Professional  Identity  Theft  Investigations

There are basically two types of identity theft.

The first being someone has stolen your credit card or debit card info. And then they use this to make purchases. This is a credit/debit card fraud, and it is a type of identity theft. It is also a federal offence.

How consumers become a victim of this type of identity theft.

Credit card fraud occurs when someone steals your credit card or your credit card number and other information on your account. This can happen from a stolen wallet or through an unsecure Internet connection, hacking, phishing or a data breach, among others.

When it comes to credit card fraud, a credit card company is often the first to alert the victim. Credit card companies have units devoted to monitoring spending habits and purchases, and the company might notify the cardholder if purchases indicating an unusual amount, location or frequency transpire. If a cardholder is not alerted, he or she might eventually realize that a credit card is missing, or a credit card bill is inaccurate.

The sooner a victim reports credit card fraud to a credit card company, the quicker the fraudulent charges can be resolved. A cardholder should always report a missing or stolen card as soon as they realize it has been misplaced. Federal law limits liability if a credit card is stolen, but liability may depend on how quickly the loss or theft is reported.

The second type is a full-blown identity theft.

This type is much more involved and can completely wreak havoc on your credit report, personal finances and life.

When someone is a victim of identity theft, his or her name and personal information, such as Social Security number, address, health insurance information or job history, is compromised. The identity thief takes this information and applies for credit by taking out loans or opening new accounts in the victim’s name. The thief might also use that information to fraudulently apply for a job or use the victim’s health insurance plan to cover prescription drugs or see a doctor.

Identity theft occurs when:

Someone steals pieces of your personal data and assumes your identity. This can also happen from a stolen wallet, smartphone or a home or auto burglary, as well as through an unsecure Internet connection, hacking, phishing or a data breach. It can also happen if a consumer fails to shred important documents, such as bank account statements, tax documents and new credit card offers.

Sometimes identity theft victims don’t discover the dilemma they are in until months or years after the fact. Checking a credit report or applying for a loan or new job might lead to the first warnings of a problem.

It can take years to erase the damage from identity theft and usually requires a very time-consuming, arduous process that often involves credit bureaus, law enforcement, insurance agencies and financial institutions. In the meantime, the victim’s access to credit may diminish, opened accounts may be slammed with high interest rates, late charges and delinquencies and necessities like finding a new job or maintaining health insurance may be negatively impacted.

A 12-point checklist for victims of identity theft.

Consumers should also notify banks of any lost or stolen checks.

1. Notify affected creditors or bank

If a bank account or existing credit line has been affected, shutting it down should be the first order of business. Working with the credit card company or the bank as soon as possible can save you money. In general, most credit cards have zero-liability policies, but the Fair Credit Billing Act specifies that your maximum liability for unauthorized charges is $50.

ATM or debit cards and electronic transfers from your bank account fall under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act. Under this act, consumers have to move fast. Reporting a lost or stolen ATM or debit card before any fraudulent transactions means the victim is off the hook for any that happen afterward.

But if purchases or withdrawals are made, consumers have a small window of two business days after you realize the loss has occurred to report the unauthorized charges or transfers and get a $50 liability limit. After that, there is a $500 liability limit for up to 60 days after the statement reflecting the fraud is mailed. After 60 days, consumers are exposed to unlimited liability.

2. Put a fraud alert on your credit report

“Contact any one of the three credit reporting agencies and request a fraud alert. By doing so, a fraud alert will be put on all three of your credit files,” says Steven Katz, former director of consumer education for TransUnion’s TrueCredit.com.

The fraud alert will last 90 days. After you’ve filed a police report or filled out the ID theft complaint form from the Federal Trade Commission, you can put an extended fraud alert on your credit. The alert stays in effect for seven years.

“Filing a fraud alert is probably the best step for someone who is unsure if they are a victim,” says Katz.

A credit freeze will provide more protection but can be restrictive when applying for credit.

3. Check your credit reports

After installing a fraud alert in your credit file, you’ll automatically receive a free credit report from each of the three agencies, and you will be opted out of preapproved credit card and insurance offers. After you receive your reports, make note of the unique number assigned to your account. This will be valuable in all your communications with the agencies.

