Id Theft Prevention – Things to Do Right Now, Habits to Follow
The bear in your campground analogy:
Perfect protection is unreachable but you can be better protected than most people with reasonable efforts. The "Bear in Your Campground" story applies here. When a bear comes into your campground, you can't outrun the bear but you can outrun the other campers. The fact is that there is no way you can be sure to outrun the thieves either, but you can outrun the other potential victims - and that may be enough. I will try to help you make the trade-offs that work for you.
There are lots of people out there making it easy to steal their identities. You don't want to be one of them. There is a lot you can do without major expenditures and major changes in your lifestyle. The point of this book is to teach you what you can do and let you make intelligent trade-offs yourself of security versus cost and inconvenience.
Things to do right away:
The point of this is to get you off to a fast start, positioned to better protect yourself. Some of the things you should do right away include:
Review your last bank and card statements.
Be sure all listed transactions were authorized by a family member, don't assume. Also check to see that you are not missing the most recent statement, as that might be a sign of account takeover. List each account and card on the Account and Card Inventory Form provided in the back of this book. Include on your list your divers license and ID cards from your employer, insurers, that would have to be replaced if your wallet was lost or stolen. This form will be an important tool for detection as well as recovery.
Order a credit report.
One report from each agency per year is now free. Some people get one each four months, on a revolving basis, so that they never have to pay for a report. Some request all three or each more often. This is one of those trade-offs of protection versus expense and effort. To order, go to the Annual Credit Report Service at www.annualcreditreport.com, call them at 877-322-8228, or contact a specific credit agency:
* Equifax: 800-685-1111 or www.equifax.com
* Experian: 888-397-3742 or www.experian.com
* Transunion: 800-888-4213 or www.transunion.com
Calendar the date when you want to order the next credit report. And note which agencies are next in rotation, if you are ordering one at a time.
When I first did this I found a debt listed that had been run up by my former wife. I called the bank and got them to take it off of my credit report. As reviewing your credit report is an ongoing habit, we will discuss what to do when the report arrives in the next section.
Install a locking mailbox or get a Post Office Box.
Incoming mail can provide a thief with credit cards, applications, checks, and various identifying information. I put up the first locking mailbox in my neighborhood. It cost $60 and a little time. But when one neighbor had a box of checks stolen and another lost incoming pay and dividend checks, I wasn't the only one for long.
When my wife went out to run in the mornings, at least once a week she noticed all the unlocked mailboxes were hanging open. One day in the park I found all of a certain neighbor's junk mail. But not those credit card offers and nothing that resembled account statements, or other financial or government mail - those were too valuable for the thieves to toss. What was going on was that groups of teens were cruising the streets making quick grabs into unlocked boxes. They sell "interesting" items to a broker. The broker sorts out the items by type and sells groups of like items to transaction specialists. Certain thieves pass bad checks, others use deposit slips, still others specialize in cards-related frauds.
P.O. boxes may be safer, if less convenient and more expensive, another trade-off. The bear might tear into your locked mailbox, but if the other campers have open jars of honey out front, then why would he bother you?
Get gel ballpoint pens for writing checks.
A thief can take a check from your outgoing mail, remove regular ballpoint pen ink with nail polish remover (protecting the signature, of course), and have a signed blank check - on your account.
The cheapest investment you can make is to buy a gel ballpoint pen and keep it clipped to your checkbook. Gel is a newer kind of ink which cannot be removed by washing. The point is to look for the word "GEL" on the pen, buy it, and use it for all your checks.
Get a shredder.
A crosscut or confetti style is best, as strips can be reconstructed. Anything with your social security number on it or containing personal data is fair game to the thieves when it hits your garbage bag or can. "Dumpster diving" is a profitable profession.
Things you don't want fished from your trash include bank and card statements, old taxes, voided or old checks, deposit slips, credit applications you don't want to complete, credit offers, and those checks the credit card companies send you to initiate low interest rate loans and balance transfers.
Change poor PINs and passwords.
They should be at least six numbers and/or characters. They should not be easy to guess or based on information which might be in your wallet. The first numbers a purse or wallet thief would try are parts of your birth date, phone number, SSN, and any other key number they find in you wallet. Realize that your SSN can be accessed by a large number of people. A thief might obtain it and try different parts of it in guessing your PIN even if they don't find it in your wallet.
There are trade-offs here too.
