Identity Theft

How identity theft occurs, what you can do to protect yourself and steps to take if you are a victim.

How to Avoid Identity Theft on Campus

Pop quiz: What should you do to keep your identity and credit safe while in college? Not sure? This is one test you don't want to flunk. We've got 10 easy tips to help you keep your identity protected.

How to Spot and Avoid Nigerian 419 Fraud

"Advance fee fraud," or "419 fraud," has been used for years to bilk unwary individuals across the world of billions of dollars. The scams are known as 419 fraud after the section of the Nigerian Criminal code that outlaws the practice. The basic premise is that one is convinced to advance a relatively small amount of money in the hope of receiving a much larger payout later. Learn how this scam works and how to avoid it!

Zap! We Know Everything About You

RFID chips are making warehouses run smoothly. Could they also be used to track us? Credit.com's team investigates privacy and identity theft concerns related to RFID chips in credit cards and consumer products.

Identity Theft Alert: Veteran Data Theft

On May 23, the Veterans Affairs Department announced that an employee laptop containing 26.5 million veteran records was stolen. This computer contained sensitive records, including Social Security numbers, on all veterans who were discharged since 1975 and some of their spouses. Credit.com recommends five security precautions for veterans.

Identity Theft Victim's Bill of Rights

Everything you need to know about consumer protections and laws. This article explains how you are protected in the event of identity theft.

Safekeeping Your Identity

There are a few quick and easy things you can do to keep your identity same from fraud. Shredding bills, using online banking and selecting complicated passwords are just three of the many tips recommended by our fraud experts.

Identity Theft Basics

We've all heard of identity theft, but what does it really mean? Going far beyond credit card fraud, identity theft is a rapidly growing crime that most people all have to deal with at some point.

Identity Theft Emergency

If you think you are a victim of identity theft it's crucial to quickly contact your financial institutions and take control of the situation. Credit.com shows you exactly what to do if you suspect that you might be a victim of identity theft.

Five Privacy Questions to Ask Any Business

These days everyone from banks to dentists keep records of your personal data. But how do you know that a business is keeping your records safe? It's increasingly common for fraud to result from the loss or theft of customer data from a business.

Identity Theft Contacts

In the event of identity theft, it's crucial that you contact the authorities as soon as possible. Credit.com gives you the full contact information for each agency you need to alert.

Identity Theft: Crime du Jour

According to a Federal Trade Commission survey conducted by Synovate and released in September 2003, almost 10 million Americans (about 4.6 percent of the adult population) were victimized by identity theft in 2002 compared with 17 million in the preceding four years combined.

Encryption - Protect Your Clients (and Yourself)

You return to your office one morning to find your computer stolen. You’ll be able to recover your client and administrative files from backups maybe off-site or online backups and resume business, but what about the data on your hardware that the thief made off with?.

Phishing, pharming and other scams

Are there any e-mail users who have not by now received an alarming message from a bank, brokerage house, or online retailer claiming that something is potentially wrong with their account necessitating immediate action? Welcome to the world of phishing.

How the Grinch Stole Your Identity

The holidays are a particularly active time for identity thieves. Regardless of the time of the year, however, it is important to take precautions to minimize your risk and detect fraud early. This articles gives real-life accounts of people who have been victims of identify fraud and lists a number of ways you can protect yourself, such as monitoring your bills; shredding or storing bills and statements securely; checking your credit reports frequently; and never giving out personal information in response to an unsolicited email or phone call.