Author Archives: jim

Prevent Identity Theft and E-File Your Taxes

There are many reasons why you should e-file your taxes. By e-filing your taxes, you get your tax refund faster. By e-filing your taxes, you avoid the post office. But in terms of importance, there probably isn’t any reasons better … Continue reading

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How Much is a Stolen Credit Card Worth?

Back in 2008, Jacob Leibenluft of Slate did a story about how credit card numbers were for sale in “data supermarkets” online. You might find it surprising but credit card numbers aren’t worth very much. Symantec reported in 2008 that … Continue reading

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Buy a Cross Cut Paper Shredder

One of the most important tools you can buy to help you prevent identity theft is a cross cut paper shredder. A cross cut paper shredder does exactly what it says it does – cross cuts paper. Cross cutting means … Continue reading

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Review Your Children’s Credit Reports

Just this week we learned of a new way that identity thieves are stealing identities – scanning for inactive Social Security numbers of children and selling them to other people. One of the weaknesses of the credit reporting system is … Continue reading

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What are Credit Card Skimmers?

A credit card skimmer is a device designed to steal your sensitive personal and financial data when you’re accessing either a point of sale, such as at a gas station pump, or at your bank, on an ATM machine. Last … Continue reading

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Should I Change My Social Security Number?

If you’ve been a victim of identity theft, you’ve probably contemplated changing your Social Security Number to prevent future attacks. Unfortunately, changing your Social Security Number doesn’t necessarily protect you the way you think it might. It’s a difficult process … Continue reading

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How to Place a Fraud Alert

You can call up the credit bureaus and put a fraud alert on your account. Once you call one, it will notify the other two and the fraud alert will be active at those bureaus as well. The fraud alert … Continue reading

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Review Your Social Security Statement

Every year, three months before your birth month, the Social Security Administration will send you a copy of your Social Security Statement. It’s a document that, among other things, lists how much you can expect to receive from the SSA … Continue reading

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What is a Credit Freeze or Security Freeze?

If you’ve been the victim of identity theft, a credit freeze is one of the best ways to stop additional fraud in its tracks. A credit freeze effectively “seals” your credit reports with a personal identification number (PIN) so that … Continue reading

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Dispute All Credit Report Inaccuracies

A few years ago, as I reviewed my credit report, I noticed something very strange. There were two social security numbers listed on my report as well as a strange address and a Verizon account I’d never seen before. I … Continue reading

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