Frequently Asked Questions

Your business is your most valuable asset and the security of your business is crucial to being a strong and productive entity.  A CITRMS Professional will detect, prevent, and mitigate identity theft to ensure your corporate identity.

Identity Crime is a generic term for Identity Theft, creating a False Identity or committing Identity Fraud.

• Identity Theft occurs when sufficient information about an identity is obtained to facilitate Identity Fraud, irrespective of whether the victim is alive or no longer living.
• False Identity is:
  o a fictitious (i.e. invented) identity
  o an existing (i.e. genuine) identity that has been altered to create a fictitious identity.
• Identity Fraud occurs when a False Identity or someone else's identity details are used to support unlawful activity, or when someone avoids obligation/liability by falsely claiming that he/she was the victim of Identity Fraud.

Criminals commit identity theft by stealing your personal information and then pretending to be you. This is often done by taking documents from your trash or by making contact with you and pretending to be from a legitimate organization.

Ways in which a ID Thief can take your sensitive information include:

• Spammng
• Phishing
• Hacking
• Duplicating Company Documents and Logos
• Trojans
• Employee Mishaps and Stealing
• Data Theft
• Mail Interception of:
  o Loans
  o Bills
  o Credit Cards/ Applications
  o Records
• Improper Non-public Data Sorage or Disposal

With very little personal information an Identity Thief can:

• Apply for a Credit Card in Your/Business Name
• Open a Bank Account in Your/Business Name
• Apply for other Financial Services in Your/Business Name
• Create debts (e.g. use your credit/debit card details to make purchase) or obtain a Loan in Your/Business Name
• Apply for a Driving License in Your/Business Name
• Register a Vehicle in Your/Business Name
• Apply for a Passport in Your/Business Name
• Apply for a mobile phone contract in Your/Business Name

A few ways in which you can implement practices for Identity Theft Protection include:

• Be Cautious of Providing Personal Information
• Protect Information in Your Vehicle from Break-Ins
• Protect Information in Your Home from Invasion
• Shred Personal Information before Dumping
• Call a CITRMS Professional
• Review your Credit Report from 1 of the 3 Credit Bureaus
• Encrypt all Online Data through the Reputable Encryption Software Company, AMPLOC
• Implement Firewalls, Spam Blockers, Virus Protection, Phishing Filters
• Change Passwords Every 3 Months

Some measures you should take as a victim of ID Theft include:

• Contact your local Law Enforcement Agencies to report Identity Crime.
• File a Complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
  
  Internet: www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft
  Telephone: 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338)
  TTY: 1-866-653-4261
  Mail: Consumer Response Center, FTC,
  600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20580.
• Contact Check Verification Companies
  Report incidences as soon as possible by contacting:
  
  CheckRite - (800) 766-2748
  ChexSystems - (800) 428-9623
  CrossCheck - (800) 552-1900
  Equifax - (800) 437-5120
  National Processing Co. (NPC) - (800) 526-5380
  SCAN - (800) 262-7771
  4TeleCheck - (800) 710-9898
• Notify Financial Institutions
  Contact banks and creditors to report any incidences. Follow by requesting a flag on your accounts for security notifications.
• Close/Secure Compromised Accounts
  Any accounts that have been tampered with should be changed or terminated.  Passcodes should be changed immediately.

If you have been a victim of identity fraud and your card is still in your possession, you should not have to pay for anything bought on it without your permission (subject to the terms and conditions of your account).

If your card has been lost or stolen, you will usually not have to pay, unless it can be shown that you have acted fraudulently or without reasonable care, for example by keeping your PIN number written down with your card. The same applies to any money lost through fraudulent bank transactions.

Debit and ATM Cards generally do not offer any protection against ID Theft.

• You may become a Victim of Identity Theft if:
  o You have lost/stolen documents such as your passport or driving license.
  o Expected statements from your bank has not arrived on-time.
  o You do not have security protection on your computer or email. 
• You may already be a Victim of Identity Theft if:
  o Unauthorized items have appeared on your bank or credit card statements.
  o You receive bills, invoices or receipts addressed to you for unauthorized goods or services
  o You are denied Financial Service, such as a credit card or a loan, despite having a good credit history.
  o A mobile phone contract has been set up in your name without your knowledge
  o You have received letters from solicitors or debt collectors for debts that aren't yours.