* Multiples - If you always use the same password it is easy to remember but people at each site have access to it. So you also might want to use a unique password on banking sites. If you use the same ID and password on many sites you are exposing them to key employees of multiple companies.
* Complexity - Complex passwords may be hard to recall and tempt you to write them down in a handy spot.
* Real or made-up - To be extra careful, you might create and use an imaginary "mother's maiden name", as the real one could be researched. It is on your birth certificate, for example.
Set up a password on each bank and card account.
Use your Account and Card Inventory Form as a guide to contact each bank. Once set up, the password can be used by the bank to determine it is really calling them with a transaction such as an address change or funds transfer. If the only way they can identify you is by asking for personal data, your account is exposed to any thief who has obtained your data.
Remove any PINs or passwords written in your wallet / purse.
They could be a goldmine for a thief.
Secure any PIN and password list within your home.
Don't leave them out, in a well labelled file in an unlocked file cabinet, on your computer in an easy to find file, or on a notebook PC that could be stolen.
Protect Social Security Numbers (SSN).
Remove them from your checks, driver's license, resume, or other documents where it is not required. My employer forced their insurance companies to take our SSNs off of our group insurance cards.
Remove unneeded IDs from your wallet, purse, and car.
This will reduce the potential damage from theft and reduce the work you will have to do if theft does occur.
Protect your PC's
Get and run anti-spyware and anti-virus programs and firewalls. Be sure to use the encryption option on wireless networks.
Protect Yourself - Avoidance Habits to Develop and Keep
Even as you complete the initial protection steps described in the prior chapter, you also need to start practicing on-going protective habits.
Review this list from time to time.
The first habit is to learn and repeat each of the others. Put "review the good habits list" on your calendar, as a reminder, until you regularly practice each of these good habits.
Protect your outgoing mail.
Taking outgoing mail can be lucrative for the thief in many ways.
* Applications - Applications for cards or loans can be "edited" by thieves so that they get the payoff and you get the collection calls.
* Checks - A check in the outgoing mail can be as good as gold to them. Even if you used a gel pen to prevent alteration of that check, the data on your check can be used to produce (or even order) perfectly valid looking checks that can be written by the thief that will clear and post against your checking account.
* Deposits - An outgoing deposit-by-mail is a double gift to the thief. Not only can they "edit" the checks to their specifications but they can use the deposit slip too. That scam goes like this: They go into your bank (probably a remotely located branch so they aren't recognized) and hand the teller the deposit slip along with some bogus checks they printed up on their PC or have from a nearly zero balance account out of state. Then they ask for some cash back from the deposited funds. They are usually handed the cash, since it is less that the funds already available on your account. When the deposited checks bounce back against your account, the thief has been gone for two or three days.
* Data sources - Various other sorts of mail (like car registrations, tax forms) can help the thief build a file on you which will later be used to open accounts in your name. You can count on him running up overdrafts and bad debts in your good name.
For all of these reasons, place outgoing mail only in secure mail boxes, not the office OUT box and not your personal mailbox. The big blue USPS boxes are pretty well bear-proof.
Be wary at ATMs and points of purchase
The ideal situation for a thief is to have both your card and your PIN. They will go to quite a bit of trouble to get them. If they can copy the data from the magnetic stripe on the back of the card they can create an exact copy of your card. Even with only plain white card stock they can use the magnetic stripe data to create a "white card" that will work perfectly well on an ATM, gas pump or other unmanned locations.
* Getting your PIN - Watch out for "shoulder surfing". Be aware of anyone watching you enter your PIN at an ATM or point of purchase terminal. Some thieves even use a video camera to record your entry from a short distance or hide a camera to record and transmit your finger movements on the keypad.
* Getting your data - Your card's magnetic stripe data can be read by one of three types of small skimmer devices.
* One is a portable device that can be taped to a waiter's arm. They go to a private space, roll up their sleeve, swipe the card, then go about their normal business.
* Another kind is mounted under the counter. You won't see the card swiped but it will disappear from view momentarily.
* Some thieves go so far as to install a skimmer on a bank's ATM. These look like part of the machine but they are unauthorized "add-ons" that read the magnetic stripe on the card before passing it on to the real ATM card reader.
* Getting your card - Some thieves us a device known as a "Lebanese loop" to steal your card at the ATM. The loop is a strip of plastic they stick into the cred reader slot. Your card is caught by it and jams. After you leave in frustration the thief uses a tool to pull out the loop and your card with it.
