| Imagine the public outcry if 27 million Americans | | | | Defenses? |
| discovered that their most private medical and financial | | | | Remarkably, the credit bureaus, financial institutions, the |
| health records had been stolen! No way, impossible. | | | | identity theft fraudsters and even the US Congress |
| Yet, a single laptop computer containing all of these | | | | oppose the States' grant of identity theft protection in |
| veterans and active-duty servicemen and women | | | | the form of the consumer-directed credit freeze |
| actually "went missing". | | | | authority. Why? It's all about business-as-usual where |
| The internet, PCs and laptops, cell phones and | | | | the credit bureaus only make money when they're |
| blackberries, online and offline data storage, and a raft | | | | analyzing or selling a credit history record to a firm |
| of information technologies are leaving you vulnerable | | | | considering offering you a credit card. Financial |
| to identity theft and credit card fraud. Bad guys know | | | | institutions create a business model that's all about |
| about the credit bureaus, the banks and other | | | | issuing more-and-more credit cards, and then earning |
| institutions, and even the state governments which | | | | transaction fees and interest income. Meaning what? |
| actively "sell" the data records to the direct marketing | | | | Neither of these groups has an "economic incentive" to |
| industry. Where's your "privacy" in this unregulated | | | | reduce credit card fraud, even where they're "holding |
| market? You guessed it. It's gone once a bent | | | | the bag" for liability payments of nearly $50 billion in |
| individual turns his or her attention to your file. | | | | 2006. |
| Result? Several million Americans each year | | | | The US Congress in summer 2006 is considering |
| eventually discover that they've become victims of | | | | stripping-down State "credit freeze" laws, making them |
| identity theft, to the tune of up to $20 billion or more in | | | | junior to Federal protections which, incredibly, offer a |
| fraudulent purchases. The bad guys easily get away, | | | | credit freeze-like protection only for those consumers |
| but you're left holding the bag. Even though you didn't | | | | who can produce a police report verifying that they're |
| make the purchases, and even though you're not | | | | victims of identity theft and credit fraud. In other words |
| legally responsible to reimburse the firms who sold | | | | and in a testament to the upper limits in legislative |
| gear to the fraudsters...guess what? You get a bad | | | | absurdity, you can't preemptively obtain identity theft |
| credit record! | | | | protections unless you can prove that you've been |
| Credit History Repair - First Move Close All Accounts. | | | | burgled. |
| Time is of the essence. As soon as you suspect, or | | | | Credit History Repair - Your Direct Liabilities And |
| know, that you've become a victim of identity theft, | | | | Expected Costs. |
| you must contact 100% of your creditors and advise | | | | You'll be lucky to get out of the credit repair process |
| them to suspend credit and not authorize any | | | | without investing something like 600 hours of your |
| purchases to your account. Who do you call? | | | | personal time, and it may take you years in order to |
| Department stores, banks, petrol, travel, finance | | | | obtain an honest and true credit history repair. You'll be |
| institutions...any firm that issues credit cards to you. | | | | contacting major credit bureaus like Equifax, Experian |
| "Victims" Trigger The Credit Repair Process. | | | | or TransUnion which maintain credit records on over |
| Remember, the credit card firms don't know and don't | | | | 90% of Americans. |
| care about your identity theft problem until it rolls up to | | | | Needing Professional Assistance. |
| their front door. | | | | You'll likely need a lawyer and an accountant, and you'll |
| Over 85% of commercial identity theft is reported by | | | | pay them professional fees to help you sort out your |
| victims rather than the credit card issuing firms. Most | | | | credit repair. Also, you need the investigative fire |
| often victims are unsuspecting. Suddenly huge bills | | | | power necessary to canvas the entire credit market in |
| come in, reflecting unknown purchases, or you make a | | | | order to identify whether other fraudulent credit cards |
| run-of-the-mill credit application and you're turned down | | | | have been issued, using your bank accounts, |
| inexplicably. Only now does "the penny drop" and you | | | | passwords, mother's maiden name, credit card |
| realize that personal data has been stolen and some | | | | numbers, address, birth date, or any other personal |
| bad guy is out there impersonating you while racking | | | | information. Remarkably, nearly 20% of "reported |
| up thousands of dollar of fraudulent expenses. | | | | identity theft" cases turn out to be situations where a |
| Credit Repair - Second Move "Credit Freeze". | | | | family member who has access and detailed |
| In 20 States you can order a "credit freeze" which will | | | | knowledge turns bad and rips-off the identity of |
| lock-down both the credit bureaus as well as any | | | | another family member. |
| credit-issuing firm from doing anything unless and until | | | | What You May Pay In "Losses". |
| they receive your permission. In other words, no new | | | | In many states identity theft victims are limited to the |
| credit cards can be issued by anyone until you | | | | first $50.00 of transaction losses, leaving the industry's |
| authorize it. | | | | remaining $50 billion "fraud tab" to be paid for by |
| Who Opposes Credit Freeze Consumer Anti Fraud | | | | businesses. |