Check your reports for signs of fraud — new accounts you didn’t open, hard inquiries you don’t recognize, payment history you can’t account for, an employer you never worked for and personal information unfamiliar to you. Pull each of your credit reports at least once over the course of the next year to check for fraudulent activity. Use an identity theft report to get fraudulent information removed from your reports.

4. Consider putting a credit freeze on your reports

“A credit freeze is a good thing to do if you know you’re a victim, as it will completely lock down all your credit information,” says Katz.

A credit freeze prevents the credit reporting agencies from releasing your credit report to new creditors. You’ll pay as much as $10 to place a freeze at each bureau depending on the state you live in; it’s usually free if you can prove you’re an ID theft victim.

5. Contact the FTC

Contact the FTC at 1 (877) 438-4338. While federal investigators tend to pursue only larger, more sophisticated fraud cases, they monitor identity theft crimes of all levels in the hopes of discovering patterns and breaking up larger rings.

More importantly, fill out the ID theft complaint and affidavit form at the FTC’s website and print out for your records. Together with a police report, it serves as your ID theft report, which will help you dispute fraudulent accounts.

According to the FTC website, an ID theft report is more comprehensive than a police report alone. Your local police department may incorporate the ID theft complaint form into its report, or they might have another way of providing the full details needed for an ID theft report.

If you don’t file a police report, you can use the complaint as an ID theft affidavit to request companies to remove you from being responsible for unauthorized new accounts. However, the affidavit doesn’t provide as many legal protections as an ID theft report.

6. Go to the police

Alert the police in your city. You may also need to report the crime to the police departments where the crime occurred.

Securing a police report is of utmost importance. But not all states have legislated that local law enforcement must take a police report on identity theft from consumers.

The FTC provides a cover letter to give to local law enforcement which stresses the importance of police reports for consumer victims.

Make sure the police report lists all fraud accounts. Give as much documented information as possible and give them a copy of the ID theft complaint form from the FTC.

If the police cannot give you a copy of their report, request that they sign your FTC complaint form and provide the police report number in the “Law Enforcement Report” section. Keep the phone number of your police investigator handy on a contact sheet for future reference.

7. Send creditors a copy of your ID theft report

Notify creditors in writing that you have been a victim of fraud and include a copy of your ID theft report.

Further, ask each affected creditor to provide you and your investigating law enforcement agency with copies of the documents showing fraudulent transactions. You may have to fight to get this documentation, but don’t give up. You’ll need these to help track down the perpetrator.

Informing creditors of the fraud should get them to stop reporting the information to the credit reporting agencies.

“We always advise that you contact the creditor first because they will continue to report that information that they have. But we take steps on our end to make sure that the fraudulent information doesn’t show up on the credit report,” says Katz.

8. Contact credit reporting agencies

By sending a copy of your ID theft report to the consumer reporting agencies, fraudulent accounts should be blocked from appearing on your credit report.

Nonetheless, consumers must keep a close eye on credit reports to make sure that erroneous information doesn’t get added again.

“Often the bad information that they thought they had cleared up mysteriously reappears,” says Ed Mierzwinski, U.S. PIRG consumer program director.

9. Change all account passwords

If an account doesn’t have a password, put one on it. Avoid using obvious passwords such as the last four digits of your Social Security number or your birth date.

10. Contact the Social Security fraud hot line

Notify the Office of the Inspector General if your Social Security number has been fraudulently used. Ask for a copy of your Personal Earnings and Benefits Statement and check for accuracy.

11. Get a new driver’s license

You may need to change your driver’s license number if someone is using yours as an ID. Go to the Department of Motor Vehicles to get a new number.

12. Contact your telephone and utility companies

They need to be alerted in case an identity thief tries to open a new account in your name, using a utility bill as proof of residence.

Information Source https://www.bankrate.com

Additional Information You Should Know About Credit Card/Debit Card Fraud

When credit/debit card fraud occurs by way of a breach in a data system. Such as has happened and happens to a store you shop at, online store you use, or even your personal computer. These breaches are committed by people with exceptional skill.

