What is the Fastest Growing Crime in America?

What is the Fastest Growing Crime in America?

I am always shocked that so many people think they do not need ID Theft Protection! Some people have poor credit and think, “They can have my ID.” Others had no credit cards, so they believed they were safe from ID Theft.

Do these people have their heads in the sand?  Do they not read or listen to the news? Over 11 MILLION adults became of identity theft victims in the United States alone.

Those who use social media and mobile devices are at higher risk than those who do not, and they have higher incidents of ID fraud.  In addition, 7% of smart phone users were victims of identity fraud. Although we have been warned repeatedly, we are still placing too much personal information online. 

You need not own a credit card to have your ID stolen. A thief can use your personal information to acquire a credit card in your name. You may think you are safe, thinking that without your social security number, it is not possible. You would be wrong! Your social security number and all the personal data a thief needs is already in various databases that may be breached at any time. Unfortunately, this is not uncommon.

Lost or stolen wallets, checkbooks or credit card accounts, corrupt businesses or employees and breaches of consumer data are other ways thieves “become you.”

I recently spoke with a woman who was an ID Theft victim in the mid-1990’s. She is still – today, years later - receiving bills and phone calls from creditors demanding payment for accounts she never opened.

Possibly the worst identity theft, is stolen health records.  A thief can acquire your health insurance card number without too much difficulty.   They can then go to a hospital and have surgery – say having their appendix removed. Years later, you may get appendicitis. Since your medical records say you have no appendix, they don’t consider appendicitis as the cause of your pain, possibly endangering your life. Health-related ID theft is one of the newest and common forms of fraud.

Please, no matter whom you are, where you live, whether or not you have credit cards, sign up for Identity Theft Protection now, today, before you forget - before you become a victim!

LifeLock™ has a million dollar guarantee if you become a victim due to their error, and it is rated among the best ID theft protection programs available. When you purchase LifeLock™ directly from them, you’ll pay $10 per month per person. With Xpress Healthcare’s Lifestyle Select program for only $19.95 per month per FAMILY, you’ll get LifeLock™ for your entire immediate family, PLUS you’ll receive discounted roadside assistance, reduced pet care costs and legal services and more. 

Feel free to go to http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings to join Lifestyle Select. Even if you prefer to select another ID theft protection program, please register today!

A Huge and Growing Problem

I believe that everyone today is aware of identity theft.  It is unfortunate, but many people assume that since they do not use credit or debit cards, they are safe from ID theft.  There are myriad ways that thieves can gain access to your checking or savings account records and your social security number.

One of the more recent areas where thieves are targeting identities is in medical records.  Let’s say you order a copy of your credit file.   When it arrives, you are surprised to discover that there are collection notices against you for several emergency hospital visits, with thousands of dollars unpaid.  Once you begin investigating this entry in your credit report, you find the report states that you were involved in a serious car accident and had your leg amputated after you were air lifted to a hospital for treatment.

Since you have both your legs, and you have not been involved in a traffic accident or been admitted to a hospital, you assume it was a simple error on your report. This is a typical and all-too-common example of medical identity theft.  You may make the discovery from that credit report, or a hospital may start sending you bills for treatment you never had.  You may be contacted by the hospital or police who tell you that they believe you are a potential victim of a fraud they are investigation.   

Medical records are exposed to theft via the internet in ever increasing numbers; therefore, medical fraud is quite simple for a thief to commit.  The fraud may go undetected for months or even years.  More medical records are also being digitalized and shared with health care providers, health insurance companies and consumers, making them more vulnerable to theft.  How about your medical chart? Are the charts in the receptionist’s office within easy reach of anyone?

It’s not just about the health insurance and health service options, but it’s also about ensuring patient medical records are accurate and shared only with authorized people, and that health services and charges are applied to the rightful account owner.

Prescribing the wrong medication to a patient based on fraudulent medical records can cause death in which case the impact of medical identity theft is irreversible.  How can doctors and hospitals reconcile a patient’s past and recorded information with the identity thief’s medical information acquired with a recent blood analysis even after a case of medical identity theft is detected?  As you can see, the impact of the health identity theft is huge to the victim’s life, privacy and financial losses.

