Identity theft is on the rise. Your own computer may be one of the easiest ways for thieves to access your information! Spyware blockers and anti virus programs are your first defense against criminals and idenity theft, but you still need to search and secure your private information, including social security numbers, credit cards, drivers license, and even passwords. Find and secure your personal information before others get the chance! That's where a program called Identity Pro comes in. It goes beyond current protection offered by spyware blockers, anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-spam, or anti-phishing, etc, to protect you where these programs don't. It automatically seeks out and protects your important data. You'll be surprised at how much of your information is kept on your PC, from web forms to emails. Once you know what's there, you can delete or encrypt with ease! Take Identity Pro out for a free spin, see what's hiding just around the corner that anyone with access to your computer can discover. |
"It’s called Identity theft; it appears that you are one of many American victims that have been affected by this crime. Identity theft is rapidly growing throughout the United States". My first response was "why me? I am not a rich person and how did they do it and how did this happen"? She responds by saying "In most cases, the victim eventually discovers they are missing their drivers license, credit cards and/or SS card by loss or theft". She suggests I double-check my wallet to see if any of my Identification is missing and to call my local police department. I was still very upset; the only thoughts that were circling my mind were why, when and how? I checked my wallet for about the Tenth time, all Identification was in place. At this point, I thought to myself "okay then, nothing better to do on a Saturday night other than making a police report". The shock was then replaced by anger, I was livid. The thought of having to deal with Identity Theft infuriated me.
The police officer arrived at my door within a half an hour. After I was finished thoroughly explaining my story to her I asked the officer ‘what do you usually do in a situation like this, especially when the crime occurred from coast to coast’? She replied, "I’ll make a first official report that includes all of the information you have given me tonight. Because this will be an open case, I will give you my phone number and your case number so you can leave detailed messages on my voicemail as you acquire additional information". I said, "With this Identity theft, how long do you think it will take to clear this mess up"? The Officer says, "It depends on how big of a mess this turns out to be and you will probably have to provide proof that your identity was truly stolen. She continues to say that sometimes cases like these can take up to a year before the issue is solved and your proven innocent". My jaw dropped and I said, "One whole year and it’s up to me to prove my innocence, this is a bunch of B.S., I am the victim and I have to prove my innocence". She replies, "We are starting to see many cases like this and your right, its B.S., but at the same time you have to take it upon yourself to be your own investigator, right now you don’t know exactly what to expect until the credit card(s) arrive in your name and/or if they have been charged on. Good Luck and call me with all the detailed information you get so I can add the info to your case. Take many notes; get the names of people you come into contact with and be assertive with your questions". The officer was as helpful as she could be. After she left, I felt a bit of empowerment because the case remained open, I had my own support hotline to report to anytime time day or night.
It is 11:00 pm. In addition, I am exhausted, my brain is overloaded with too much information, and then I remembered I did not get the mail after work. I thought ‘do I want to get the mail at this hour or wait? My curiosity got the better of me, sure enough, my first fraudulent card from Select comfort sleep number bed. I thought "Oh great, my first fraudulent card".
Still exhausted from Saturday’s terrible adventure, I woke up Sunday morning rather crabby. I was so absorbed in that card that I kept rehearsing in my mind what I was going to say when I called to report Identity theft. Instead of fretting over this thorough the holiday weekend, my family managed to encourage me to have some fun besides Tuesday will come soon enough and my intuition told me that when I start to deal with this Identity theft, it is going to very time consuming.
Tuesday did come along with a couple of new cards, JC Penny’s and Target. In fact, several cards arrived that week, Mervyn’s, Eddie Bauer, Sears, Macy’s, Office depot and Wal-Mart, every card I received, I feared going to the mailbox. I remember thinking "I have to get my mail because what if someone is watching me and my mailbox, after all we really don’t know how or where this Identity theft had started and when does this endless supply of credit cards comes to and end"? I new I was anxious because every person that I had encountered I looked at as a suspect. Logically, I knew my thoughts were irrational and I knew it was time to begin investigating. The first call was the most difficult simply because I had no clue how to approach the credit card companies plus I was worried about financial responsibilities and what affect will this have on my credit report.
As I was preparing to call, I thought "all what ifs have to be set aside; I needed to toughen up and get the facts". The woman at JC Penney has had a friendly voice "JC Penney’s, can I help you" I replied ‘are you the right person to talk to about stolen identities? She say’s "What exactly do you mean"? I explained how I fraudulently received the credit card, my conversation with Experian and that I did not apply for a JC Penney’s card. She forwarded me to the fraud department. Again, I explained the story (up to date anyway); I also included the name of the police officer, her phone number and ....next 1 2 3 4 5
(Need more Id theft info? Here is a great resource - ID THEFT CENTER ) |
Spyware Blockers Inc. 
