you find that you are a victim of prize or lottery scams, call your local authorities and report it. These, like many other scams, are against the law.

A business opportunity scam is when an email, phone call, or letter is sent to you, offering you the chance to start your own business and make lots of money quickly and easily. Usually, these notices will be offering a special start-up kit for you to buy. When they’ve finished their job and have convinced you to purchase their offer, they’ve scammed you.

How Do I know if the Offer is a Scam?

There are a lot of business opportunities that turn out to be scams, but that doesn’t mean that they all are. However, there are signs that you can look for to figure out whether the offer is real, or whether it is a scam.

The biggest and clearest sign warning you of a business opportunity scam is when the offer is “Guaranteeing” that you will 1) make lots of money and that you will 2) earn it quickly and easily. Everyone probably wishes they could make money by doing nothing, but it rarely becomes reality. The fact is that people have to work to earn their money, and there is never any “guarantee” that their new business will work out.

There are other signs that can warn you of a business opportunity scam too. Some of these signs are:

1) When you are being charged a low, yet costly, amount of money for a start up kit. If the opportunity isn’t free, you may want to watch what you’re signing up for.

2) When the letter isn’t directly written to you, but is written to many people.

3) When the only information you’re given about the job or business is that you need to transfer money to someone else. Often times the letter will offer you to learn more about the business opportunity if you pay a fee first. Stay away from these!

4) When you are told that all you have to do is a small job using a computer program. Technology advancements do help create jobs out of the office, but earning $50 per hour just by clicking some buttons is simply ridiculous and fake.

What Can I Do to Protect Myself from Business Opportunity Scams?

The best thing that you can do to prevent being scammed by a business opportunity offer is to ignore the message sent to you and delete it. Do not reply to an email about an offer; even if you’re telling the people off, it might push them to continue contacting you. Identity theft protection services do not protect you from these situations.

Just because most business opportunities are scams, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any real business opportunities. If you come across a business opportunity that you are interested in, just be sure to do your homework and research the offer first. If you find enough positive information about the offer, it might actually be legitimate. However, you should still watch your step carefully. In the end, the decision is up to you whether it is worth the risk. However, if you discover you’ve been scammed by a business opportunity offer, immediately contact your local authorities and report it.

Of the many different types of Identity theft, the technique most known about is credit card fraud. The reason that credit card fraud is used by thieves so much is because it lets the person gain access to the cardholder’s account, which could allow for him to buy items over the internet without actually having to pay for them. In the case of a debit card, it also allows the thief full access to the cardholder’s bank account. This gives the thief full access to all of the victim’s finances, and would allow for him/her to make money transfers to other accounts.

What about PIN Protection and Account Security?

Credit card theft is not usually as random as most people think. Four times out of five, the thief has studied the victim and gathered enough personal information about them to gain access to his/her account. Identity thieves rarely begin their illegal career by finding a random credit or debit card lying on the ground. They often study their victim to find out information such as their date of birth, age, account number, social security number, and even their PIN to their cards.

Discovery of this information often begins as an internet card transaction through a scamming website or offer. When the transaction is run through the scam website, it usually contains the cardholder’s name, contact information, and sometimes even their card security number. This isn’t necessarily enough information for the thief to begin stealing from the victim (apart from that transaction), but it does tell the thief who you are, where you live, and what your account number is. At this point, he has all the information he needs to begin his “research” on the victim’s personal information. Credit repair companies assist in removing false information from your credit if it should show up on your report.

Taking Safety Precautions when Using Credit Cards

There are various things you can do to prevent an identity thief from obtaining your personal information. When entering your card number into a website, look at the websites URL line. On one end of the line, there should be a small colored symbol of a lock. This symbol ensures you that the information you are entering will be sent over a secure webpage, and will be received only by the person it’s meant to go to. Not all pages will have this symbol next to the URL line. This doesn’t mean that your card number will be accessed by someone who shouldn’t have it, but means that the connection that the information will be sent over isn’t as secure. It’s completely up to you whether you want to continue with entering the information or not; just be aware it could potentially be seen by unwanted eyes.

If you see that a transaction has occurred on your credit card that you didn’t allow, be sure to immediately call and suspend or cancel your card. The sooner you can stop the thief from accessing your account, the better. Credit card thieves are not always easy to catch, so the less he gets away with, the less you’ve lost. You can always get a different card, and by voiding the card you’re worried about, the thief won’t be able to access your finances any longer.