It is getting depressing to see all of the news stories about identity theft. When it comes to writing a story for the blog, there are just too many out there to choose from. This really emphasizes the fact that getting help from an identity theft protection service is almost a must. Why? Majority of those who become identity theft victims did not have to become victims. By signing up for a service that would help protect them if someone steals and uses their social security number to apply for credit, they could have been alerted of the problem long before the damage was done. This is not every case, but many could possibly have been prevented.

This is where we urge you to consider signing up for a service that will help to protect you and your family, from becoming a victim of this fast growing crime. If you are a parent, you certainly don’t want your children to become victims, but they can, just because they have a social security number. You and your spouse can too.

Not all services will cover children, however, LifeLock does offer their services for children as well. Take a look at their website for detailed information and answers to frequently asked questions about buying such a service. Use our promotion code “DEFENSE” when enrolling and receive a discount on your membership. Let others you care about know about the service and promotion as well. You would hate to hear that they became a victim and didn’t know these type services were available.

This story comes from MSNBC. It involves a Facebook user whose daughter notices that his Facebook status alerted all of his friends that he was in “urgent need of help.” Friends began calling to check on him and he then realized that his Facebook account had been hacked into. His Facebook friends received an email that he was robbed at gunpoint while traveling and needed money to get back home. One friend told him that he sent him $1,200 via Western Union. The only problem—this person never initiated the email or told his friends he was in trouble. Due to his face being associated with the account, friends thought that this was legit and wanted to help him out. He could not log in to his Facebook account to change the status or stop the emails, criminals locked him out of his own account! He could not even use his wife’s account to update his “wall” due to the criminals removing her from his friend list.

This is called the “Nigerian” or “419” scam or ploy. Criminals are using social networking websites, like Facebook, to hack into personal accounts and get countless friends to fall for it being the original account creator. Here is a quote the criminals used in the Facebook email: “Can you just get some money to us,” the imposter implored to one of ****’s friends. “I tried Amex and it’s not going through. … I’ll refund you as soon as am back home. Let me know please.” The victim’s picture was included with the email, so many thought this was legit. As mentioned earlier, a concerned friend/coworker sent $1,200 to the criminals, thinking they were the Facebook user.

The scary part for the victim was that he could not call Facebook to alert them of the scam and could not log in to stop it. Facebook admits that with millions of users, they do not have a phone number in place to contact them. They are reportedly making changes to increase security for the website.

The victim thinks that the criminals might have gotten his password by using a phishing email. These are emails that mimic those sent by the real website, but they are a “scam” copy made by those seeking your personal information.

All they can suggest at this time is that you be suspicious of anyone who asks you for money on Facebook. Call or contact them outside of Facebook before believing such a plea. Also, use different log in names and passwords for the various websites that you have to log into.

After reading his story on the CBSNews website, we had to relate this sad incident of identity theft. This is the story of John Harrision, a salesman from Connecticut. Harrison was victimized back in 2001 and when this story was released back in 2005, he still had a long way to go.  At that time, he had reportedly spent over 2,000 hours trying to clear his good name after having his identity stolen. “I had to come up with a filing system,” says Harrison of his efforts to clear his name. (more…)

So, you might know of someone in your family or a friend, who has stolen your identity or that of someone you are close to or know personally. What do you do to warn others about them and how do you protect yourself if you have not yet been a victim?
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We often report of stories of company or school data breaches, however, we are now compelled to alert our readers of an even worse threat, their family or friends. Many do not realize how well they know the criminal that they are seeking to protect themselves from. All the more reason to have identity theft protection in place, so that you will be notified is someone is trying to open a new account in your name. This happens more often than you may realize and we have found certain “categories” of people who seem to fit the mold. This is not all inclusive, of course, but it can help you to be more aware of what you leave accessible in your home or on your person.
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Before you decide to sign up for their identity theft service, be sure to get a LifeLock promo code. You can use LifeLock promo code DEFENSE to get a special discounted promotion for our readers. Obviously, buying the service for a year will save you even more money than paying for it by the month. However you decide to use it, this LifeLock promo code will save you money.

Why use LifeLock? (more…)

Have you been a victim of identity theft? If not, be glad that you are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to help protect your credit from these predators. If you are not sure, be sure to get a copy of your credit report and carefully check for accounts that you never opened. It is so easy for someone else to open an account in your name without your knowledge, so it is important to check your credit report for any unfamiliar activity. Others can use a different address to open and use credit that you never knew you had until you are contacted by a creditor to pay an overdue account.
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