In general, consumers have more protection against credit identity theft than medical identity fraud. If a consumer discovers credit identity theft promptly after it is committed, they can notify their banks, credit card companies, the FCC and the police. The victims seldom are responsible to pay more than $50 no matter how much was actually stolen. 

With medical identity theft, the identity theft victim whose social security number appears on the record is responsible for paying the fraud charges.  Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Medical privacy laws in place to protect consumers, there is only limited protection against medical fraud.  Unfortunately, HIPAA also equally protects the identity thief when the personal information of both the thief and the victim are combined.  When the thief receives medical care using your name and medical records, your records are then updated with the thief’s medical information. So, not only can this commingling be detrimental to your life during your future doctor visits, you also may be prohibited from separating your records from those of the thief, because the thief is also protected by HIPAA. 

Medical identity theft is more difficult to track, because only a name and social security is necessary to receive medical care in most cases. It is, therefore, critical for you to monitor your credit report.  If you detect possible medical identity fraud, immediately contact your health insurance company, the health service provider and the credit reporting agencies. In addition, file a police report to document your case, and inform all parties that you are a victim of identity theft. 

With all this information, I hope all readers can now recognize the importance of having an Identity Theft Protection Plan in place to monitor your records for you.  They will detect fraudulent activity before you do.

Do you still believe having no credit or debit cards protects you from ID Theft?  I personally recommend that you join the LifeLock® Identity Theft Protection Plan through Xpress Healthcare® for two reasons: 

     1)     LifeLock®  has years of proven excellent service, and it provides the best monitoring services; and

     2)     Joining LifeLock®  through Xpress Healthcare® costs you less ($20 per month, per FAMILY), and along with LifeLock®  services, at no extra charge, you will also receive a Roadside Assistance program, discounted pet care services and products and discounted legal services (9 of the most common services are free!)      

     3)     To join LifeLock®  through Xpress Healthcare, visit http://ibourl.net/EverydaySavings                                                                                                                                                           

Whether you join LifeLock® through Xpress Healthcare® or join another ID Theft Protection company, don’t wait!  Get the protection you need today!

Help! I Have Been Scammed!

Identity Theft is a huge and ever-increasing crime.  Although most people associate ID theft with the internet or credit cards, it is actually a much larger problem.  In fact nearly half of all ID theft claims come from people who lost or had their wallet stolen.  ID theft due to lost or stolen wallets is three times more common than either internet scams or data breaches.  So, the number one preventative measure you should take is being certain your wallet and/or purse are secure at all times.

Victims of ID Theft have had their credit ruined and lost enormous amounts of money.  So whether or not you use credit cards EVERYONE is a potential victim.

I frequently see women in grocery stores leave their purses in their cart and then turn their backs to the cart to get something off a shelf.  It only takes a moment to grab a purse out of the basket.  Ladies, always hold onto your purse while shopping.  If you lay it in the “baby seat,” keep your arm through the strap so it cannot be easily grabbed.  In addition, if the basket has a “seat belt,” place it through your purse strap, and put the purse in a position that hides the straps.  Even with these precautions, however, never leave your purse unattended!

Never keep your Social Security Card, list of PIN numbers or bank accounts in your wallet!  Leave them in a secure place at home.  If you’re on Medicare, don’t carry your Medicare ID card with you.  Instead, make a photocopy of the card and cut out the last four characters of the number.  If you are visiting a physician for the first time, you must bring your Medicare card, so guard it carefully.

Keep a photocopy of both the front and back of all cards that you carry in your wallet at home.  That includes your driver’s license, insurance and credit cards, even your library card!

In spite of your best efforts, if your wallet is stolen do the following:

·        Call your credit card issuers immediately.  Do NOT tell them you want to cancel your account.  Instead, request an account number change.  They will issue you a new card with a new number to prevent thieves from using your card and possibly costing you a great deal of time and money and ruining your credit score.

·        Contact your bank immediately as well.  Change your PIN number and cancel your missing ATM card.  If your checkbook too is missing, get a new account number.

·        File a police report in the city where your wallet “disappeared.”  Be sure to request a copy of the report and send a copy to your bank and the three credit-reporting agencies.

·        You will also want to put a “fraud alert” on your record with the credit-reporting agencies.  They are free.  You can also request a “security freeze” which is more secure, but they may charge a fee for that service.

·        Contact your local Motor Vehicle Department to replace your driver’s license or State ID.  Also ask them to put an alert on your record.

