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Blog / June 2007

Beware of Scams with Craigslist

Jun 1, 2007 by Michelle Pastor

Craigslist.com is a website that lets sellers post ads for free. A man selling a truck on Craigslist was almost bilked by a variation of the Nigerian 419 scam that I’ve blogged about previously. A buyer named “Jimmy Davis” wanted to buy...

Jun 4, 2007 by Michelle Pastor

According to this article, scammers pose as if they are from the fraud department of Visa or MasterCard and rattle off a purchase on the credit card that the cardholder didn’t make. The caller promises to reimburse the cardholder once a 1-800 number is called...

Jun 4, 2007 by Tom Fragala

We issued a press release this morning (read it here). Here is an explanation of what it is about. Last week, there was a shocking article about LifeLock by Ray Stern in the Phoenix New Times. Truston understands that their customers (and...

Jun 7, 2007 by Michelle Pastor

Innovis data solutions is relatively unknown to consumers – it is similar to the three credit reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Innovis supplies credit grantors with information on all of us "to assist in marketing, verification, authentication and fraud...

Jun 8, 2007 by Tom Fragala

I have heard from two separate well-placed sources that Experian is ramping up a campaign to drive credit disputes online and is no longer accepting mail to their previously published PO box address for disputes (or making it awfully difficult)....

Jun 9, 2007 by Tom Fragala

Let’s get one thing down first. When virtually everyone says “credit score” in the US, what they really mean is a FICO credit score. FICO is the trademark for a proprietary analytical model developed and owned by Fair Isaac Corporation (NYSE:FIC)....

Jun 10, 2007 by Michelle Pastor

An article criticized the Presidential Identity Theft Task Force for some of the issues we’ve been blogging about for a while. The article sums up the report of the task force’s findings as this: The report focuses on four main...

Jun 10, 2007 by Tom Fragala

Does the FTC’s Do Not Call list accept mobile phone numbers? Yes. Is there some expiration date for that? No. Have you heard a rumor (probably via email) that the FCC going to allow telemarketers to call cell phones all...

Jun 11, 2007 by Michelle Pastor

High foreclosure rates in neighborhoods can many times be blamed on identity thieves. Here's an article that talks about how they do it. The thief in this case is a mortgage broker that bought and sold homes, but usually under...

Jun 12, 2007 by Michelle Pastor

Do you know that the more in debt you are, the more likely you are to become an identity theft victim. That’s because when you’re in debt and sinking quickly, you are more likely to chase financing deals in a...

Jun 14, 2007 by Michelle Pastor

Poor credit not only increases the interest rates you’ll pay, but it also increases the insurance premiums you pay. According to an article on USAToday.com, A credit report "is a solid predictor of risk," Annotti says. "People can get tickets...

Jun 15, 2007 by Michelle Pastor

Here’s an interesting article that explains why. What you have is a debit card, which some also call an ATM card or Cash Card. Your credit score is not affected by debit card use, Visa logo on it or not....

Jun 15, 2007 by Tom Fragala

Below is a video from YouTube. See here for the back story on ZDNet....

Jun 16, 2007 by Michelle Pastor

I often get the question, “should I enter my pin number at the store for extra security with my debit card?”. The answer is contrary to what you might think. Don't use your pin number! A question and answer column sums it...

Jun 16, 2007 by Tom Fragala

Think again. It’s laughably easy to get your phone number if you have outgoing Caller ID blocked. I’m not talking about tricks, taps or illegal means. Toll-free number (800, 877, 866, 888) subscribers with Automatic Number Identification (ANI) included can capture and...

Jun 19, 2007 by Michelle Pastor

Here’s a great story about an ID theft victim that took matters into her own hands and single-handedly tracked the thief that stole her identity.She actually chased the thief down and waited for police to arrive. It’s a great story,...

Jun 20, 2007 by Michelle Pastor

Adding an authorized user to a credit account has been an easy way to help a friend or family member increase their score by, in essence, lending them your good credit history without their having to pay the bill. Unfortunately,...

Jun 22, 2007 by Michelle Pastor

According to a national poll by Bankrate, Inc, it’s true. Digital50.com reports that Bankrate also found that 45% of Americans don’t know their credit score. I can understand those not wanting to pay for a credit score, so it makes sense that...

Jun 25, 2007 by Michelle Pastor

Here’s a great blog by Susan Brenner that gives a lot of information about caller ID spoofing that can be used to steal identities or even worse. The spoofing is being used to commit identity theft and other types of fraud, though,...

Jun 25, 2007 by Tom Fragala

I got this from Mark Enderle the other day: By the way, you might be interested to know that the House Financial Services Committee had a hearing 2 days ago examining “Consumers’ Ability to Dispute & Change Inaccurate Information.” …I...

Jun 26, 2007 by Michelle Pastor

An article gives tips to teens to keep them safe from ID thieves. With the popularity of myspace and the fact that teens often post their personal information onto the Web, it’s easy for them to become victims. Teens need...

Jun 27, 2007 by Michelle Pastor

I give a number of identity theft seminars every year and at each seminar, at least one of the attendees will admit to carrying around their Social Security card in their wallet or purse. In this day and age, and...

Jun 28, 2007 by Tom Fragala

You may have heard different, perhaps confusing terms and definitions for a credit report. The three credit reporting companies, through their web site annualcreditreport.com define it this way: A credit file disclosure, commonly called a credit report, provides you with...

Jun 29, 2007 by Tom Fragala

We have blogged about this before and inside the industry this term is getting a lot of play. The mainstream media is starting to pick up on synthetic ID theft. Simply put, it means an imposter uses different parts of...

Jun 30, 2007 by Michelle Pastor

Consumers are often confused by the fees and terms of their credit card contracts, so the Feds are trying to help credit cards companies become more consumer friendly. Currently, credit card companies have the right to change the terms such as...

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