| Identity theft lands wrong man in Albuquerque jail for six days
• Get yourself fingerprinted so that your prints are on file for comparison. Contact your local law enforcement agency. • Ask arresting agency to amend all criminal complaints that wrongly name you. • Ask the appropriate courts to provide you with official documentation showing that your identity was wrongly used in a criminal case, then carry those documents with you at all times. • Keep the phone number of a good attorney handy. • Investigate your own background to check for identity theft by accessing various online information broker services such as mybackgroundcheck.com. Locally, check Metro Court records under your name at www.metrocourt.state.nm.us or state district courts at nmcourts.com. • Report your identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission at consumer.gov/idtheft, so it can more accurately monitor such crimes.
In fraud fight, banks play priceless role
When it comes to protecting you against identity theft and fraud, banks occupy a unique position of influence. They're the central depository for consumers' money and sensitive personal information. Get hold of someone's monthly bank statement and you've got a ton of valuable data. As heavily regulated as banks are, consumers should expect that their financial institution does more than any other business to guard their personal data. An annual study by Javelin Strategy and Research finds that although banks are doing a fairly good job at helping customers resolve identity theft and fraud cases, they need to make the customer more of a partner in a joint battle against crooks. "Banks and credit unions do a great job behind the scenes – total fraud dropped last year from $55.7 billion to $49.3 billion – but this report shows where they can enlist a willing customer base to do even better," said this month's report by Pleasanton, Calif.-based Javelin, which provides research on financial services topics.
Identity theft common around Holidays
Identity theft crimes hit home for more than eight million adults in the US in 2005, according to a new report from the federal trade commission. In ten percent of cases, victims surveyed said they paid at least $1,200 to settle charges to stolen or fraudulent credit cards or bank accounts. Add to that the hours they spent repairing their credit reports. Nearly 40 percent of victims reported being harassed by debt collectors, denied credit or loans, having utilities cut off -- even getting sued. And more than half of victims said they still don't know how the thieves got a hold of their personal information. Experts at the non-profit identity theft resource center say the holidays are prime time for thieves. They recommend you leave your social security card at home -- don't carry it in your wallet.
How to leave identity thieves out in the cold
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. � It could happen to you. Somebody swipes your Social Security number, then uses it to open a credit card in your name. Before you know it, you've become a victim of identity theft and have a pile of bills for things you didn't buy. Sylvia Coates has found a way to prevent that unpleasant scenario from happening by freezing her credit reports. ``I can't tell you how wonderful it is. I think it is the only foolproof way,'' she said. Coates, who lives in Orinda, Calif., applied for a credit freeze soon after that option become available in 2003, thanks to passage of a state law there that requires credit reporting bureaus to let consumers initiate a credit freeze. Having a credit freeze means that access to your credit reports and credit scores cannot be shared with potential creditors or lenders unless you give permission.
HOW TO DO IT
Here's how to submit a security freeze request to each of the three national credit bureaus. There's no charge for identity theft victims, but you must submit a police report. Experian and Equifax require you to submit your request by certified mail; TransUnion does not. .
Use free reports to monitor, clean up your credit
CREDIT REPORTS show the good, the bad and the ugly in your financial life. They also provide the basis for calculating your credit score, which among other things is used to determine what interest rate you pay on a loan or whether you even get a loan in the first place. That's why it's so important for consumers to obtain a free credit report once a year from each of the country's three major credit reporting bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Passage of a federal law in 2003 made this possible. Going over your credit report helps you find out not only if there are mistakes that could lower your credit score, but also whether you are an identity-theft victim. Sandra Chapin, program director at the San Mateo-based Consumer Federation of California, ordered her credit reports a few weeks ago.
Alfred Stundent Dies in Fight
Alfred Police, along with New York State Police, are investigating the death of an Alfred University student. The student was from Horseheads, near Elmira. Police say Thomas Argentieri, 21, was pronounced dead after being taken to Saint James Hospital in Hornell. Police say Argentieri had been in a fight with another Alfred student. The fight happened Sunday about 3:30 a.m. on North Main Street in Alfred. No arrests have been made. ll/gj Alfred University
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BIO-key(R) and Tiger IT Awarded a Follow-on Contract for Nationwide Voter / Citizen Registration in Bangladesh
BIO-key International, Inc
Category :
BIO-key(R) and Tiger IT Awarded a Follow-on Contract for Nationwide Voter / Citizen Registration in Bangladesh
N.J. ( Tuesday, November 27 , 2007 11:10:19 AM)
WALL, N.J. and DHAKA, Nov. 26 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --
Solution Prevents Duplicate Registrations and Issues Voter Rolls and National
ID Cards
BIO-key International, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: BKYI), a leader in
finger-based biometric identification and wireless public safety, and Tiger IT
BD Ltd. (Tiger IT), a leader in both prepackaged and customized software
solutions, today announced that they have been awarded an exclusive contract
for the biometric-based credentialing solution for the Bangladesh Voter
Registration Project.
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