·        Contact your medical insurers and ask them to assign a new account number.  Health insurance fraud has become a major problem over the past few years. 

·        Contact your auto insurance company to prevent the thief from making an accident claim on your insurance.

·        Check to see if your homeowner’s insurance includes ID theft protection.

·        As strange as it seems, thieves have been known to take out books using their victims’ library card, and never returning the books.  So, get a new library card as well.

·        A couple weeks after your wallet “went missing,” check your credit report.  You can get an annual credit report at no charge.

One of the most important things you can do is to purchase an Identity Theft Protection plan.  My husband and I both have LifeLock®.  My husband received an alert this past weekend from them advising him that someone was trying to access one of his online accounts.  He immediately went to that account and changed the password.  When I purchased a new smart phone last year, before I even left the store, I received a text message advising me that a large purchase was made on my credit card.  I seldom make large purchases with my card, so that created an alert with LifeLock®.  I was pleased to see how quickly they would have responded if a thief had been using my card.

LifeLock® is among the benefit plans (NOT insurance) that I promote with my Xpress Healthcare® business. There are several other companies that sell ID Theft Protection plans as well.  Whichever you purchase, sign up for one TODAY!  Please do not wait until it is too late.

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For affordable discount plans to reduce your Health and Dental expenses AND reduce costs on Hearing, Vision, Prescriptions, Roadside Assistance, Lifelock™ and even more, visit: http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings (NOT insurance). 

Please visit my Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/XpressHealthcareTheWinnersCircle 

For Xpress Healthcare® business opportunity info, visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com. 

ID Theft - of Your Health?

I frequently hear people say that they have no need for ID Theft Protection, like LifeLock®, because they don’t use credit cards.  They don’t seem to realize that credit card theft is not the only way a thief can steal your identity, and perhaps ruin your life. ID Theft is one of the worst and fastest growing crimes today.  Its victims’ lives can be virtually destroyed.  However, what I don’t believe many people think about when they reflect on ID theft is that even their health records can be stolen. Today, in most doctors’ offices, it is likely that at least some of your private information - from your social security number, details of your last blood tests, your last mammogram to your family history – is stored electronically.  My personal physician walks around with a laptop to refer to my records, not a chart as he used to do.  All my records are neatly stored in that computer.  What if the laptop ended up in the wrong hands? The staff might even take my records – or yours - home on a flash drive.  Doctors also use smart phones, receiving, inputting and sending patient records over cell phone lines. There have been security measures put in place, passwords required to access the information, but as we know, computers are not 100% secure, no matter what measures are taken. According to a report by the Ponemon Institute, a Traverse City, Michigan-based firm that conducts research about privacy and security: •Health data breaches have grown nationally over the past few years by 32%.  Not because of blatant stealing of records by employees, but rather, because of employee negligence and lack of oversight. •72 organizations were surveyed, and nearly all reported that they had at least one incident of lost or stolen medical information in the previous year. •Of the four out of five doctors who claim they use smart phones, over half reported they are not taking precautions to encrypt information. •According to the report by Ponemon Institute, there are three main causes for data breaches.  1) Lost or stolen computing devices, 2) Unintentional release of information by contractors; and unintentional employee action. •Of those who responded, more than half reported they had little or no confidence that their particular system would be able to detect allbreaches. Throughout the U.S., medical records of more than 19 million people have been reported breached since September 2009.  (That is when the new federal Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health – HITECH - Act increased the penalties for providers whose data are stolen, lost or otherwise breached, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Civil Rights.)  Plus, thousands of smaller breaches occur annually. A Detroit-area woman recently filed a lawsuit after a transcription service inadvertently put her medical information on the Internet, her name, medical record number and diagnosis of "cervical dysplasia secondary to HPV (human papillomavirus)," according to the law suit. Let’s say someone gained access to your health insurance card and visited a physician.  That person is then diagnosed and treated for diabetes using your insurance card.  From that point forward, every time you see a physician or visit a hospital, you will have that diabetes diagnoses in your medical records, which may well cause treatment that could result in injury or even your death – because you don’t truly have diabetes.  Once your medical records are breached, it is nearly impossible to get them reinstated to their original state.  This is a Crime that may well go unnoticed, until it is too late.  It isn’t clear how often medical information is misused; a person who steals an ID to get prescription drugs might slip through for years unnoticed. A stolen laptop with patient data might be reported to local police, but never be linked to fraudulent billing in another jurisdiction. According to Pam Dixon, founder of the California-based World Privacy Forum testified before Congress on the subject of medical ID theft, reported that medical information is worth $50 on the street, compared to $1 or $2 for a Social Security number.  There are few safeguards for medical ID theft.  If you are one of those people who believe they have no need for ID Theft Protection, think again.  Your financial life, your credit, and yes, even your life and health can be ruined without this protection. My company, Xpress Healthcare, offers a Lifestyle Select Discount Plan, which includes LifeLock® for only $19.95 per month for your entire immediate family in your home!  Prior to having this plan, I paid $12.95 for myself and another $12.95 for my husband for ID Theft Protection.  Now, both of us are covered for $5.95 less than we were paying before, PLUS the Lifestyle Select Discount Plan includes discounts on Pet Care, Roadside Assistance, Legal Access and more at no additional cost!  If you don’t have ID Theft Protection, please look at our plans at http://ibourl.net/EverydaySavings.  Even if you already have protection, please compare our coverage and the cost of our plan.  Perhaps you can save money and get an even better protection using LifeLock®. Please don’t risk losing everything!  It could happen to you! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The source for some of this information was found here: http://yourlife.usatoday.com/health/story/2012-02-12/Data-breaches-put-patients-at-risk-for-identity-theft/53065576/1 ************************ Learn how to reduce your Health and Dental expenses AND reduce costs on Hearing, Vision, Prescriptions, Roadside Assistance, Lifelock™ and even more athttp://ibourl.net/XpressSavings (NOT insurance).   Please visit my Facebook Page athttp://www.facebook.com/XpressHealthcareTheWinnersCircle   To learn about Julie Klein and how you can be successful in network marketing, look at the Xpress Healthcare™ Business Opportunity at http://joinxpresshealthcare.com.

