So you know that identity thieves can get people’s Social Security numbers through careless treatment of Social Security cards, phishing attacks and data breaches. But did you ever consider the fact that sometimes thieves can just guess? It did to some Carnegie Mellon University researchers. These researchers determined that if someone knows a person’s birthplace and birth date that is often enough information for them to figure out those crucial nine digits.

They created an algorithm which allowed them to correctly guess the Social Security numbers for 8.5 percent of the people in their sample born in 1988 or more recently. It worked because these numbers are often assigned in order, and the first three have to do with birth location.

While 8.5 percent may seem like a low number, it’s not — considering there are several million people with Social Security numbers prime for the taking. The risk can be greater for people who live in smaller states, where there are fewer different number codes assigned.

Make Lassiter, a spokesman for the Social Security Administration who was informed of the results of the experiment, said that the agency is looking into assigning numbers randomly as soon as next year to eliminate the risk of thieves profiting from the current process. Unfortunately, this does not help individuals who are worried about their numbers right now.

With a valid Social Security number, it’s fairly easy for a skilled identity thief to:
*Open fraudulent accounts
*Make fake checks and identification
*Get credit in another person’s name
*Obtain healthcare using another person’s insurance

You may think the best thing you can do in this situation is change your Social Security number, but this can be a long and arduous process and the Social Security Administration does not condone it, even for those that have been victimized by identity thieves. A better thing to do at this point in time is to start seriously considering identity theft protection plans.

In the event that a thief gains access to your Social Security number, through whatever means, you can find out right away if he or she tries to open an account or otherwise obtain credit in your name. Then you can cancel the account and get the authorities on the case before serious damage is done to your credit.

Some people don’t find out that they have been victimized for many, many months. By then it is often too late to restore their good names for quite some time. Becoming a victim can sometimes be a random process, where your good behavior and close watch on your personal information has absolutely nothing to do with whether it happens to you or not.

It’s better to assume that you will be victimized than to assume that you won’t, just for the simple reason that you will then be prepared and have an identity protection plan in place, instead of being caught off guard by completely unexpected circumstances.

Having a high credit score, which is generally thought of as anything above 600, is usually seen as a good thing. It means you can qualify for pretty much any loan you want and get a good rate on it. However, there is one downside to being so credit savvy. You become very desirable to identity thieves.

Since many thieves want to use stolen information to apply for loans, they of course want to qualify for as many and as much credit as possible, and your good credit can help them do that. Too bad you won’t have good credit for long, but by then the thief will be on to his or her next victim.

According to the Experian credit bureau, the connection between high credit scores and identity theft is “significant,” with nearly half of this type of fraud happening to people with scores that are above average. Experian came to this conclusion after conducting a study of over 800,000 credit records, using its VantageScore credit scores as a base. That doesn’t mean that people with so-so or bad credit won’t be victimized, just that those with higher scores are especially tempting targets.

So what should you do? Simple. Ruin your credit! No, seriously, that is not a good idea. Instead, how about investing in some identity theft protection? It’s a good idea for everyone to do so, but especially those that identity thieves likely have an eye on. It doesn’t cost a lot to get a plan in place, especially when you compare it to how much money you could be spending trying to restore your good name.

You can go anywhere from a simple credit monitoring service to a plan that monitors 1000’s of credit databases and illegal networks. It is entirely up to you and your family how much coverage you think you need.

We know it can be especially disheartening for people that have excellent credit to head to the store to make a purchase and have their credit cards declined because they are being investigated for nonpayment on an account they don’t even know exists. Or to be turned down for an auto loan for their child because there are three yachts in their name that have been repossessed.

There’s no limit to what a thief can do with an excellent credit score and a credit card with a high credit line he or she was able to obtain thanks to that stolen score. It can be scary to think about.

The best thing about an identity theft protection plan is not that you can stop identity thieves in their early stages, or before they have a chance to strike, although that is undoubtedly nice. The best part is that you don’t have to worry about identity theft and can just go about your daily life. You can work, shop, go to school, go on vacation and otherwise enjoy that good credit you’ve worked so hard to build, without a black cloud hanging over your shoulder. Peace of mind is a beautiful thing.

LifeLock launched its new service, LifeLock Command Center, in January of 2010 to protect individuals and families from other types of identity theft beyond credit while at the same time adding enhanced credit protection. While financial identity theft will always be the biggest concern for Americans it only comprises less than a third of all complaints to the Federal Trade Commission. LifeLock’s Command Center extends the comprehensiveness of its original service, at an increased fee, to include protection from other types of identity theft such as criminal.