When your debit card is attached to your bank account. The number on the card is created using a mathematical algorithm. There are some people, or groups that commit the hacks/cracks on databases and your personal electronics to gain your card and personal information. They have the algorithm that is used to produce your card number or numbers. Having this algorithm gives the criminals the ability to figure out your bank account number. There for just having your bank cancel your card and sending you a new card with a new number is not always enough. We recommend that you go to your bank and have a new account number created for your bank account. This will protect you best when you are a victim of credit/debit card fraud.

When it comes to credit card fraud, a credit card company is often the first to alert the victim. Credit card companies have units devoted to monitoring spending habits and purchases, and the company might notify the cardholder if purchases indicating an unusual amount, location or frequency transpire. If a cardholder is not alerted, he or she might eventually realize that a credit card is missing, or a credit card bill is inaccurate.

The sooner a victim reports credit card fraud to a credit card company, the quicker the fraudulent charges can be resolved. A cardholder should always report a missing or stolen card as soon as they realize it has been misplaced. Federal law limits liability if a credit card is stolen, but liability may depend on how quickly the loss or theft is reported.

The second type is a full-blown identity theft.

This type is much more involved and can completely wreak havoc on your credit report, personal finances and life.

When someone is a victim of identity theft, his or her name and personal information, such as Social Security number, address, health insurance information or job history, is compromised. The identity thief takes this information and applies for credit by taking out loans or opening new accounts in the victim’s name. The thief might also use that information to fraudulently apply for a job or use the victim’s health insurance plan to cover prescription drugs or see a doctor.

Identity theft occurs when:

Someone steals pieces of your personal data and assumes your identity. This can also happen from a stolen wallet, smartphone or a home or auto burglary, as well as through an unsecure Internet connection, hacking, phishing or a data breach. It can also happen if a consumer fails to shred important documents, such as bank account statements, tax documents and new credit card offers.

Sometimes identity theft victims don’t discover the dilemma they are in until months or years after the fact. Checking a credit report or applying for a loan or new job might lead to the first warnings of a problem.

It can take years to erase the damage from identity theft and usually requires a very time-consuming, arduous process that often involves credit bureaus, law enforcement, insurance agencies and financial institutions. In the meantime, the victim’s access to credit may diminish, opened accounts may be slammed with high interest rates, late charges and delinquencies and necessities like finding a new job or maintaining health insurance may be negatively impacted.

Credit/Debit Card Fraud:

In the event you find yourself a victim of a credit card/debit card fraud. Please follow the steps laid out under the “If You Are A Victim: What To Do & Additional Info.” tab on this page. If you act fast enough and follow the directions, we have laid out. And follow your banking institution directions. The money that was stolen from your account will in most cases be returned to your account. The vast majority of banking institutions are insured for this type of fraud.

We can track down the person or suspect or suspects responsible for this fraudulent act. However, there is a fee for us to do this. You may wish to just let your bank and law enforcement handle this because you will have your money returned that was taken from you.

Full-Blown Identity Theft:

When a full-blow identity theft occurs, it can take years to repair what the suspect has done. One of the reasons for this is: The courts and law enforcement have to establish: that a person reporting the identity theft, is in fact a victim and not just claiming identity fraud to get out of debt. Consider the following. The courts and most law enforcement agencies are burdened with high caseloads. It takes a long time for law enforcement to investigate this. Many times, the person committing the fraud does not live within your local law enforcement jurisdiction. Therefor your local law enforcement has to reach out to other agencies and request their help. If and when they can help greatly depends on their case load and their willingness to help. Some agencies are not the most cooperative. And many times, this is due to the victim does not live in their jurisdiction. They simply feel it just not their problem and they have more important things to do.

An example of what the above is pointing out: Your identity has been stolen. The suspect that stole your identity has gotten a loan to purchase a car in your name. They live two states away. When they bought the car they used fraudulent ID’s your credit score, and social security, with a fraudulent address.

Our investigator has the experience working with local and federal law enforcement. He has the experience navigating the issues that arise from these situations. Greatly reducing the time it takes to get your life back. And many states allow a private investigator from another state to work within their state if the investigation originates from the state the investigator in licensed in.