YOUR Identity for Sale

I have known for years that identity theft is a huge problem in the United States and most other countries.  However, I was unaware that there are actually auctions held regularly where ID thieves bid for identities.  The auction will go something like this…

The room is filled with many people ready to bid.  The auctioneer will show a picture on a screen of a driver’s license, for instance.  Then, he’ll go on to say, “Mr. Jones has excellent credit, and we are offering all his vital records, including his license, social security and his health insurance card.  Let’s start out the bidding at $500…”  The winning bidder will then set out to destroy your life.

We are all aware that there are thieves hacking into computer records, stealing records from individuals, major corporations and even government data systems.  Did you also know that many of those thieves sell lists of stolen credit card numbers by the thousands, even by the millions, to other thieves?

There are websites called “carding sites” that buy and sell identities.  The Better Business Bureau, FBI, United States Postal Inspection Service and Federal Trade Commission all are investigating and closing down organizations and websites, but the numbers are too huge for them to keep up with them.  Most law enforcement agencies today – from City Police to the FBI – have ID Theft prevention programs in place, but the “industry” is growing constantly.

The Identity Theft business is organized crime on an international scale.  There are even “carding” forums.    These carding sites sometimes offer tutorials to those who buy stolen personal information.  They are showing them how to make crime pay – and all at the victims’ expense.

The U.S. Secret Service conducted an undercover operation and finally shut down one organization that had trafficked in at least 1.5 million stolen credit card numbers, resulting in more than $4 million in losses to banks, financial institutions and credit card companies.

The ID theft problem is big, organized and out of control. Unfortunately, there is no way to totally protect yourself.  There are, however, steps to take that can defeat many scammers.  If you follow these steps, if (more likely, when) your identity is stolen, you can reduce the amount of damage to your credit.

Enter your credit card toll-free numbers in your cell phone contacts, and keep your phone with you.  Keep an eye out for data skimmers that crooks place on gas pumps, even on ATM machines. Don’t allow restaurant servers take your card out of your site.  Instead, go with the server wherever they process your card.  NEVER carry your Social Security card in your wallet!   

Treat every bit of personal information like gold, whether on the phone, in e-mails or postal mail.  Remember that thieves can establish a false identity, make illegal purchases with your credit cards, obtain medical treatment using YOUR health insurance, and empty your accounts.  It may seem paranoid, but it is necessary to be more than careful to protect your personal information today.