Lets take a look at these added services and the safety it provides you.

Payday Loan Alerts and Reports
Notifies you of any payday loan activity with your name, date of birth and Social Security number.

Court Records Alerts and Reports
Lists court records that match your name and date of birth from county courts, Departments of Corrections (DOC), offices of Administration of Courts (AOC) and other legal agencies to help you verify that criminals aren’t using your name to commit crimes.

Public Records Alerts and Reports
Lists postal addresses associated with your identity found in public records.

Alias Records Alerts and Reports
Lists alternate names associated with other pieces of your identity (Social Security number, driver’s license, etc.) found in public records.

LifeLock Personal Breach Detection™ Services
Actively monitors unregulated internet and file-sharing networks for your identity information. If we find you are at risk, we’ll alert you by e-mail and help protect you against accidental personal information disclosures.

Sex Offender Registry Alerts and Reports
Lists registered sex offender records for your zip code. It will also alert you if a sex offender is fraudulently using your address.

As you can see it is quite comprehensive and is an additional service to their basic service (see our LifeLock review). In fact, there is no other identity theft protection service offering this level of protection. Of particular interest to us is the criminal identity theft protection, the enhanced credit protection with Payday Loan Monitoring and the Alias Record Alerts which notify you if someone else is using your Social Security number or other identification.

If you feel the extra $49.50 per year is worth the added level of protection that LifeLock Command Center provides you can sign up here. It an extra level of protection that may very well be worth the extra peace of mind.

If you haven’t heard of cybersquatting, I’m sure you’ve at least seen it. It’s probably happened when you decided to guess at the website address for a popular company only to be led instead to a site full of random links, pop up ads or worse. That’s because the site is owned by a cybersquatter, who is capitalizing on the name to reap a profit.

However, there are cybersquatters that are even more vindictive. Some use their similar domain names to create similar sites so they can steal people’s personal information. That’s right. Again, it’s the identity thieves. Another practice that the thieves use is to watch popular websites to see when they are up for renewal. As soon as their registrations expire, the thieves jump on the domains and set up the sites as their own. This is sometimes known as “renewal snatching.”

In 2008, there were over 2,329 complaints filed in regards to cybersquatting, proving that the practice is a serious problem. It could get worse instead of better as more and more generic top level domain names (.com, .net, .tv, etc.) are becoming available. This means consumers will have to be increasingly savvy about where they are on the net; not just where they think they are. If you’re ever not sure about the legitimacy of a site, do not enter personal information on it. Instead, contact the company that supposedly owns the site using contact information that you know is correct. If you don’t have any legitimate contact information, don’t do business with that organization.

Even when being careful, it can be hard to keep yourself completely safe from online identity thieves. That makes it important to have a backup plan, so to speak. A good way to do so is to purchase an identity theft protection plan. That way, even if identity thieves do somehow acquire a piece of your personal information, you will find out as soon as possible; not after the thief has purchased a yacht or fled from the States to Brazil. This will make it easier to get your accounts corrected right away and hopefully catch the thief in his or her tracks.

No matter how hard authorities work to find and prosecute cybercriminals, the reality is that they are here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future. Every time one crime is thwarted, there are two, three or even a dozen more already in the works. Because the Web is so vast and all encompassing, there is really no way to police all of it. Thus, the burden falls on the consumer.

While identity theft protection can certainly help to keep you safe, you still have to teach your family members to follow your example and be careful what information they make available online, whether it’s on a message board or a through a form at a supposedly secure website. Make sure you know who you’re submitting your information to at all times. Who knows when it will actually be an eager identity thief if you are not quite careful enough.

While most people like to think of the new year as a time to look forward to better times ahead, identity theft expert Robert Siciliano tends to take a bleaker view. He sees consumers more at risk for identity theft next year than now for several compelling reasons. In association with the Identity Theft Resource Center he came up with a top 10 list outlining his predictions, which included the following insights, among others:

1. The ongoing recession and high unemployment will spawn new scams, and more creativity in older scams. It will also lead to more medical identity theft, since fewer people will have access to affordable health insurance. Some will use the insurance coverage of people they know; some will steal it from those they don’t.

2. Insufficient security in the workplace will lead to more “insider identity theft,” meaning people will have more opportunities to steal information from internal databases and release it to persons that should not see such information. Linda Foley, founder of the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), also asserted that criminals jailed for crimes related to hacking corporate networks will continue their business even from behind bars, thanks to accomplices on the outside.

