Every year it becomes a little easier for us to connect to the Internet and speed through its massive volumes of information and opinion. Telecommunications companies continue to expand the infrastructure needed to carry all our little electrons from computer to computer. We can surf faster, farther, and longer at less and less cost. And more people join the Internet every day. The World Wide Web has truly almost become world-wide.
Organizing all that information has become a human-impossible task. As traditional Web directories have become outdated even automated search engines are now regarded as slow, inefficient, and almost unhelpful. People have turned to social media and direct peer-to-peer sharing of recommendations and resources to find new, interesting, and helpful Websites.
As government statistics may show, the Internet has become inextricably interlaced throughout our lives. Now we can watch movies, make telephone calls, pay our bills, and shop for Christmas gifts online — once activities that required separate functions and time allocations. In a few more years we may come to feel that our present uses of the Internet are antiquated and rustic.
Some people may still be trying to catch up to the technology but in reality the technology struggles to catch up with our demands and expectations. 15 years ago people were frustrated with their inability to watch movies online. Today people are frustrated with their inability to earn robust incomes online.
Where will it all go next? What do you think is the direction we’ll take the Internet in? We have a thousand new experiments with the future every day. One of those experiments will bubble up to become the next big thing. And before you know it, there we’ll be: in the future, calling it the present, and hardly looking back at the past.
Well despite the efforts of authorities Identity Theft is still slightly on the rise although the speed of acceleration of these crimes has slowed and may eventually reverse and let’s hope so, because believe me having your identity stolen is not very funny and it takes hours to rectify your credit rating if you choose to do so. Some estimate the time expenditure to remove bogus information from your credit rating to be at 18 hours. Ouch and think about how little time that you already have these days?
Identity Theft is a serious issue because if we cannot trust the credit data out there how can we trust anything? Well here is a question for you; Did they get you yet? And before you answer how on Earth would you know? Did you check your credit rating today, last week, last month, last year? When was the last time you did?
There maybe someone out there using your name and credit cards that you did not even know you had, well because you don’t they do. Of course if they are caught they get an additional 2-years in prison, but, that doesn’t do you any good now does it?
It is imperative that you educate yourself on these crimes and find ways to protect yourself. There are many great resources online and you need to stay heads up and get a copy of your credit rating to make sure nothing has been compromised so far. Please consider all this in 2006.
“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/
Identity theft is one of the highest rising crimes in the country. Statistics released by the Better Business Bureau showed that in the past five years nearly 27.3 million people have been a victim of identity theft, 9.9 million in 2003 alone! Consumers need to become more aware of this crime, take steps to avoid becoming a victim and know what to do if they find, or even think they might be a victim of identity theft.
Simple steps can be taken to try to make ourselves less of a target. Be sure you shred all personal documents, mail, old credit cards/checks or any type of financial information. Be aware that true companies will NEVER ask for your credit card or social security number over the phone. Never leave ATM receipts at the machines. Be careful what websites you give information to. You may know nothing about a website besides its website address. You never know who is at the other end of the website, a possible predator waiting for your personal information. All of these documents can allow you to become a victim of identity theft. You need to remember it only takes one bit of information to increase your possibility of having your identity taken by a stranger.
If you find or even think you have been affected by identity theft there are steps you need to take promptly to reduce the damage that can be done to your credit report.
1. Call the Credit Bureaus and put a “Fraud Alert” on your credit files.
Call at least one, if not all three of the credit bureaus (transunion, Equifax and Experian) and inform them that you have had your identity taken. They will put a “fraud alert” on your personal credit file. This will make it nearly impossible for anyone to open any type of credit account with your information. If any type of credit application comes across the bureau, with this alert placed on your report, they will have to contact you to verify the credit application is yours.
2. Contact local authorities
Make local authorities aware of the crime so that they may begin to look into helping your instance and possibly stop it from happening from someone else. Say you had mail stolen out of you mailbox, other neighbors may have been or may become a target for the predator. You will also, after reporting the crime, have documentation of the crime to give to creditors if your credit report has already been tampered with. The process of getting information off that has been damaged by the crime is often a long, tedious task and at least you will have the police report to back up your claims of false information on your credit report.
3. Close accounts you think have been affected
As mentioned, the process of getting information off of your credit report after becoming a victim of identity theft can be a very long a grueling task. You need to be pro-active and get accounts closed that may be tampered with before damage can be done. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, nearly 70% of people who had been victims of identity theft said they were still trying to get items on their credit reports that had been affected removed from their reports.
4. Contact the FTC and file a complaint
The FTC has generated a database to help law enforcement and give them a better understanding of identity theft and find ways they can help prevent acts in the future as well as ways to assist victims in the future.
5. Watch you credit report for unknown changes
You are you most powerful ally. Become proactive and rely on no one but yourself. Take advantage of free credit reports, sign up for monthly services that will give you alerts when there are any changes to your credit report.
Identity Theft is a horrible, crime which has very personal affect, which can cause deep emotional distress to think that someone is out there with your identity. Take steps to avoid becoming a victim today.
Kimberly has been involved in the financial industry for the past decade. Her gained knowledged has prompted her to begin a campaign to inform consumers of different financial issues to make them more informed about financial issues in their futures.
http://www.creditrepairplan.com
Identity theft is a crime that directly affected over 9.9 million people last year. That’s right, the US Postal Service reports that identity theft cost victims over $5 billion just last year. We all hear about identity theft, but what is it really?