When applying for a job, do not provide your Social Security number to the employer!  Only when and if they hire you do they need it.  If your doctor or dentist office requests it, you need not provide it.  In these larcenous times, be sure that antivirus software and firewalls are installed on your computer and current at all times! 

In addition to these steps, be sure that you and your entire family have an identity theft protection plan.  That includes young children!  Oftentimes, when a child reaches 18 years of age and applies for their first credit card, they discover that years earlier their credit was destroyed by a thief.

There are many ID theft protection plans, but the best one available is LifeLock™. They offer a $1 million total service guarantee. Their TrueAddress™ program notifies you when a change of address is filed in your name. They offer WalletLock™ that assists you if your wallet is lost or stolen and their eRecon™ system searches for your information being sold or traded online.  Their members’ junk mail is drastically reduced and they’ll receive fewer pre-approved credit card solicitations.

If you join LifeLock™ through Xpress Healthcare, your entire family will be covered for only $19.95 per month!  Also, when your LifeLock™ membership is through Xpress, you’ll also receive discounted pet care, roadside assistance, free and reduced-cost legal services for you and your family at no additional cost.

It is unfortunate that identity theft is so out of control that we must take all these precautions.  But take them we must.  Protect yourself in every way possible, and please, enroll in LifeLock™ today.  http://ibourl.net/everydaysavings

Do You Miss Snail Mail?

Until the last few years, my mail box was full of envelopes six days a week.  Around the holidays, it sometimes nearly overflowed with the addition of Christmas cards.

Now don’t laugh at us, but both my husband and I looked forward to picking up our mail each day.  It was fun to see what surprises we would find.  Of course, more often than not, until about five years ago, it was mostly bills. 

Now I rarely receive bills by mail since everything is either directly debited or I pay online.  From now until Christmas thoughj, we will have more mail than usual and enjoy receiving – and sending – holiday greetings.

When we pick up our mail these days, it is more advertisements than anything else.  Unless we’re expecting a package, there are rarely surprises in the mail. 

Fortunately, I also rarely receive credit card “approvals” anymore.  With the advent of Identity Theft Protection, we have been removed from virtually all the credit card mailing lists. 

There are far more features included with ID Theft Protection, and for that I am grateful.  ID Theft is such a huge and ever-growing crime, that tens of thousands of people are victimized every year.  Many people believe that if they have no credit cards, they cannot become victims of ID theft. They are very wrong!  Thieves these days have gone so far as to steal people’s health insurance records and receive medical treatment under their victims’ name!

A thief can contact your utility companies and change your address.  They then receive service at a different address under YOUR name!  Many utility companies have tightened their security making it more difficult for this to happen, but it is far from foolproof.

Thieves can also apply for credit cards in your name and destroy your credit.  Do not believe that they cannot do so because they need your social security number.  We have all provided our SSN in so many places that most thieves know exactly how to access your number.

Back to receiving mail… If you are still receiving bills and pay checks through the mail, you are at greater risk of being victimized.  Mail boxes are the quickest and easiest way for thieves to steal your identity.  The flimsy locks on some mail boxes are no challenge to them. 

You can protect your identity with a variety of ID Theft Protection programs, the best of which is LifeLock™.  You have probably seen the LifeLock™ TV commercials.  My company, Xpress Healthcare offers LifeLock™ for $19.95 per month PER FAMILY!  Their WalletLock™ feature assists you in the event your wallet is lost or stolen. They even have a $1 million service guarantee that if one of their members is victimized because of failure of their service, they will help you fix it at their expense up to $1 million!

Here’s some great news! When you join LifeLock™ through Xpress Healthcare, you will also receive Roadside Assistance for all family vehicles and all family members, Pet Care discounts and Legal Service savings.  Pretty great for less than $20 a month!  For details, please visit http://ibourl.net/EverydaySavings.

Now, it is time to go check my mail to see if more Christmas cards have arrived!

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To learn about Julie Klein and the Xpress Healthcare Business Opportunity, please visit http://joinxpresshealthcare.com

To learn how to Reduce Your Health and Dental Costs AND save on Hearing, Vision, Roadside Assistance and much more, please visit http://ibourl.net/XpressSavings   (NOT insurance)