Use safer ways to make payments.
It is safer to use credit over debit cards, as they provide better protection against fraudulent charges and their spending limit is most likely below the amount than can be taken from your deposit (checking or savings) account. Once money has been taken from your deposit account, it may take some time to resolve the issue with the bank. In the mean time you may not have access to all of your funds. A credit card balance, on the other hand, you can simply not pay if you have lodged a legitimate complaint in the right manner.
Checks are relatively easy to manipulate. Even if gel ink is used the check can be scanned, the image manipulated, then printed (including the signature). It is remarkably easy for people to order checks on your account and have them sent to an address supplied by the thief. They just say they are you and have recently moved. Many check printers do nothing to verify the identity of the person placing the order, On-line bill paying is available from most banks and is far safer. Once you get used to it you will probably find it more convenient as well. Just be careful with your on-line ID and password.
Now obviously there are other kinds of risks in the world that need to be considered. Over use of credit cards, without regular full payments of the balance, can be a problem. To address this, some families use one card for debt and another for routine purchases. They look for a low-interest card for the first purpose and pay off the other each month, without exception.
Close old accounts.
An amazing number of accounts are sitting around the country in an inactive status. These are prime targets for the thief. If they send in or call in a change of address for the account they are set to strike. They can then run up a card balance, get checks printed and overdraft a deposit account, and set up new accounts related to the original.
After you try to close an account, note it on your Account and Card Inventory Form but don't remove it until you see a credit report listing it as closed. It once took me five trys to get a card issues to actually cancel my card account.
Establish good habits for new accounts.
Ask what the statement date will be. Establish passwords when you set up the account, as described in Chapter 2. Add new accounts to the Account and Card Inventory Form as soon as you get them. Watch for the first statement and review it carefully.
Avoid common mistakes
Doing the things described above is important. But it is equally important that you avoid common mistakes.
* Don't give out data - Incoming-phone calls or e-mail can be a source of data to the thief. They can later use that data to pretend to be you while on the phone to a bank, check printer, or loan company. Once they are accepted as you, they can run any number of scams:
* Take over your account by changing the address of record. They can then transact without your finding out about the activity.
* Set up a new account, card, or loan and link it to the existing accounts. They then are positioned to make transfers as well as play on your good credit.
Another form of thief's data request is "phishing" e-mails. These can seem to be from your bank, card company, brokerage, or other trusted financial institution. They send you to an apparently valid web site that asks for your ID and PIN data. They can be very realistic, with your bank's logo, the look and feel of their web site and even seem to have taken you to the familiar site.
Don't ever provide ID or PIN's as a response to e-mails or calls. Call the bank and report the e-mail. Go to your bank's Web site only in your usual manner, by typing in their URL or clicking from your browser's Favorites or Bookmarks list.
* Don't leave data around - Don't leave the customer copy of a charge slip on the table after paying for a meal or making a store purchase. Although the law now requires that only the last digits of your card number appear on the slip, some older systems are still out there which have the whole card number. This applies also to carbon copies and the carbon sheets themselves.
*Don't write your PIN or password on anything that isn't very secure. This includes your house or unsecured PC file.
* Don't use your SSN unnecessarily - Don't put your SSN on your checks, driver's license, resumes or anything else, if you can avoid it. Don't give it out unless absolutely necessary. It is legally required in relation to any taxable income source. Merchants may not choose to grant you credit if you do not reveal it, it's your choice (and theirs) in that case. Some people make up a number. This ploy has risks that the number will be found to be invalid or, worse, that the number belongs to someone else. The other person may not have good credit or may even be wanted by law enforcement. You don't want to appear to be an ID thief yourself.
*Don't ignore early signs - A common mistake is to take lightly the early signs of identity theft. The quicker it is caught, the sooner it will be resolved and at the least cost in effort and dollars. That is the subject of the next chapter.
This article is from a larger workbook available at www.yourIDsite.com
Copyright Jim G. George
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Is the Mia Bella Candle Business a Scam? My Review
In my quest for the “perfect” home business I found myself investigating the Mia Bella Candle Business offered by the Scent-Sations company. There were a few factors that I had to examine before even considering this opportunity. I personally tried several "business opportunities" dishing out quite a bit of money in some cases and in the end many of these so-called opportunities turned into complete nightmares. So, I have paid my dues and learned the qualifications that a true work at home business opportunity must possess to be considered legitimate.
