The Connecticut attorney general, Richard Blumenthal is taking the lead on an investigation backed by 37 other states into how and why the private data was collected and who is responsible for this. The collection of data gathered by Google included email accounts and other such unspecified personal data. The attorney general reports in a press release that he is that he is prepared to take legal steps as necessary to ensure cooperation from Google and a complete  investigation.

Blumenthal requested the answers to several questions from Google to determine if this collection of data was intentional or a failure to properly test the software before using it.  He questioned how many sates were affected by the data collection, if the software was in fact tested, and how the personal data got inserted into the software.  There is no information reported to date on the outcome to his questioning.  Blumenthal also is requesting the names of those individuals who are responsible for the software.

Google claims that the information was collected accidentally from private unsecured Wi-Fi networks through the use of the software and further claims that Wi-Fi networks are used to enhance the services on the smart phones.  The new Google software uses Street View cars to collect pictures of city streets and other landmarks across the globe for use in displaying maps and directions used in Google software products.

The same concern over the collection of private data was raised in April when German officials requested an audit after discovering that the Google based Street View cars had been collection data through wireless networks.  An active investigation is still pending surrounding these issues.  At that time, Google confirmed that they had been collecting private data samples for years by mistake and reported to have grounded the Street Cars and stopped the collection of data back in April.

Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) Questioned Over Private Data Collection was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

What are virtual credit cards?

Unlike your “real” credit card that you carry in your wallet or purse, a virtual credit card is actually just a series of numbers that is generated for use when making purchases online. Most major credit card issuers offer these single-use credit card numbers which are linked back to your real credit card. When you make a purchase you enter the generated virtual credit card number to pay for the transaction. In essence you are still using your credit card account to pay for the purchase however you are protecting your credit card information from hackers by using the one time or single-use number. This reduces or eliminates your risk of becoming a victim of credit card fraud because your virtual card number is of no use to a potential thief.

Benefits of using a virtual credit card.

• It is safer than using your personal credit card account information.
• Credit and debit card accounts can be used to generate a virtual credit card number.
• You set a spending limit on a virtual card and have a limited amount of time to use that number before it expires.
• Your personal account information remains private.
• Convenient and safe way to make online purchases.

It is easy to see why using a virtual credit card number is the safest way to process credit card transactions on the world wide web. There are instances where it is either inadvisable or not possible to use a virtual credit card online. Since your virtual credit card number expires within a few weeks of activation, using a virtual card number to pay reoccurring expenses such as cell phone or cable bills is not advisable. You also cannot use a virtual credit card to make reservations for hotels, car rentals or airline tickets.

Shop Online Without The Risk was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

As more and more information about the latest illness concerns is being brought out by reliable sources, namely the Centers for Disease Control, there are also many with less pleasant intentions taking to the internet to scam you out of your cash and maybe even your identity.

Scammers have already begun sending emails that are meant to appear as new warnings and information about swine flu but in reality pose a real problem to your computer and maybe even your finances. There are email attacks that contain attachments that, if opened, can redirect you to a phishing website or put your computer at risk for contracting a malicious code.

Internet security experts warn computer uses to take active precautions when it comes to dealing with email from sources you do not know or recognize. Never open any email attachment if you do not know the send. Install anti-virus protection and firewalls to protect your PC from attacks. Set your computer to filter spam emails. If an email provides a link in the body text, do not click on it. Delete the message immediately. Make sure your computer security is also kept up to date.

If you want reliable information about the swine flu or other concerns, speak with your doctor or contact the website for the local health agency in your area. Do not trust any website that has swine flu in the URL or any site that asks you to enter your personal or financial information to get more information. Experts report that already several dozen domain names have been reserved using swine flu in some form or another. Chances are good these new sites will try and sell you fake products or information, which many consumers will buy simply out of fear.

Do not let fear inhibit your common sense or your gut instinct. You can be proactive about protecting yourself, your personal information, and your computer and not fall victim to a new scam. There is a lot of unnecessary worries out there, driven by media attention but identity theft and fraud are very real concerns that can affect your health, your wealth, and your well-being.

Swine-Like Scammers Taking Advantage of Fear was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Where There is a Will, There is a Way

Even more frightening is the discovery of a new way for a theft to steal your identity. One such way seems unimaginable but yet it happens. There are people who have become victims of criminal acts perpetrated again them and their own personal medical information. It is no longer important to just protect your social security number, it is also necessary to protect your medical insurance number as well. To some this piece of information can be very valuable, yet can hurt both you and your wallet where it counts.

