I have a big issue. It’s with people that think they need to ask for my social security number. It is such a hot button for me.
One reason this may be such a sensitive topic for me is because a member in our family was a victim of identity theft. Thankfully, it was caught very early before any damage was done. The person committing the crime? An office worker at a doctor’s office. Yes, you heard me correctly.

Come to think of it, this has been an issue for at least 14 years. I remember going into a drug store and writing …read more

Identity theft hits close to home for me. It was only a few years ago that a family member’s social security number was used by someone in a respected profession to obtain a credit card.  Fortunately, this issue was caught pretty quickly, thanks to the credit card company’s rule of activating the credit card only from the applicant’s phone.

It is disturbing that our identity and social security information has to be so carefully guarded, but even more upsetting is how someone can damage our credit if they obtain our personal information.  According to PC Magazine, we are can make ourselves vunerable through the …read more

Beware of anyone that calls you claming to be a jury coordinator.  In this scam, the person will claim that you never appeared for jury duty and there is a warrant for your arrest.  If you protest that you never received a summons for jury duty, the scammer ask you for your social security number and date of birth so that he or she can verify the information and cancel the arrest warrant.  Sometimes the person will even offer to let you pay a fine with your credit card.  This is the information that they need to commit identity theft.  Unfortunately, …read more

So I recently had my purse stolen right out of my car.  It was partly my fault as I didn’t have my doors locked.  It was cold and I was trying to get my kids in as soon as possible.  I had planned on going back to lock up and get my purse after I got them into their classrooms buyt got side tracked and didn’t go out.  A package was also taken so I know for sure that I didn’t loose it, it was stolen.  So I have started a small series on identity theft that you might find …read more

My purse was stolen right before I was to fly out to see my family for the holidays. UUGGHH!! Things like that only happen to me. Now I have to worry about identity theft. Luckily I din’t have any credit cards in my purse, just a debit card and a bank card. But I did have 2 check books in it so I have had to close out 2 accounts and redo all the online banking from those accounts. It’s a huge ordeal. Luckily, I had a valid passport so that I could …read more

My social security number . . . now that’s a very sensitive moderately paranoid subject for me. 
I’m just curious to know, how well do you protect your social security number?  Do you have it posted on your checks?  Is it on your driver’s license?  Do you give it freely when stores ask for identification?
I’m just warning you.  This is a very touchy subject with me.  I am really holding back on the things I have to say.  So, here’s the nicest way I can say it:
I DO NOT GIVE OUT MY SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER!!!!!!
If I were to date back to a …read more

Identity theft has been on the rise for several years now.  The best way to keep track of all of your accounts is to order copies of your credit report on a regular basis.
Due to new Federal Consumer Protection laws, everyone is allowed to receive one free copy of their credit report per year from each of the credit bureaus.  Since there are three major credit reporting bureaus, this means you can get a free copy every 4 months. 
Be sure and write down the dates on your calendar or palm pilot to remind you of when you need to order …read more

Reader’s Digest has listed 10 money rip-offs that you should be aware of.  It is unfortunate that there are people that try to take advantage of us.  Here is the list:
1.  Child Identity Theft – Yes, there are actually people out there so greedy that they will steal a child’s SSN and use it for their own good.
2.  The Latest Work-At-Home Swindle – These are people that want to wire money to your account and have you keep a commission.  Most likely, anything that says “money transfer” is usually a phony.
3.  Fake Jury Duty Con – This is a sneaky …read more

This past year my husband received a letter from the federal government informing us that veteran information was stolen.  Later we received a letter telling us that although the information was stolen, it was recovered and nothing was compromised. I’m not so sure how much of that I believe. 
There have been 788 incidents of lost information by the federal government.  Nineteen agencies have lost information on the general public and on federal employees.   The Commerce Department has lost more than 1,000 laptops used by the U.S. Census Bureau.
So, how safe do you think your information is??????  I’m not so sure myself.  Pretty scary when you …read more

I have always been very skeptical of giving out my personal information.  There certainly are plenty of identity theft horror stories out there to make a person think about the information they give out. 
The most recent edition of Reader’s Digest explores identity theft and lets readers know about the the latest target for theives: medical records. Most hospitals and medical facilities ask for your social security number every time you visit. You should ask for a good reason why these facilities need the number before you give it.
There have been cases of thieves stealing someone’s identity and getting medical attention, including …read more