identity - SE Members Blog post - syndication express2024-03-29T02:15:03Zhttps://syndicationexpress.ning.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/identityOne Of Your Greatest Assets: Your Identity!https://syndicationexpress.ning.com/profiles/blogs/one-of-your-greatest-assets-your-identity2017-08-12T00:35:17.000Z2017-08-12T00:35:17.000Zvasanti vijayhttps://syndicationexpress.ning.com/members/vasantivijay<div><p style="text-align:left;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}3818736565,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}3818736565,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="200" class="align-left" alt="3818736565?profile=original" /></a><span class="font-size-3" style="font-family:'times new roman', times;"> Have You Got Your Back Covered? </span></p> <p style="text-align:left;">The 2017 Identity Fraud Study, found that $16 billion was stolen from 15.4 million U.S. consumers in 2016, compared with $15.3 billion and 13.1 million victims a year earlier.</p> <p style="text-align:left;"> Nearly 36.6 million data records were compromised in India last year, a 14 per cent rise as compared to 2015.</p> <p>What is Identity Theft?</p> <p> Identity theft is the deliberate use of someone else's identity, usually as a method to gain a financial advantage or obtain credit and other benefits in the other person's name, and perhaps to the other person's disadvantage or loss. Thieves try to find such information as full name, maiden name, address, date of birth, social security number, passwords, phone number, e-mail, and credit card numbers & use them to obtain illegal financial gains. </p> <p>HOW DO THEY DO IT?</p> <p> Stealing personal information from computers using breaches in browser security or malware such as Trojan horse keystroke logging programs or other forms of spyware</p> <p>Hacking computer networks, systems and databases to obtain personal data, often in large quantities.</p> <p>Exploiting breaches that result in the publication or more limited disclosure of personal information such as names, addresses, Social Security number or credit card numbers.</p> <p>HOW CAN YOU PROTECT YOURSELF?</p> <p>To protect yourself and family from this, either you can use Identity Theft Insurance Or <strong><a href="https://www.tripleclicks.com/17752368/detail?item=463624" target="_blank"><span style="color:#000080;">Identity Protection Service</span>,</a></strong> which in the long term will prove to be smart step in the right direction. </p> <p>Find out more about identity theft and what steps to take <span style="color:#ff6600;"><strong><a href="http://viyengar.blogspot.in/2017/08/one-of-your-greatest-assets-your.html" target="_blank"><span style="color:#ff6600;">to protect yourself.</span></a></strong></span></p></div>A Huge and Growing Problemhttps://syndicationexpress.ning.com/profiles/blogs/a-huge-and-growing-problem2014-01-31T23:00:58.000Z2014-01-31T23:00:58.000ZJulie Kleinhttps://syndicationexpress.ning.com/members/JulieKlein<div><p><strong><span style="color:#333399;">I believe that everyone today is aware of identity theft. It is unfortunate, but many people assume that since they do not use credit or debit cards, they are safe from ID theft. There are myriad ways that thieves can gain access to your checking or savings account records and your social security number.</span></strong><strong><span style="color:#333399;"> </span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="color:#333399;">One of the more recent areas where thieves are targeting identities is in medical records. Let’s say you order a copy of your credit file. When it arrives, you are surprised to discover that there are collection notices against you for several emergency hospital visits, with thousands of dollars unpaid. Once you begin investigating this entry in your credit report, you find the report states that you were involved in a serious car accident and had your leg amputated after you were air lifted to a hospital for treatment.</span></strong><strong><span style="color:#333399;"> </span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="color:#333399;">Since you have both your legs, and you have not been involved in a traffic accident or been admitted to a hospital, you assume it was a simple error on your report. This is a typical and all-too-common example of medical identity theft. You may make the discovery from that credit report, or a hospital may start sending you bills for treatment you never had. You may be contacted by the hospital or police who tell you that they believe you are a potential victim of a fraud they are investigation. </span></strong><strong><span style="color:#333399;"> </span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="color:#333399;">Medical records are exposed to theft via the internet in ever increasing numbers; therefore, medical fraud is quite simple for a thief to commit. The fraud may go undetected for months or even years. More medical records are also being digitalized and shared with health care providers, health insurance companies and consumers, making them more vulnerable to theft. How about your medical chart? Are the charts in the receptionist’s office within easy reach of anyone?</span></strong><strong><span style="color:#333399;"> </span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="color:#333399;">It’s not just about the health insurance and health service options, but it’s also about ensuring patient medical records are accurate and shared only with authorized people, and that health services and charges are applied to the rightful account owner.</span></strong><strong><span style="color:#333399;"> </span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="color:#333399;">Prescribing the wrong medication to a patient based on fraudulent medical records can cause death in which case the impact of medical identity theft is irreversible. How can doctors and hospitals reconcile a patient’s past and recorded information with the identity thief’s medical information acquired with a recent blood analysis even after a case of medical identity theft is detected? As you can see, the impact of the health identity theft is huge to the victim’s life, privacy and financial losses.</span></strong><strong><span style="color:#333399;"> </span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="color:#333399;">In general, consumers have more protection against credit identity theft than medical identity fraud. If a consumer discovers credit identity theft promptly after it is committed, they can notify their banks, credit card companies, the FCC and the police. The victims seldom are responsible to pay more than $50 no matter how much was actually stolen. </span></strong><strong><span style="color:#333399;"> </span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="color:#333399;">With medical identity theft, the identity theft victim whose social security number appears on the record is responsible for paying the fraud charges. Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Medical privacy laws in place to protect consumers, there is only limited protection against medical fraud. Unfortunately, HIPAA also equally protects the identity thief when the personal information of both the thief and the victim are combined. When the thief receives medical care using your name and medical records, your records are then updated with the thief’s medical information. So, not only can this commingling be detrimental to your life during your future doctor visits, you also may be prohibited from separating your records from those of the thief, because the thief is also protected by HIPAA. </span></strong><strong><span style="color:#333399;"> </span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="color:#333399;">Medical identity theft is more difficult to track, because only a name and social security is necessary to receive medical care in most cases. It is, therefore, critical for you to monitor your credit report. If you detect possible medical identity fraud, immediately contact your health insurance company, the health service provider and the credit reporting agencies. In addition, file a police report to document your case, and inform all parties that you are a victim of identity theft. </span></strong></p><p><span style="color:#993366;"><em><strong>With all this information, I hope all readers can now recognize the importance of having an Identity Theft Protection Plan in place to monitor your records for you. They will detect fraudulent activity before you do.</strong><strong> </strong></em></span></p><p><span style="color:#993366;"><em><strong>Do you still believe having no credit or debit cards protects you from ID Theft? I personally recommend that you join the LifeLock® Identity Theft Protection Plan through Xpress Healthcare® for two reasons: </strong></em></span></p><p><span style="color:#993366;"><em><strong>1) LifeLock® has years of proven excellent service, and it provides the best monitoring services; and</strong></em></span></p><p><span style="color:#993366;"><em><strong>2) Joining LifeLock® through Xpress Healthcare® costs you less ($20 per month, per FAMILY), and along with LifeLock® services, at no extra charge, you will also receive a Roadside Assistance program, discounted pet care services and products and discounted legal services (9 of the most common services are free!) </strong></em></span></p><p><span style="color:#993366;"><em><strong>3) To join LifeLock® through Xpress Healthcare, visit <a href="http://ibourl.net/EverydaySavings" target="_blank">Lifestyle Select Discounts</a> </strong></em></span> <em style="color:#993366;"><strong>Whether you join LifeLock® through Xpress Healthcare® or join another ID Theft Protection company, don’t wait! Get the protection you need today!</strong></em></p></div>