Where Did You Go Wrong?

So, how does such information fall into the wrong hands? Many times the information can be stolen right from your mailbox when you receive statements or announcements from your insurance carrier. Experts have seen a rise of stolen medical insurance information particularly across college campuses, when students share living quarters with other roommates. Sadly, it is more common to have the information stolen from an insider at the medical facilities. The information can then be sold to individuals looking to buy it. Sometimes it is a whole crime ring that is involved who pay people on the “inside” to obtain your medical records. Consider the recent cases of celebrity medical records being sold to tabloid news outlets. The reality is this doesn’t just happen to the rich and famous but to people who honestly need the health insurance coverage.

The Last to Know

Often people do not discover their medical records have been tampered with until they need a medical procedure and are refused insurance coverage. It may also be discovered by consumers who wisely check every statement that comes in the mail. The consequences of someone else using your medical insurance can be great. Some people have been arrested, held responsible for large bills, and have had their credit ruined by collection accounts – all for services they have never received.

How To Cope

It is very difficult to rectify medical identity theft. You can be proactive in making sure your information remains safe by keep a lock on your mailbox and by not sharing your insurance card information with anyone. You may also go a step further and after each doctor visit, request a copy of your medical records as proof for later should you need it. Records will cost you a bit of money but it may be worth it in the end. Because identifying a medical identity theft is difficult, you can generally only hope that the medical providers involved will be willing to help you in your unfortunate situation. Should you find yourself in such a predicament, you should file a police report immediately to help protect you in your fight.

Protect Your Medical Information from Theft was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

HOW THEIVES GET YOUR IDENTITY

According to the Post Office’s brochure, Identity Thieves gain access to your personal information through:

1. “Dumpster Diving” – Going through your trash.
2. “Skimming” – Storing your credit card number in a special storage device when processing your card.
3. “Phishing” – Pretending to be a financial institution and sending scam alerts to get your personal information.
4. “Changing Your Address” – Completing a change of address form to get your mail and personal statements.
5. Stealing – Taking your purse, wallet, mail, pre-approved credit card offers, new checks, personnel files from work, or tax information.

TIPS RECOMMENDED BY USPS

1. SHRED FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS – Any paperwork with personal information should be tossed through a shredder before making it to your “dumpster.”
2. NEVER CLICK ON LINKS IN UNSOLICITED EMAILS. Since “phishing” is becoming a common problem, use up-to-date firewalls, an anti-spam service, anti-spyware, and anti-virus software to protect your home computer. Plus, never click on links in emails. Instead, open a new window and go to the website address you know to enter information. (Fake Paypal emails are becoming more common in getting people’s information, so be extra wary when dealing with these.). You might also want to avoid email archiving in the event that someone hacks into your account, but good anti-spam software is a must..
3. DON’T USE OBVIOUS PASSWORDS like your birth date, mother’s maiden name, or the last four digits of your Social Security number.
4. DON’T GIVE OUT PERSONAL INFORMATION whether over the phone, through the mail, or over the Internet unless you know who you are dealing with.
5. PROTECT YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER – Never carry your social security number in your wallet or write your social security number on a check.
6. KEEP YOUR PERSONAL INFO IN A SECURE PLACE – This is especially important with roommates, outside help, or if having work done in your home.
7. BE ALERT TO BILLS THAT DO NOT ARRIVE WHEN THEY SHOULD. If they do not arrive, they may have been routed somewhere else.
8. BE PROACTIVE ABOUT UNEXPECTED CREDIT CARDS OR ACCOUNT STATEMENTS. If an account or credit card arrives that you did not open, someone else did. Call that company immediately and have it closed.
9. BE ALERT FOR CREDIT BEING DENIED UNEXPECTEDLY. Credit is often denied for a variety of reasons, one of which is when too much credit is opened in a short period of time. Being denied credit may mean that someone else has already opened accounts in your name.
10. RESPOND IMMEDIATELY TO CALLS OR LETTERS ABOUT PURCHASES YOU NEVER MADE. Credit card companies create a profile of their clients detailing out the most common places a customer shops and the items that they frequently buy. If something is purchased that does not suit your profile, they will contact you for verification. Respond to the notice right away to head off potential theft and damage to your credit.
11. CHECK YOUR CREDIT REPORT. Any credit opened in your name will show up on your credit report. By staying on top of this, you will be able to stop identity theft before too much damage occurs.
12. REGULARLY REVIEW YOUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. You want to look for any and all charges that you did not make, especially since consumers usually have only 30 days to dispute items they did not authorize.
13. CLOSE ANY ACCOUNTS THAT HAVE BEEN TAMPERED WITH OR ESTABLISHED FRAUDULENTLY. It’s better to get a new card with a new number and close the old card since this alone may stop a thief in possession of your information.