3. More people will try to get financial help from the government – and in the process they will find out that their Social Security numbers, or those of their children, have been misused. This could cause them to get denied benefits, even if they should be approved for them.

4. Jay Foley, ITRC executive director, says that there will be more first-timers trying to commit identity theft. For example, people who can no longer use their own credit, whether it is maxed out or canceled, may resort to low-tech ID theft methods, such as shoulder skimming and dumpster diving, to try to benefit financially.

5. There will be more job ad scams. Right now these scams are not hard to find. Just go to craigslist on any given day. Siciliano warns that they will be on the increase in 2010. A big reason is that it’s not uncommon to provide personal information on a resume or job application – including a Social Security number. Says Siciliano, “If the job description is not one that you would see printed on a business card, or you are asked to front money, it’s a scam.”

You hear over and over that we are living in tough times, uncertain times and the like. You certainly don’t want to see things get worse. Currently, there are about 10 million American identity theft victims per year, which seems like quite enough. More Americans – including you – should sign up for an identity theft protection service. It’s one way to not be part of a growing trend, and to really start the new year off on the right foot.

A December 10 article in the Las Vegas Sun states that patients at University Medical Center do not have to be notified for 60 days if their information is involved in a data breach – which recently happened to at least 21 patients; one of which learned of the breach of his medical records from a local newspaper reporter. While that is bad enough, the article revealed another shocking turn of events at the same time.

According to both a nurse and a paramedic associated with the hospital, they have both been approached by more than one individual and offered cash, dinners and perks in the hopes that they will illegally share personal information. At times, these individuals are attorneys looking to profit off of specific cases. At other times, they may be plain old identity thieves. While both the nurse and paramedic said that they refused the offers, there must be someone who hasn’t, or else why would these actions be so blatant and prominent?

So not only can a hospital employee make off with your information for up to two months without your knowing about it, he or she can also sell your information on the black market, again without your knowing about it. See the Dateline Video on our homepage for more on how identity thieves sell our information, account numbers and passwords illegally.

Well, if you had identity theft protection, this could help keep you out in both of these situations. Even if a hospital, a company, or a relative, doesn’t tell you your information is in the wrong hands, your protection plan can give you a head’s up – and in a much shorter time than 60 days. It can also protect your finances with a guarantee that can help you recoup money lost if identity theft still occurs. This coverage will differ depending on your plan, so it’s important to do some research before purchasing one.

While it can be tough to think that your confidentiality is not really guaranteed when you go in for medical treatment, it can be even tougher to face the consequences of identity theft. I’m sure you’ll find this to be a common response if you ask a few of the 10 million Americans victimized in 2008.

So get hospital care if you need it, even with the risk involved. Just sign up with an identity protection service first. It’s as important for your peace of mind as having a medical policy – and it could even save you more money and time in the long run.

With Black Friday behind us and Christmas just around the corner many are tempted to use the computer to begin their holiday shopping. With big named companies tempting consumers with ‘lower than average’ pricing to be found only on their website, it seems like now would be a good time to shop online.

Be careful though. Don’t let the low prices fool you. Despite the savings to be found with online companies, the price you pay may be well worth more than you can afford. Now is not the time to lose focus on keeping your personal information just that – personal. Despite the temptation to find those ‘amazing’ deals online, be wary of the websites you are visiting.

The following ten pointers will help you prevent online identity theft.

1. Protect Your Computer
Especially with the holiday season approaching, now is the time to ensure your virus protection software is up to date. Make sure your firewall is in place, your anti-spyware is working and updated with the most current information provided. Your security levels while you are on the internet need to be set as well. Ensuring they are placed at a minimum of ‘medium’ while browsing is essential. You can find out what your security level is by going to Tools and then Internet Options. If you are using a wireless connection – make sure it is secured!

2. Update Your Software
Whether you use Firefox, Windows or other web browsers when online, always make sure you have the latest version. The sophistication of the latest virus is mind boggling on its own. It’s essential that you take advantage of the updates as soon as they become available. You can have this done automatically or you can check on your own.

3. Don’t trust the websites
Just because they say they have been in business for years or if their website looks fancy, don’t take their word for it. Research their online presence, as for opinions, do whatever you can before you give them your personal information. Make sure that little lock symbol is in place when you are purchasing an item from them. Never click on a website link that is sent to you in an email. Instead, physically type in the address of the website on your browser. There is malicious programming out there designed for those who haven’t done their research. By clicking on a link, it can lead you to a site that ‘looks’ legitimate but really isn’t.