• PIN/ Passcodes
• ATM/ Debit Card
• ID/ Driver's License
• Handwriting
• Fingerprints
• DNA Samples
• GPS (Rare Cases)
• Your Mother's Maiden Name
• Social Security Numbers
• Business Cards
• Company Documents and Letterhead
• Utility Bills
• Loan Applications
• Voter Registeration
• Car Documentation
• Employment History
• Addresses
• Phone Number's and Cell Phone Contracts
• Spouses Name
• Medical Insurance Numbers
• Car and Credit Applications

Anyone who understands Identity Theft knows about these key factors - so if they can get hold of this information, they can fake your identity.

Protection begins by maintaining compliance with regulatory laws concerning ID Theft and implementing intelligent Identity Theft Prevention techniques,  such as FACTA (Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act) HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability Protection Act), Gramm Leach-Bliley, FACTA Disposal Rules.

A ID Fraud Solutions CITRMS can dramatically lower your business' risk for ID Fraud as well as detect and deter theft opportunity.

It is just as much of a risk to make a credit card transaction at a restaurant as it is to make a transaction on a trusted web site.

There can be many motives of ID Thieves to commit crime, which may include:

• The need for fast money.
• A poor Work History and steal for employment.
• A Criminal History and use another identification to defer criminal responsibility.
• Off-shore ID Theft Rings Covet US Dollars
• ID Theft offers a "Criminal Element" 
  o Thieves Can Steal More Efficiently
  o Have Less Physical Risk
  o Less Fear of Being Caught or Punished
  o Offers Higher Financial Gain
• Malice (Corporate or Personal)
• Corporate Espionage
• Disgruntled Employees Seeking Payback
• Hostile Competition

There are things that are standard procedure and generally accepted methods of keeping information secure that many people just do not follow.

Using credit cards is generally safer than allowing access into other accounts. The credit card system has safeguards built in to protect users from fraud. If someone steals your credit card number, you're out 50 bucks and some hassle. With a debit card, you could be cleaned out completely. Using cash is also not a bad thing.

Never give out your Social Security Number. Except for government or big-ticket items, no one should be asking for that number. Credit card numbers and social security numbers should never be used to make charitable contributions.

Never give out any information about yourself over the phone, particularly to anyone who's called you.

Try to avoid writing your bank account numbers on anything.

Rip up or shred pre-approved credit card notices. Thieves will take the notice, change the address, and build credit using your name and identity.

Read your bank statements. You'd be amazed by how many people just toss those statements without checking for strange transactions.

Encrypt all On- and Off-Line Data

Pay with Cash at Restaurants

Never Leave a Key Card in Your Room When Leaving a Hotel

Change Passwords Every 3 Months

Our Certified Identity Theft Risk Management Specialists are trained and certified by The Institute for Fraud Risk Management (TIFRM), which was founded by Mike Burnette, President, in conjunction with leading experts in the fields of Law Enforcement and Fraud Education.

In a nutshell, programs include professional certification programs, training courses and educational seminars.

Theresa Bryson, CITRMS, came to I D Fraud Solutions from the United States Chamber of Commerce, Washington DC.  Her professional services include:

• 7 Years Hands-On Experience Working with Identity Theft
• Collegiate Experience:
  o Bachelors Degree In Education Studies at University of Missouri and Soviet Studies at Kansas University
  o Holds a Minor in Psychology
  o Extra-Curricular Activities include Debate and Public Speaking
• Member of National Association for Female Executives (NAFE), 2000-2003
• Worked as a leader within the top Legal and Identity Theft Service Providers in the Country.
• Past Experience with OSHA, the EPA and KDOT
• Claimed a unique position as a leader withing the United States Chamber of Commerce, Washington DC, by expanding it's Member Base of 200 to over 800 Renewing Paying Members.
  

We work side-by-side with your business owner and employees to ensure compliance with state and federal Identity Theft regulations.  Some of these steps we will be implementing include:

• Appointment of a Security Officer
• Create and Adopt the Security Policy
• Mandatory Employee Meetings
• Data Encryption
• Implementation of Competent Information Disposal Methods

There's no reason to be paranoid; there's just reason to be careful. If someone wants desperately to target you, they can probably get a lot of information about you - so you just need to minimize the criminal's opportunities to get that information. You can make yourself a harder target, and that's probably your best defense.