I asked myself these questions: Are the Scent-Sations' management and financials solid? Would the company pay me? Is the product unique, consumable and affordable? Would I get the support and training needed? Is the opportunity affordable and profitable?
After doing my due diligence, I found the following information about the Mia Bella Candle Business:
Company Stability:
In 2002 a pair of network marketers joined forces with the manufacturers of Mia Bella candles to begin Scent-Sations’ successful venture.
The Scent-Sations management is comprised of Robert Scocozzo, CEO who was a successful franchisee and small business owner for over 15 years prior to his tenure in network marketing. With 20 years as a full time network marketer, Mr. Scocozzo brought knowledge of business to Scent-Sations, Inc. You can see Mr. Scocozzo speaking about the the Scent-Sations company on CNN Money.
Charlie Umphred, VP has 20 years as a full time network marketing professional. He was recognized by an independent source as one of the top 25 trainers in Network Marketing. Mr. Umphred’s primary role is to manage the relationships with the company’s many distributors and typically answers emails and calls from distributors in less than 24 hours.
Carmen Milazzo, the developer of Mia Bella’s Natural Wax Candle has over a decade of experience running a candle manufacturing facility. Carmen and his wife Lynn oversee the manufacturing portion of the company.
Scent-sations and Mia Bella Gourmet Candles began in 2002 when Mr. Scocozzo organized a fundraiser selling scented candles for his son's youth basketball team. When the Milazzos delivered the candles, Carmen mentioned that he had developed a new version of candles that are made with natural wax alternatives. His candles produced no black soot and were toxin free unlike the paraffin candles that are on the market.
Milazzo knew that Scocozzo had been a direct marketer and asked for advice on how best to sell the new type of candles. Scocozzo was so excited at the potential that he and Umphred, already business partners, signed Milazzo to an exclusive agreement that led to an equal three-way partnership. "I realized nobody was doing anything" with non-paraffin candles, Scocozzo said.
Not only is the management team top notch but the company’s financials are just as solid. Scent-Sations, Inc. has been in business since 2002. The company has experienced a 40% growth per year and finished its sixth year in business with over $17 million in sales. The company is debt-free, financially sound, and has never missed paying out a single commission check.
Scent-Sations, Inc. is accredited by the Better Business Bureau and is approved as meeting the BBB OnLine standards. The company also supports the Make a Wish Foundation, The Children’s Miracle Network and the American Troops.
Products:
Scent-Sations flagship product is their Mia Bella Gourmet Candle. Their unique candle is made with a proprietary blend of earth-friendly natural waxes that are completely non-toxic and if spilled can be cleaned up with warm water. The wicks contain no lead or zinc and are made of 100% cotton. The combination of natural waxes and cotton wicks create a much healthier product that can even be enjoyed by people with allergies. Not only are the Mia Bella candles healthier, but they are triple scented with over 100 true to life fragrances. Scent-Sations is now a multi-product company -- having recently introduced a line of bath and body products. The Bella Bar is a soap alternative made with soy proteins and other natural ingredients. The company also offers the Bella Balm and the Foaming Hand Lotion.
Support and Training:
Support, training and resources are needed in any successful business opportunity. Some of the free resources that the Mia Bella Candle Business offer are one on one coaching, live and recorded training calls and unlimited training guides located in the large online library. A distributor has free access to examples of advertising through direct mail, flyers, word of mouth, newspapers and the internet. The company offers step-by-step training on retail sales, fundraising, crafts and team building. There are also local, regional and national seminars along with a nationwide organization of successful associates to contact with questions. The Mia Bella Candle Business also offers marketing materials that can purchased through the company’s website, but these materials are not required to be successful.
Opportunity:
The Mia Bella Candle Business offered by Scent-Sations has an affordable startup cost of only $39.95 plus shipping which allows a distributor to start selling the products immediately. For this low startup cost a distributor receives (1) 16 oz. Orange and Sweet Chili Pepper Gourmet Candle, (6) Hot Apple Pie Votives, (1) Bella Natural Soap Bar, (1) Foaming Hand Wash and a company website with an online retail store. To qualify as a distributor a person has to be a Candle of the Month member. The new candle of the month is shipped to the distributor along with a Bella Bar. Being a Candle of the Month member allows a distributor to purchase products at wholesale. There is no obligation and the distributor can cancel at any time.