4. Change you Passwords
It is a good idea to change your passwords regularly for websites you attend frequently. Never use the same password for financial websites and most importantly do not create a password that is easily recognizable to you. Alternate your passwords regularly. With today’s software, it is best to change your password monthly, especially on those websites that contain your personal banking information. Another good practice is to avoid using names or words from the english dictionary and to mix in letters, numbers and symbols.

5. Protect your Information
With over 8 million American’s becoming the victim of Identity Theft this year alone, it is essential that you take the necessary steps in protecting all your information. Only give out the necessary information when filling out a vendor’s purchasing agreement. Don’t click on surveys where you need to fill out your address and phone number, never give out your information unless necessary. Always check any website’s privacy policy before you give them your credit card information or name and address.

6. Protect Your Credit Information
Before you enter your credit card information onto that website, make sure it is secure. If you don’t see a closed padlock on the bottom of your website or at the top of the browser – do not buy! That is the most important thing you can do! Always make sure that the beginning of the website’s address changes to either shttp or to https when you are about to enter your credit information.

7. Payment Options
There are a variety of payment options available now when purchasing online. Paypal and your credit cards are normally the best options. If you do use credit cards, it is best to have one card that has a lower limit to it for internet purchases. Monitor this card to ensure it doesn’t get used by others. Another benefit to using a credit card is that you are protected if someone does steal your information and uses your card for purchases. When you keep an eye on your credit card statements and notice any unusual activity, it is best to inform your credit card company right away.

8. Keep Accurate Records
It is really important that you keep accurate records of every transaction you complete online. Print off the confirmation page, product descriptions that include pricing, print your receipts and all emails from the seller. If there is a discrepancy, report it.

9. Turn off Your Computer
When you leave your computer running 24/7, you leave it open to those who have the ability to install malicious software on your computer. Protect yourself. Shut your computer off at night and during the day when you are not home. Those extra minutes it takes to load up your computer are worth it (despite the hassle).

10. Email Safety
Never open an email if you don’t recognize the sender. Use your junk folders wisely. Never click on a link that you don’t recognize and most important never give out your personal information just because an email tells you to!

If you use these ten pointers during this holiday season, your online identity theft protection has increased significantly. It is important that you don’t forget about internet and computer safety just because a website is promising you a steal of a deal. No matter how great that deal is – it’s never worth your security. Identity theft is a real threat, one that becomes even more real for those who take their protection lightly. Don’t be one of the millions of Americans who experience Identity Theft in 2010. Afterall, there should be only one of you.

If you think the American consumer is hurting from the effects of identity theft, think for a second about what it’s doing to the other victims: American businesses. Javelin Research estimates that online retailers lost $21 billion in potential sales because identity theft victims are now afraid to shop online.

If you’re looking to keep your personal information safe, there are other things to do to protect yourself besides quitting your online shopping altogether. Here are just a few:
• Only shop at reputable, secure sites. Look for the lock icon in the navigation bar and an https in the site address when you get to the online order form.
• Never send credit card information over email. It is not a secure way to submit this information, especially if you’re using a non-corporate address.
• Read reviews of online businesses before you patronize them. Check and see if they have been approved by the Better Business Bureau.
• Check websites for VeriSign “badges” or notices of other reputable brands of security software.

If you’re not sure if a site is secure, always give yourself the benefit of the doubt, not the site. If your instincts tell you something is iffy, it’s best not to take a risk. If you just have to have something from a site that you think might be on the up and up but are not absolutely sure, don’t use your credit card number. Instead, get a temporary card number or use a prepaid debit card. Check your local grocery store, drug store or bank for the Visa and American Express varieties.

Keeping your information out of thieves’ hands is definitely not an impossible task, and it is not something that should interfere with your daily life, or shopping habits. If you’re exceedingly worried, check out identity theft protection plans. One can serve as a backup to protect you in case you make a onetime error in judgment and buy that electric toothbrush from joethetheif.com.

You can get an alert the first time Joe uses your card number to buy plane tickets for him and 50 of his closest friends and let your credit card company know to put some rain on Joe’s parade before he has a chance to get on that plane or order 50 more tickets for each of those friends’ children. These identity theft protection services are often very inexpensive yet can be invaluable, with some at just $10 a month. And there are so many plans to choose from that there’s sure to be one that’s just right for your family.

So remember, online shopping, good; online surrendering of information, bad. Learn to know the difference and you should be just fine, especially if you’ve got an identity protection plan watching your back. Now all you have to do is stop spending thousands of dollars on eBay. That can get you into a lot of credit trouble too, but that is a whole different ball game.