Contact us for a fee no obligation consultation.

How To Protect Yourself By Protecting Your Electronic Devices:

Your home network security and public wifi:

To help protect you from data breaches that can occur from use of your cell phone, tablet, or computer. We highly recommend that you use a well rated total protection antivirus software. Use one that is a total protection and one that you can also use on your cell phones, tablets, and computers. You should also learn how to use the antivirus total protection. There are many good and effective software’s on the market that will help protect you such as Bit Defender, Bull Guard, Norton, and McAfee.

We also highly recommend for your home use a router that has antivirus scanning ability, firewall, and VPN capabilities. When using a wifi router along with the password, use the MAC filter for better wifi security. First you want to decide what antivirus you will use for your devices. Then find a router that uses a brand other than the one you use for your devices. Setting up your systems in this way will give you the best protection. The reason for this is, no one antivirus protection can protect you from all threats. You must learn how to use your router and set up the protection.

When you use a public wifi or even if you are using cell data to do any type of banking or shopping online, you should be connected to a personal VPN (Virtual Private Network). This is why we recommend a router with VPN capabilities. The basics of what this is and how it works. A VPN to your router is a secure encrypted connection. When you are on a public wifi network or a cell data connection. You connect back to your home router through the VPN. All of your browsing is then sent out from your home router. This keeps anyone on the public network you are using from being able to steal your data (you personal information). The router manufacture can help you set this up once you deiced and purchase the router you will use. and there are many resources on the internet to help you with this.

Along with the software capabilities of the router/firewall you select. It should also have the hardware capabilities to run the software. Some routers have the software you need but do not have the CPU and memory to perform the way it needs to. It does no good to have a router that will help protect you if it makes your browsing slow and lacks performance.

Like many things in life. You get what you pay for. And when it comes to home network security and performance this is very true. It makes no sense to spend that $1,000.00 on a cell phone and not spend the money to secure and protect your information properly. Not doing so can cost you thousands of more dollars and hundreds of hours dealing with a major problem.

An example of what you many want to purchase to make all of this come together.

Router ASUS RT-AX88U AX6000 $350.00 This router has the security features needed and the hardware for the performance to make it work well. And it comes with the business class security features of Trend Micro network security.

Bitdefender Total Security 2019 (5-Device) $89.99 For your devices. (You can find this for $50.00 most days.) PC’s, Cell Phones, Tablets both MAC and windows based along with Android.

We are not endorsing these products. We are using these to show for less than $500, you can greatly secure you home network and devices. Along with great network performance.

Cell Phones, Laptop’s, Or Any Device With Bluetooth & WIFI Capabilities:

If you have any device that has Bluetooth capabilities, and there are no Bluetooth devices connected to it. Or if you do not use these capabilities on your device. Disable the Bluetooth until you need to connect a device. Bluetooth in some cases may create a security issue by allowing someone to hack your device without you knowing.

When in public, keep your wifi turned off unless you are connecting to a wifi network you want to connect to. May phones and laptops will automatically connect to any open network. This can put your device and any information stored on your device at risk.

How To Protect Your Personal Information On Paper:

You should always shred anything that has any personal information on it or contained in it prior to putting it in the trash. This includes anything such as credit card offers, credit card, and bank statements, utility bills, including bills from your ISP or cable tv provider.

Protect Your Personal Information When On The Phone.

If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be from your bank, credit card company, ISP, cable TV provider, utility provider such as you electric company, never give that person any information. It is best to tell them you will call them back. Never take a phone number from them to call them back at. Ask them what department they are with. Then tell them you will call them back. You should already have their phone number or the main office number. Call the official number you have and ask for the department that that person that called you said they are from.

Never give out any personal information on the phone. Any one you talk to weather it’s you bank, ISP, Cable TV Provider, Utility Company or anyone you do business with. They will never ask for your Social Security Number. (unless you have called them and the call is for setting up your initial account with the company) They will already have it if they needed it. You should have a security question setup with them or a PIN number (Personal Identification Number) Never give out your information to anyone that calls you. Always look up the number of their business and call them after you make sure they are a legitimate creator or debtor.