LISTCRIME'S

THREE (3) BASIC STEPS TO FIGHTING BACK
AGAINST
CYBER CRIME AND IDENTITY THEFT

Listcrime is a one-stop-shop for reliable, up-to-date information about cyber crime, we at Listcrime.com want to give home users and small businesses the advice they need to use the Internet safely. For the most part, references within this web page appear as links to the actual site that the information came from. I revert to customary referencing when citing non-WWW based sources. A bibliography of any sources not linked will appears at the end of this web page.

1. PLAN

2.REPORT

3.RESOLVE

 

3. RESOLVE:

The best way to resolve any situation is to know where to go and who to contact. Becoming a victim of cyber crime can be a long frustrating experience. But YOU must resolve it. ONLY YOU can resolve your situation. After reading both steps one and two PLAN & REPORT. Step three takes you through the process of cleanng up your credit/identity. Let's start with the big one YOUR CREDIT REPORT (CREDIT REPORTS are KEY to keeping your good standing in the world of finances).

The law requires the major nationwide consumer reporting companies—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion—to give you a free copy of your credit report each year if you ask for it.

 

First, request the credit bureaus set fraud alerts on your accounts. Call the fraud units of the three credit reporting bureaus. Report the theft of your credit cards and/or numbers. Ask that your accounts be flagged ( FRAUD ALERT). Keep track of when it expires so you can ask for another one if necessary. Also, add a victim's statement to your report that requests that they contact you to verify future credit applications.

Second, After receiving a copy of your credit report, Look for inquiries from companies you haven't contacted, accounts you didn't open, and debts on your accounts that you can't explain. Request the agencies send a copy of your credit report every three months once you have become a victim. This can help determine how many and which accounts listed are fraudulent. You can also identify the existing accounts that have been stolen.

If you correspond with the credit bureaus in writing you may want to included a victim’s statement of up to 100 words to your credit report. (State something simple as “My ID has been used to apply for credit fraudulently). Please contact me at ([your email address or telephone number) to verify all applications.

You have the right, under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, to dispute the completeness and accuracy of information in your credit file. When a credit reporting agency receives a dispute, it must reinvestigate and record the current status of the disputed items within a "reasonable period of time," unless it believes the dispute is "frivolous or irrelevant." If the credit reporting agency cannot verify a disputed item, it must delete it.

Third, request that your name be removed from pre-approved credit card and junk mail lists and keep making the requests as they expire. Statistics show that this is one of the most common ways that thieves hijack identities. Plus, all that mail is just so unnecassary.

Although we have sort of a one stop shop for credit reports such as annualcreditreport.com unfortunetly our personal details are stashed away in countless of places all over the internet ready to be retrieved by just a click of a button.  SEE LISTCRIME"S INVESTIGATIVE RESOURCES. Knowing who has your information and whether it is correct is important.  Choicepoint and Lexus Nexus are two of your better known data collection companies but there are plenty. 

According to Privacyrights.org:

The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) covers reports about your overall financial health. Credit reports allow a lender to see whether you pay your bills on time, have filed for bankruptcy, have an outstanding judgment or collection action against you.

However, despite its name, the Fair Credit Reporting Act covers a lot more than simply credit reports. Credit reports are just one of a broader category of consumer reports covered by the FCRA.

Consumer reports can also include reports about you made to employers, insurance companies, banks, and landlords. In recent years, many new companies have sprouted, compiling reports specifically targeted at employers, insurers, and landlords. The companies that compile reports for targeted users are “consumer reporting agencies” under the FCRA, just like the three credit national credit bureaus: Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax.

Companies that compile reports on consumers for other than credit have been designated by Congress as “nationwide specialty consumer reporting agencies.” These agencies compile reports about your:

• Medical conditions (for example, the Medical Information Bureau (MIB) report)
• Residential or tenant history and evictions (for example, the Unlawful Detainer (UD) Registry)
• Check writing history (for example ChexSystems)
• Employment background checks
• Homeowner and auto insurance claims (for example, CLUE reports)

Specialty consumer reporting agencies operate much like the credit bureaus. The agencies collect information about you from a variety of sources, including:

• Public records of criminal or civil cases.
• Your credit history.
• Bankruptcy filings.
• Companies with which you have an existing or prior business relationship, such as insurance companies or banks.
• Your medical information.
• Driving records.
• For other areas, such as employment and rental history, specialty reports may be prepared by many different companies. One company, ChoicePoint, prepares and maintains information on consumers for insurance claims, employment, and tenant history, www.choicetrust.com.
• For information on how to order your free A-Plus Report from ISO, see www.iso.com/products/2500/prod2562.html or call (800) 627-3487.
• To order your automobile or homeowner’s CLUE report, call ChoicePoint’s toll-free number, (866) 312-8076, or visit the company’s web site at www.choicetrust.com (click on “CLUE Reports).
• ChoicePoint has information on its web site about how to get a free copy of your tenant report. Call toll-free (877) 448-5732 or visit ChoicePoint’s web site for more information, www.choicetrust.com (click on “Tenant History Report”).
• Other agencies that provide tenant screening are Safe Rent (www.saferent.com, toll-free for consumers (888) 333-2413) and UD Registry (www.udregistry.com). As of this writing, UD Registry does not have a toll-free number posted for consumers. The number provided on its web site is (818) 785-3905. Neither Safe Rent nor UD Registry has information on their web sites about how to get a free specialty report.

If you have been a victim of identity theft, we recommend you order all available reports. Remember, insurers, landlords, employers, and banks have permissible purposes for accessing your credit report. Information in your specialty report may overlap information in your credit report. It is important to correct inaccuracies no matter where they appear.

*REMEMBER: In dealing with the authorities and financial institutions, keep a log of all conversations, including dates, times, names and phone numbers. Note the time spent and any expenses incurred. Confirm conversations in writing. Send correspondence by certified mail (return receipt requested). Keep copies of all letters and documents.          

SEE LISTCRIME CONSUMER TIPS:

The following is a list of addresses and numbers to the three credit bureaus:

EQUIFAX:

EXPERIAN (formerly TRW):

TRANS UNION:

For more information on how to Place a permanent freeze on your credit go to www.financialprivacynow.org , a site run by Consumers Union.

For more information go to www.annualcreditreport.com, or call 1-877-322-8228.

For more information on how To opt-out of receiving pre-approved credit card offers, call 1-888-5-opt-out

For information on how to Inform check security companies about the fraud affecting your account.

Contact them directly at:

National Check Fraud Center ................ 1-843-571-2143
SCAN ...................................................1-800-262-7771
TeleCheck .............................................1-800-710-9898
CrossCheck ...........................................1-707-586-0551
Equifax Check Systems ..........................1-800-437-5120
International Check Services ................. 1-800-526-5380
Chexsystems ..........................................1-800-428-9623
CheckRite ............................................. 1-800-766-2748

CLICK HERE: CONSUMER ACTION WEBSITE

CLICK HERE: LISTCRIME IDENTITY THEFT RESOURCES

CLICK HERE: LISTCRIME WAYS TO FIGHT BACK BACK

CLICK HERE: LISTCRIME CONSUMER TIPS

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