10. A human voice...You're having a problem? Come right into our local office for immediate assistance!

9. You’re right …we’re wrong and we apologize!

8. It’s your credit score...so we’re not going to make you pay for it anymore!

7. We know your time is valuable so we are no longer going to make you work as an unpaid credit bureau employee –we’re going to hire our own employees and pay them to do our own work! It’s a totally new concept!

6. We admit our system is broken. We’re going to stop blaming others and actually fix it! After all, we have plenty of money to do so, and most of that money comes directly from you!

5. Yes, your documentation can prove your innocence, so we are implementing brand new procedures that will now ensure we actually review what you send us and we can then remove the fraudulent information! You will no longer be forced to spend months, or years, and thousands of dollars cleaning up the mess identity thieves have made of your good name. After all, we wouldn’t want to sell a defective product

4. Yes, that's right...now that I am reviewing the documentation you provided, I can clearly see your credit report is riddled with errors -most are, you know! But...we’re going to remove those pesky old accounts right now. And, why don’t we compensate you for the 400 hours you've already wasted trying to fix these on-going and annoying errors?

3. You’re right our current commercials somehow neglect to mention where to get the real free annual credit report. Yes, too much confusion! We’re going to begin running public service announcements, and do our part to make sure consumers know exactly where to turn to get their legitimate, truly, real “free” annual credit reports!

2. Yes, interest rates and insurance premiums are based on your credit score. No it isn’t fair that you’re paying higher insurance premiums and elevated interest rates because our system is flawed. We know –garbage in -equals garbage out. We’ll update your credit to reflect an accurate credit score and reimburse you for all expenses you've incurred.

1. We’re going to get serious about doing our part to fix this nasty identity theft problem. We admit our databases affect the lives of hundreds of millions of people –all over the world. Yes, we recognize we are in control of your very livelihoods and we’re going to be more responsible. Uh...no, we’re not really God –sometimes we just role-play!

Remember…sometimes it's the things we don't hear -that tell the real story. Unspoken words speak volumes!

Posted by Denise Richardson at 06:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Payday loans -Truth or consequences

An ex payday loan employee, Rebecca Flippo speaks out. Hear in her own words why payday loans cost all of us...

Rebecca tells how she and her co-workers explained away the 400% interest rate, and how tough their collection tactics were. And she tells how she came to understand that rather than help her customers, these loans were "keeping them poor."

The 4 minute video was produced by the Center for Responsible Lending

For more information on how debt affects our economy see Emmy-winning journalist Danny Schechter's gripping documentary that exposes the hidden financial and political complex that allows the lowest wage earners to indebt themselves so heavily that even house respossessions are commonplace.

What's really behind this growing epidemic of debt? Will this be the next bubble to burst?

In Debt We Trust -America Before The Bubble Bursts

To learn more about Danny Schechter's efforts visit

stopthesqueeze.org

Posted by Denise Richardson at 08:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Credit cards, drivers’ licenses, corporate ids, university ids, speed passes and passports are starting to contain RFID (radio frequency identification) chip technology.

Criminals know that RFID readers that can "skim" the information contained in the chip, can be easily found on the web for less than $100.00. Once these RF reading devices are in their hands, they can steal you, your information and your privacy without your knowledge.

My local ABC station recently aired a disturbing, eye-opening report - (see video) The investigative reporter placed a radio-frequency reader inside her purse and then began her quest to see just how easy it would be to steal her co-workers personal information. They first armed and activated her device with an audible alarm so viewers, and her intended targets, could hear a successful theft in real time. Her targeted victims would hear the beeping alarm sounds -but were completely unaware of what she was actually up to. They didn’t know why her bag was beeping or what the beeping alarm meant...at least not until it was too late.

Carrying her purse, the reporter nonchalantly walked by an unsuspecting employee’s desk, and suddenly, a beeping noise emanated from the reporter's bag. She then set her purse on another co-worker's desk –again, more beeping. She proceeded to walk casually down the office hallway past another co-worker, and yet again, more beeping. Each audible beep meant she successfully hacked the unsuspecting target's private information -information her targets believed was stowed safely away.

Keep in mind, criminals won’t activate their devices with an audible alarm designed to warn us they're about to attack our purses or wallets, as this investigative reporter's device did. She also warned us that often the criminals will work in teams. While one crook is skimming your information, the other is busy snapping a picture of you on his/her cell phone. For all intents and purposes -they've just stolen you!

It's hard to imagine just how much sensitive information can be "skimmed" at airports, shopping malls, grocery stores, sporting events, universities, etc. without anyone being the wiser.

And how much damage (or how many doors) will that stolen data open everyone up to?

Could confidential information stored on personnel badges or key cards -if stolen, provide a thief entrance or access to password protected computers, corporate or government facilities, college campuses, classified information?

Yes -if not properly secured and protected.

Since retaining our identity has become a daily struggle, simply trying to avoid... identity theft, data breaches, hackers, scams, predators and fraud…this latest technology isn't something we can afford to ignore. The days of simply worrying about keeping our wallets in our “physical” possession are long gone. Our having "physical" possession of our wallets and credit cards does not immunize us from fraud.

With radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags being embedded in everything from quick-pay credit cards to the new U.S. passports, "skimming" is an effective tactic for criminals to perpetrate identity theft and other crimes of fraud. According to Privacy Rights Clearinghouse "RFID readers have already been experimentally embedded into floor tiles, woven into carpeting and floor mats, hidden in doorways, and seamlessly incorporated into retail shelving and counters, making it virtually impossible for a consumer to know when or if he or she was being scanned".

What can you do to minimize your risk or thwart these attacks?

Aside from using tin foil or duct tape to hide your identifying information, here's a couple of products available on the web;

DIFRWEAR.com sells RFID Blocking Wallets.

“RFID Blocking Wallets ensure that cards with RFID tags within the wallet can NOT be read while the wallet is closed. This gives you the ability to control when, how and by whom your cards are accessed.”

Magellan's carries the RFID Blocking Passport Wallet that holds your passport, driver’s license, and credit cards.

"This RFID Blocking Passport Wallet acts as a protective shield for ID, so your RF data can only be accessed when you open the wallet at approved locations."

It’s much better to be proactive than it is to be reactive. Spending a little money now just may save you a lot of money, time and headaches later.

Posted by Denise Richardson at 09:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

The Transportation Security Administration has lost a computer hard drive containing Social Security numbers, bank data and payroll information for about 100,000 employee records. See Associated Press report on MSNBC

And another good read...

The Red Tape Chronicles
Do yourself a favor and read Rachel Poor's story...This is what happens when your debit card or bank account information is stolen.

There are over 500 public comments here after MSNBC ran this story today...Double trouble for ID theft victim

"...Banks constantly market their zero liability programs, which aim to convince consumers that they stand to lose nothing from most cases of identity theft. Financial companies often complain that media reports exaggerate the risks to consumers after reports of lost or stolen credit card databases.

But these reports rarely discuss the more challenging problems connected with the theft of debit card or checking account data theft. Getting a credit card company to waive fraudulent charges may be hassle-free for most people, but beating back electronic transfer fraud – usually carried out via cloned debit cars or counterfeit checks -- is another matter entirely..."

Posted by Denise Richardson at 08:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)