OTHER GOOD TIPS:

14. GO PAPERLESS: You can receive many of your bills through your bank account instead of having them mailed. By requesting this free benefit, you keep account numbers and personal information private, you are able to save hardcopies directly to your hard drive, and you are able to find that information quickly and easily when needed (like when applying for a mortgage).
15. STORE YOUR FINANCIAL AND PERSONAL INFORMATION IN A STORAGE BOX BY YEAR (not including social security numbers) – This is especially important when dealing with taxes since the IRS can demand to see evidential proof of deductions for as long as eleven years after you file. By keeping it in a storage box, you can set the box on fire when the time period is up while never having to worry about being unable to provide demanded evidence.
16. NEVER RESPOND TO EMAILS – Emails are now commonly used to steal or “phish” information out of consumers by making the email look as if it came directly from a financial institution. If you respond to the email, you encourage them to continue trying to get personal info from you. Simply add them to your Spam list to keep that email address from contacting you in the future, and visit the addresses you know if you are concerned the notice is valid.
17. WHEN CONTACTED BY AN INSTITUTION BY PHONE, TELL THEM YOU WILL CALL THEM RIGHT BACK – Let them give you their name and number, but do not call that number back. Instead, call the number on the back of your card and ask to speak to a representative about your account. Let them know that you were contacted and ask them to verify any problems. All account managers have access to the same information, so they will be able to see if there is a problem with your account or not.
18. OPT OUT OF PREAPPROVED CREDIT OFFERS – Although I do not personally believe that people can get credit through pre-approved credit card applications without your social security information, it never hurts to opt-out of credit card offers. By doing so, you lessen the amount of mail that comes to your mailbox, and you will still be able to apply for credit online. Check out the FTC’s Consumer Alert webpage to see all the ways you can opt out.
19. GET A LOCKING MAILBOX – This is especially a good idea for anyone in a nice area. The nicer the area you live in, the more ideal a target you would make to an identity thief. Obviously, living in a nice area (no matter how safe you think it is), the more money you make and the more a thief assumes they can steal.
20. COPY ALL OF YOUR CREDIT CARDS AND SAVE IN A FILE AT HOME – By having a copy of the card front and back in a locked filing cabinet or other safe place, you will be able to quickly and easily contact your creditors should your purse or wallet ever be stolen.
21. CARRY ONLY ONE OR TWO CARDS AT A TIME – Lock away all the other cards in a safe place and carry as few cards as possible. This way, if someone ever gets into your wallet or purse, you will notice immediately if a card is stolen and be able to report it right away.

If you do believe that your identity has been stolen, don’t let yourself be a victim. Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to let them know that you believe your identity has been stolen since this will help law enforcement across the country in your investigation. Also contact the three credit reporting agencies so they can put extra security on your credit and make all new credit have to be approved by you first. Lastly, file a police report even if you do not know who stole your card. By doing so, you will be able to get the debt wiped out by creditors and protect your good credit.

21 Ways to Stop Identity Theft was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

To protect yourself from identity theft and credit card fraud, you need to implement the following strategies and always consider those cards to be at risk. This second article in it’s four-part series goes over seven things you can do to help stop credit card fraud:

