Zero Fraud Liability

Posted on Wednesday, 14th March 2012 by Archie Norton

Is surviving identity theft six times an accomplishment or a disappointment? For Stacey Cowley, the tech editor for CNN Money, it is both. She recently told USAA magazine about how she has had many different thieves access her bank accounts periodically over the past eight years. She blames the first time on using a “sketchy ATM,” meaning one that wasn’t at or near a financial institution but instead on the street next to a local deli. The ATM was altered so that it recorded both her card number and her PIN. Then a thief used her information to order pizza in a town several states over.

But that is the least of it. It’s pretty easy to recover the cost of a pizza, but it takes a little more work if the thief decides to purchase something larger. Say, a Mercedes. Convincing all parties involved that this property is not yours (even if you wish it were) can take many hours, many dollars and many headaches. Well, u

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Tags: Six Times, Theft Six, Theft Six Times, Times
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Posted on Monday, 5th March 2012 by Archie Norton

This week is National Consumer Protection Week, and we’re celebrating by giving you the top tips to protect yourself as a consumer. Today’s topic is identity theft. Do you know what to do if your identity is stolen? The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has put together a guide of what to do in case you are a victim of identity theft. It gives a detailed checklist of all the steps to take and how to document those steps, along with answers to common questions about dealing with identity theft.

As a quick reference guide, here is an easy how-to when dealing with identity theft:

1. Report an initial fraud alert. Call one of the credit reporting companies and file a fraud alert with them. They will give you more instructions on what you need to do to file the fraud alert.

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Tags: Consumer Protection, Consumer Protection Week, Identity, Protection Week
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Posted on Tuesday, 28th February 2012 by Archie Norton

Chris here from the AllClear ID investigation team. Much like foreclosure rescue scams, debt-consolidation scams are specifically geared to take advantage of people who are desperately looking for a way to get out of debt. The companies target those with poor credit and offer to help out – for the right price. The problem is some companies take advantage of your situation, all the while putting you farther and farther in debt. They can take advantage of you at a vulnerable time, and leave you worse off than when you started. By the time your debts are finally paid off you’ve actually paid almost twice what you actually owe. Read this Better Business Bureau story about how a company named “Clear Your Debt” actually cleared out one woman’s bank account.

You could assume the company is doing its job, and your debts are being taken care of properly because you have stopped getting calls from collections agencies. However, a

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Tags: Debt, Debt Consolidation
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Posted on Thursday, 16th February 2012 by Archie Norton

Each year, we like to extend a heart-warming thanks to all of our readers and wish them a safe, healthy and happy holiday season.  This is the time of year for reflection, spending time with loved-ones and gearing up for a prosperous new year.  As we all know, unfortunately, criminals are still out there trying to gain access to our valuable and personal information.

So, we urge everyone to be safe over the holidays with your personal data.  While you may be enjoying some much-needed downtime from work, identity thieves are waiting for you to let your guard down.

Always be vigilant.  Always be smart and have a safe and happy holiday season!

Tags: Safe, Safe Holidays
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Posted on Friday, 10th February 2012 by Archie Norton

Bank of America customers were sent letters and issued new debit and credit cards after a third-party breach possibly compromised their personal information.

The letters sent by Bank of America inform customers of a possible breach that may have exposed their account information. The bank’s spokeswoman did not reveal how many accountholders were affected, but she stated the institution is taking necessary steps to address known security gaps.

“As part of our routine fraud monitoring, if we believe a customer’s card may have been compromised at a third-party location, we will notify the customer and block and reissue the card, which is what happened in this case,” says Bank of America spokeswoman Betty Riess. “Security for our customers is a top priority, and we take proactive steps like this to protect our customers from fraud.”

“We take these proactive steps to protect our customers and minimize any occurrence of fraud,” Riess says. “It doesn’t nec

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Tags: Breach, Cards Breach
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Posted on Monday, 6th February 2012 by Archie Norton

Being a victim of identity theft is no fun. If you dont have identity protection in place already then you’re probably frustrated and at a loss of what to do – especially if you just found out about the crime. Feeling a sense of unease or even despair is not uncommon. Someone completely took advantage of your personal information – and perhaps of your trusting nature.

If your identity theft involved finances, as many identity thefts do, then dont waste any time in working to recover your funds, and sign up for an identity theft protection service before the opportunity arises for this to happen again. LifeLock Ultimate will even monitor your savings and checking accounts. After this, place a fraud alert on your credit file at the three credit bureaus then make a list of all the companies related to the theft that will have to be notified: the bank, the credit card company, the mortgage company, the retail store, etc. And t

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Tags: Identity Theft, Theft
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