Ahh … file sharing. It’s how you get all the free music and movies you want, if you don’t mind the FBI or the MPAA knocking on your door every once in a while. Although file sharing has lost much of its luster due to lawsuits, viruses and other negative things associated with it, it is still alive and well in many households and businesses.

Not only do some adults and the vast majority of teens love file sharing, so do – you got it – identity thieves. If you have file sharing software on your machine, or your child has it on his or hers, the thieves could get access to anything on the hard drive. This includes not only music, movies and pictures but stuff that they really want to see:
*Tax files
*Passwords
*Social Security Numbers
*Credit card statements
*Bank account numbers
*Confidential business information

It’s not hard for them to do either. All they have to do is type in a couple of key words and what’s yours can be theirs too. I’m all about sharing what you have with others, but there has to be a “within reason” clause. So be careful what you share.

Another way thieves gain access is by posting malware for you to download under the guise of your favorite song or movie. The downloaded “movie” then goes to work on your computer allowing the identity thief to tap in to all your information. You can protect yourself with internet security software from Norton, McAfee or whoever but keep in mind these are not full proof.

The easiest way to keep thieves out of your personal files is to remove all of the file sharing software from your machine and any others on your home network. As soon as you’ve removed it by physically uninstalling it via the add/remove programs screen turn off your computer. Don’t just let it restart itself or the software may not be removed properly.

Sadly, even if you do this correctly you may still be the victim of a file sharing thief. Even if you don’t have file sharing at home, someone could have it installed at the office. This doesn’t have to be your office either, just one that has some of your personal information.

It could be the office of a hospital where you’ve sought medical care or a law firm you visited for a consultation. It could be at a bank you use or a school you attend. If even one employee decides he or she would like to spend some time on Limewire, this could be all the thieves need to get access, especially if it is a higher level employee.

So basically you have two choices, you can either stop going to doctors, banks, schools or any business that takes credit cards or you can begin looking out for yourself further. Check your credit reports at all three bureaus at least once a year, look into some identity theft protection services and never give out personal information unless it is 100% required. If your hairdresser says he needs your Social Security number for the customer database, please take the time to ask why. Same with the video rental retailer. There is no reason to put one on your Blockbuster account.

If you don’t want to do any of these things, you probably wouldn’t be reading this article. But, hey, if you are, please at least lay off of the file sharing. You can still get free movies and music at the library.

TrustedID identity theft protection service just introduced a new service called Identity Threat Score, which is included in its package of services at no extra charge. While we are all at risk for identity theft, this service is designed to help users know exactly what their risk profile is, and what they can do about it.

Using another service in their identity protection package, known as Identity Scan, TrustedID reviews your credit profile, and additional public and private records and compares it to patterns of information that make people more likely to be victimized by identity theft. This new technology scans 100’s of databases and millions of records and sophisticated computer software analyzes this information for risks to your identity. The company compares this process to the systems some credit card companies use to determine risk based lending or even fraud.

This helps to paint a pretty accurate picture of where your vulnerabilities lie, and how much you are at risk in different areas. Trusted ID presents the information to you in a concrete numerical form, on a scale of 0 to 500 with 0 being not at risk. We like that it is simple to understand.

Along with telling you where you are most at risk – and exactly how vulnerable you are – the plan gives you information on what you can do to improve your score. Scott Mitic, CEO of TrustedID, said in a recent press release, “ It’s one thing for us to show you that you are at risk, but the Identity Threat score goes one step further to help you reduce that risk.”

The company goes beyond the obvious solutions, such as not responding to phishing emails. There is more focus on less commonly thought of practices, such as removing yourself from catalog mailing lists and avoiding certain online activities. Trusted ID even alerts you when your identity threat score is medium or high and recommends at this point that you contact their Protection Specialists who will provide solutions for you to reduce your risk.

The Identity Threat Score and Identity Scan from TrustedID has been included at no extra charge in their flagship IDFreeze protection service. IDFreeze provides 15 points of protection to secure your identity and is backed by a $1,000,000 service warranty. Please see our TrustedID review for a detailed review of this service.

As identity thieves evolve their practices due to changes in how we do business, it’s important that identity theft protection plans evolve too. Since thieves will always try to have the best in technology at their disposal, don’t you want the same from your identity protection company?

It’s a pretty dismal situation to be in when the person trying to steal your information has a one up on the company trying to prevent that from happening. Keep that in mind when choosing your provider, so you can keep yourself and your family as safe as possible. Better yet, take a serious look at TrustedId today.