1. Fill out your own credit applications. This is especially important for SBOs (Small Business Owners). Too many times, SBOs trust their bookkeepers to fill out all their credit applications. They naively hand over their social security numbers and business ID numbers because they trust their employees not to steal from them. Although some of these numbers a bookkeeper does need to know when handling your bookkeeping, your social security number and corporation number should be kept under wraps. Once they have this information, they can fill out any number of applications without your knowledge and easily forge your signature. A new creditor will not know if your signature is a forgery. Therefore, if you must have a bookkeeper fill out your information, have them fill out everything EXCEPT for your social security number, and other business related numbers, and sign all the applications yourself. By doing so, you lessen the chance of new credit being opened in your name (or your company’s).
2. Pull your credit report every few months. Even if you keep your ID numbers to yourself, you should still check your credit and business credit reports every three months. By doing so, you will see if there are any new accounts that should not be opened, and you can have them shut down immediately. You can also report to the credit agencies that no other accounts can be opened without speaking to you first.
3. Write “Check ID” on the back of the card. Many people make the mistake of never signing their credit cards. They assume that not signing their cards prevents embezzlers from forging their signatures. In actuality, by not signing your cards, someone else CAN sign them in your place. Retailers are often trained to only match signatures on receipts to signatures on cards. If the signatures appear to be the same, they do not need to ask for ID. By writing the words “Check ID” on the back of your card, any theft that occurs with that card is not your fault or responsibility. It becomes the fault of the store that failed to ask for your ID, thus giving you more rights should you need to pursue reimbursement in a court of law.
4. Use PO #’s with Employee Initials. If you cannot help but give out cards to employees to make business purchases for your company, make sure to encourage the use of Purchase Order numbers (PO #s). Many business cards will prompt retailers to ask for PO #s, which will show up on the receipt and your credit card statement. By having the employee list the PO # as the first two initials of their name, and the year, month and day of the purchase, you will know exactly who made the purchase and when by simply looking at the PO number. Not only is it easier to track and verify which employees made what purchases, but it assigns responsibility and accountability for every purchase thus reducing the risk that an employee will steal from you and be able to blame it on someone else. (An example would be EB70214 for a purchase I might make on Valentine’s Day of 2007. Be sure to include the year to avoid duplicate PO #s year after year.)
5. Check your Credit Card Statements: This is incredibly important for anyone, whether business owner or credit consumer. By looking over statements, you will catch any fraudulent charges instantly. Most credit companies only allow you to dispute fraudulent items within 30 days of receipt of statements. By not looking over the statement immediately, you are giving up your disputing rights and may get stuck with any fraudulent charges that have occurred in your name. So go over these statements carefully and contact your creditor immediately if anything is on there that should not be.
6. Keep your credit cards locked away. Just like locking away your checks, you should always lock away your credit cards. By doing so, you greatly reduce the chance that anyone can get hold of your cards and make unauthorized purchases. However, you still need to look at the statements for these cards since people can memorize or save credit card numbers and make purchases online without identity verification.

These ideas are simple, but effective in stopping credit card theft. Although many people would say to also shred credit card applications, this really does not protect you since applications can now be filled out online. Only by protecting your important ID numbers and watching statements can you add Identity Theft off before it causes too much damage.

Check back next week for the third article in this series about Ghosts in your company. Believe it or not, they do exist in the business world. Also, check out Part 1 of this series regarding how to protect your checking account.

Protect Your Small Business from Embezzling Bookkeepers Part 2: Credit Cards and Identity Theft was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Upon further investigation and agonizing phone conversations with company representatives, I was finally able to understand what had happened. When I moved out of my apartment two years earlier, my former roommate had managed to acquire phone service using her name and my social security number. To this day I do not know how she was able to get the number or be able to use it with her name at the phone company. I spent weeks writing letters and sending faxes to the phone company, disputing the bill. I had to prove over and over that I had not lived in that apartment in over two years. During that time, I was not able to have a phone connected in my apartment. Additionally, my credit report was negatively affected. If you find that your identity has been stolen, be sure to file a credit report dispute with the three major credit bureaus. It’s very important to make sure to fix credit reports otherwise when you try to apply for a credit card, car loan, or home loan, you might get unfairly turned done.  

The phone company could not answer as to how the roommate had gotten away with the fraud for so long. They could admit that the number and the name did not match up but went no further. Eventually, all of the charges were erased from my record and I was allowed service once again. However, nothing ever happened to the roommate. There was no prosecution for fraud and she was never even held responsible for the phone bill because the phone company did not have her social security number.

I know now how important it is to keep my credit report in check, especially because college kids use their social security numbers for everything. I was a lot younger and less financially educated at age 18. While having one obscene phone bill is small beans compared to what other victims have gone through, it is still a smack in the face and was definitely a wake up call for me.

Many people try to use bad credit repair services to clean up their stolen identities, however that’s not what you should do. Instead you should file a police report and get those items removed permanently.

Thieving My Identity was created by and is property of American Consumer News.