Candles are a $4 billion dollar industry and the industry is still growing. Scented candles are burned in 80% or more of the US households. Candles are highly consumable and are purchased over and over again by the same consumer making for great repeat sales.
The Mia Bella Candle Business’ profit margin is excellent. The company offers 100% markup on its products which is unheard of in most of direct sales companies and in network marketing.
A distributor has the opportunity and the choice to earn an income through three different avenues.
Retail:
Retailing the Mia Bella products can start from day one. The Mia Bella Candle Business prides itself on the simple “Smell and Sell” technique which simply means that by placing a candle under a prospects nose the candle will be sold. Retailing comes in many forms such as door to door, home parties, retail stores, craft fairs, expos, gift baskets, employee gifts, and even retailing in stores. What makes the Mia Bella Candle Business so different is that the company doesn’t require its distributors to conduct home parties and there are no quotas to meet.
Fundraising:
With thousands of organizations looking to raise money for their particular cause, Scent-Sations decided to use this to their advantage. Distributors are taught how to conduct fundraisers and have the opportunity to earn $5-$6 per candle sold while helping others raise money.
Residual:
By simply sharing the Mia Bella Candle Business opportunity with others, a distributor can earn a commission month after month on their sales and the sales of people they help get started in this business. There are many techniques distributors use to inform others about this opportunity, such as the internet and through advertisements. Scent-Sations doesn’t require any of their distributors to recruit others. Teambuilding is merely another avenue to earn an income and another way for the company to advertise. Scent-Sations has recently added a car bonus ($300-$1000 monthly) to those that reach the Director’s level and beyond.
Conclusion:
Is the Mia Bella Candle Business offered by Scent-Sations a scam? It has been my experience that the Mia Bella Candle Business is not a scam. From its solid business foundation, unique products and excellent support system it qualifies as a great opportunity for anyone looking to start an online or offline business. It’s unusual for a company to offer such a low start up cost with so many advantages, while not having any quotas to meet. Whether you are looking to say home with your children, make extra money to help pay the bills or to gain financial independence the Mia Bella Candle Business offers an incredible opportunity. As with any work at home business opportunity, please do your own research.
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Choosing the Correct Debt Management Service For You
When going about choosing a debt managment service, there are probably several different questions that might be running through your mind as you endeavour to get on top of your finances. If you're able to see past the fear of being in debt, then the questions you should be asking yourself are, which companies are not scams? How much are the fees? Are there hidden costs? How do I check out the authenticity of a debt management company? Can I cancel at any time and what will my payments be? What if I can't pay?
Here are a few tips on how you can help keep yourself from being scammed and paying too much.
First and foremost, you should look to find any charities or government organsisations that offer debt advice for free. For example in the UK, The Citizens Advice Bureau [CAB] would be a good port of call. The CAB offers a phone, online and a drop-in service. The CAB is manned with helpful staff who will do what they can to advise you on your best course of action.
You can find details of the CAB in your local telephone book as well as other companies that can help you with your debt. Put together a list of potential companies that you might do business with. From here, use the internet. Type the name of the company in and look at the results. You should also look into the FCC and the BBB to see if the companies are legitimate, non-profit and complaints that have been filed against them. If you do not have the internet, the public library usually has internet connections available to the public. You may have to join the library though or take some ID with you. Check some of the consumer websites in your country and find out what others are saying about local or national debt management companies.
Debt management is not binding as is filing a bankruptcy notice. At any time you can discontinue the agreement and begin to work on your debt without any assistance. However, when you do agree begin working with a debt management company, they will begin by doing a few things for you. First, they will call your creditors and notify them of your financial hardship. From here, they will make arrangements to pay a smaller amount of money. Usually, he or she will ask for a smaller interest rate or even remove the interest rate altogether. It should be noted that the debt management company will most likely only deal with your non-priority debts. Also, most debt management companies do not give benefits advice or financial advice so you may lose out on important information about your finances. If you're fortunate enough to have a family member or a close friend who is a financial adviser then seek their advice as soon as possible.
In most situations the creditors prefer to work with the debt management companies, simply because they are more apt to make the payments on time every month. They are also more willing to lower your payments when you are working with a debt management company.
After the debt management company has completed the negotiations with your creditors, they will then give you a new monthly amount to pay. This will be a lower single payment each month. This payment goes directly to the debt management company. Usually, they require a certified check or to have an automatic withdrawal out of your bank account.
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