The Friday following Thanksgiving is a unique day American shoppers anticipate for weeks -- practically another holiday itself -- but Black Friday is also the most ideal time for an identity thief to target unsuspecting victims.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, last year consumers reported losses from identity theft and fraud of more than $1.2 billion, and with consumers facing an already tough economy, they need to be particularly wary this holiday season of scams and fraud both at stores and in the online world of shopping.
Considered to be one of the biggest online shopping days of the year, Cyber Monday is the Monday after Thanksgiving.
"While the holiday season is surely a time for cheer and celebration, it is also a time when identity thieves are waiting for the perfect opportunity to pounce on unsuspecting consumers," said LifeLock(R) CEO Todd Davis. "Whether it takes place at shopping malls or online, identity theft can increase over the holidays. However, we are confident that if consumers are armed with the necessary tools to protect their personal information, thieves will not continue to profit nearly as much off innocent victims."
There are many steps consumers can take to protect their credit and to ensure that when the holidays are over and they are done spending, their credit won't need any mending.
Below are some tips that LifeLock offers for shoppers to keep in mind to safeguard their identities this holiday season:
-- Shut out Scrooge - Make it difficult for criminals to apply for and receive new credit in your name. Place a fraud alert with the three major credit bureaus and deny those thieves looking to thwart your credit and your holiday spirit.
-- Memorize it - If you don't know it by heart yet, think of a catchy way to memorize your Social Security number and then you can keep it stored in the safest place of all (your brain!) and not in your wallet.
-- Are you really you? - Write "See ID" in ink on the back of your credit card next to your signature. This is an effective way of reminding cashiers to check the credit card against your photo identification.
-- Keep your distance - Beware of anyone looking over your shoulder when you are making a purchase. Especially when using a debit card, make sure to cover the pin keypad while entering your personal pin -- "shoulder surfers" could be watching or even recording on a cell phone camera!
-- Gone "phishing" - Watch out for "phishing" scams, when crooks send you e-mails that look to be from legitimate companies, requesting that you provide them with personal information
And with an adult membership, kids are protected for as little as $2.00 a month or $20.00 a year!
A child's identity is a favorite target of thieves!
************************************************************
According to the Federal Trade Commission, last year consumers reported losses from identity theft and fraud of more than $1.2 billion, and with consumers facing an already tough economy, they need to be particularly wary this holiday season of scams and fraud both at stores and in the online world of shopping.
Considered to be one of the biggest online shopping days of the year, Cyber Monday is the Monday after Thanksgiving.
"While the holiday season is surely a time for cheer and celebration, it is also a time when identity thieves are waiting for the perfect opportunity to pounce on unsuspecting consumers," said LifeLock(R) CEO Todd Davis. "Whether it takes place at shopping malls or online, identity theft can increase over the holidays. However, we are confident that if consumers are armed with the necessary tools to protect their personal information, thieves will not continue to profit nearly as much off innocent victims."
There are many steps consumers can take to protect their credit and to ensure that when the holidays are over and they are done spending, their credit won't need any mending.
Below are some tips that LifeLock offers for shoppers to keep in mind to safeguard their identities this holiday season:
-- Shut out Scrooge - Make it difficult for criminals to apply for and receive new credit in your name. Place a fraud alert with the three major credit bureaus and deny those thieves looking to thwart your credit and your holiday spirit.
-- Memorize it - If you don't know it by heart yet, think of a catchy way to memorize your Social Security number and then you can keep it stored in the safest place of all (your brain!) and not in your wallet.
-- Are you really you? - Write "See ID" in ink on the back of your credit card next to your signature. This is an effective way of reminding cashiers to check the credit card against your photo identification.
-- Keep your distance - Beware of anyone looking over your shoulder when you are making a purchase. Especially when using a debit card, make sure to cover the pin keypad while entering your personal pin -- "shoulder surfers" could be watching or even recording on a cell phone camera!
-- Gone "phishing" - Watch out for "phishing" scams, when crooks send you e-mails that look to be from legitimate companies, requesting that you provide them with personal information
LifeLock supports our efforts to raise awareness to identity theft and encourages consumer education and protection. As a courtesy, they have offered an instant 20% discount to those who enroll in their service when using the promotional code: Denise
or simply click here:
And with an adult membership, kids are protected for as little as $2.00 a month or $20.00 a year!
A child's identity is a favorite target of thieves!
************************************************************
BasePoint's New Identity Theft Risk Survey Empowers
Consumers Before
Black Friday and Holiday Shopping
Season
WHAT:
A new Identify Theft Risk Assessment is now
available FREE to consumers who want to understand if they are at risk for
identity theft. The online survey empowers consumers by calculating their
individual "risk score."
An individual's "risk score" is based on current
behaviors and past experiences. In addition to the risk score, consumers learn
the top factors underlying their risk level, and receive a list of key actions
they can take to better secure their identity. The 10-question survey takes less
than one minute to complete. No personal contact information is collected.
WHY:
Black Friday is November 28, 2008 and historically
marks the single busiest holiday shopping day for retailers. It also makes
consumers increasingly vulnerable to becoming victims of identity theft, the
fastest-growing crime in North America. Whether shopping online or in
brick-and-mortar stores, consumers' risk of having their identities stolen this
holiday shopping season is expected to be greater, as white collar crime
traditionally increases during challenging economic times.
WHO:
The fraud scientists at BasePoint Analytics
developed this survey to further their mission to combat fraud. Tim Grace, CEO,
BasePoint, can share industry statistics and discuss the importance of consumers
knowing their risk of identity theft.
WHERE:
Risk scores can be obtained 24/7 by completing the
free survey at http://www.basepointanalytics.com/myrisk/.
About BasePoint:
Press release states: BasePoint Analytics is a leading provider of
predictive analytic fraud and risk management solutions for global banks, the
mortgage industry and consumers. Using proprietary pattern recognition
technology, BasePoint quickly identifies potentially fraudulent or high risk
activity, minimizing losses while accelerating the processing of non-risky
records. The company's fraud experts have deep, real-world domain expertise and
have successfully solved fraud and risk challenges for many high profile lending
institutions. BasePoint works with industry leading customers in mortgage
origination, investment banking, payment cards and consumer services. BasePoint
clients achieve dramatic improvements in fraud and loss detection performance
using a predictive analytic approach rather than traditional
methods.
BasePoint is headquartered in Carlsbad, California.
For more information, visit www.basepointanalytics.com or call
1-760-602-4971.
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