Simply put, identity theft is a crime that occurs when one person uses another person’s identity without that person’s knowledge or authority. Criminals can put a person’s identity to many uses. Some of the most common uses for someone else’s identity are:
- Open new credit accounts or loans
- Use existing credit accounts
- Get a job
- Commit a crime
Since each of the activities listed above results in consequences it is vitally important that the right identity be associated with each action. Purchasing on credit requires someone to pay the bills. Receiving income from a job obligates the employee to pay taxes. Committing a crime has penalties for the guilty parties. All of these consequences depend on knowing the identity of the person who is responsible for the action. A criminal can attempt to avoid the consequences of actions by using someone else’s identity.
For example, let’s say that Carl Crook steals the identity of Fred Goodguy. All Carl really needs is some of Fred’s personal information, such as his social security number and his birth date. Carl uses this information to open 2 new credit accounts and goes on a shopping spree. The next month Fred receives 2 very large credit card bills for items he has never seen. After calling the credit card company he realizes his identity has been stolen. Carl has the stuff and Fred is stuck with the bills.
If you find yourself in a similar situation to Fred, don’t worry. With some work you can clear your good name and get your credit back to the way it should be. It’s not painless, but it is possible and there is plenty of help out there. You are not alone. In fact, by quickly reporting problems to your credit card companies, you will not be required to pay for someone else’s misuse of your credit.
Although you can recover from having your identity stolen, it is far better to prevent it from happening in the first place. Knowing what criminals can do with your identity is the first best step to protecting your identity. It doesn’t do much good to try and protect your identity from some unknown threat. A criminal that can assume your identity can open and access credit accounts, bank and investment accounts, and generally pretend to be you in many ways. Most identity theft actions result in costing you money, but not all. Identity thieves can use your medical background as well to disclose personal information or just to get fraudulent medical services or drugs. The list of what crooks can do with your identity is nearly endless. That’s why you need to do all you can to protect your identity.
So, how do you protect yourself from identity theft? There is much you can do. The overriding theme is to prevent any personal information from getting into the wrong hands. Then, check up on the health of your identity periodically to make sure no one else is using it. There are several simple steps to protect your personal information.
- Buy a shredder and use it. Never throw away anything with personal information on it without shredding it first. Identity thieves can find a lot of useful information in most peoples’ trash cans. Once you throw it away, it is fair game. All a thief has to find is one “pre-approved” credit card application or an investment statement to make sorting through your garbage worth the effort.
- Never carry your Social Security card with you! Your social security number (SSN) provides access to your most private financial information. Don’t take the risk of letting it fall into the wrong hands. Also, make sure no other ID cards or accounts use your SSN as their ID number. Again, your SSN is too valuable to disclose.
- Do not leave your mail sitting in your mailbox for long periods of time. That “pre-approved” credit card offer just sits in your mailbox until you take it out. Do not give crooks extra time to sort through your mail. Likewise, do not send any sensitive mail, such as checks or applications with financial information, from your own mailbox. Raising the red flag on your mailbox alerts everybody that you have outgoing mail, even thieves. Use a secure drop box instead.
- Never divulge any personal information to anyone unless you initiated contact and know who you are talking to. Do not give out any information to anyone who calls you.
- Do NOT carry passwords or PINs in your wallet (or anywhere on your person). If a thief steals or finds your wallet with your ATM card and your PIN, nothing will stop him from draining your bank account.
- Destroy sensitive information when it is no longer needed. Shred all documents that contain personal information instead of storing them for long periods of time. Unless there is a real need for documents, such as tax supporting documents, get rid of old documents.
The preceding list is only a start. But following these simple guidelines will help you avoid becoming an identity theft statistic. In addition to preventative measures, you need to review your credit report at least annually. Each of the three major credit bureaus must provide you with a free credit report each year. They also provide services for additional fees that allow you to access your credit report more often, and even will alert you when others request copies of your credit report. You can contact each bureau for more information:
Experian, PO Box 2002, Allen TX 75013
www.experian.com 888-397-3742
Equifax, PO Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30348
www.equifax.com 800-685-1111
Trans Union, PO Box 4000, Chester, PA 19016
www.transunion.com 866-887-2673
Want more tips and information on how to recognize, prevent, and repair the effects of identity theft? Go to http://www.thesecurityguy.net right now and you’ll find eBooks and home study courses on identity theft and other security related topics.
Much has been said about various environmental problems facing the country and the world. Environmental concerns like the depletion of the ozone layer and global warming are the most popular and talked about. Although many people are aware of these problems, only a few are actually working for their resolution.
One of the groups/organizations leading environmental awareness and protection campaigns is the United Nations Environment Programme, or UNEP. Established in 1972 through the United Nations Conference on Human Environment, UNEP is tasked with coordinating UN’s global and regional environmental activities, policies and projects. They also help developing countries work towards creating sound environmental policies while extending assistance in achieving sustainable development through sensible environmental practices.
UNEP holds regional offices and has branches in a number of countries worldwide. This allows the organization to keep in constant touch with various member countries that need help, especially developing countries.
The presence of environmentally-geared organizations and agencies like UNEP is a big factor in promoting awareness about issues related to the environment. It plays a big role in encouraging groups and people to work towards environment conservation. Much of the work, however, relies on us; on our commitment to making the world a better place to live in.
At CEMEX, air quality is a priority with the cement company’s fusion of environment friendly programs and pro-safety policies
Smart Brief published an article about the Third Annual CEMEX U.S. Building Awards, which also highlights CEMEX air quality initiatives.
