Single Mom's Beware Of Claims To Prevent Identity Theft

It's no surprise to us that the rise in identity theft cases in recent years has spawned services that claim to protect consumers from identity theft.

It also comes as no surprise that many of those companies can't back up their sales pitch.

A lot of services claim that they can prevent your identity from being stolen or used.

"No one can do tat," according to Susan Grant of Consumer Federation of America (CFA).

CFA issued a report on identity theft protection services, which found among other failings, that many companies' websites misrepresent the level of protection that they provide, use inaccurate statistics and don't provide easy-to-understand pricing information.

Grant says the best action that a company that claims to protect you from identity theft can deliver is to alert you of the theft immediately, say, if someone opens an account in your name.

If it alerts you quickly enough, you can stop that type of activity, she says.

However, she says, you shouldn't buy into a company that promises prevention or claims to do everything for you to stop thieves and secure your identity.

Although Grant says it's unlikely that you ever will need an identity theft protection service, she says some consumers still buy it.

If you buy identity theft protection, you should be able to understand the specific service that a company provides, how it's provided and how much it costs.

If a company can't provide that information clearly, then you should keep looking.

Related:  12 Tips To Prevent Single Mom's From Identity Theft.

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Tonza Borden

12 Tips For Single Mom's To Prevent Identity Theft

If You Think Identity Theft Couldn't Happen to You…

According to the Federal Trade Commission, almost 10 million+ Americans had their identity stolen, at a cost of about 50 billion dollars last year.

When someone uses your social security number, takes out loans or opens credit cards in your name, steals your bank account number and makes withdrawals, racks up charges on your credit card, or writes fraudulent checks on your account, that’s identity theft.

How Does Identity Theft Happen?

A thief may steal paid bills or pre-approved credit offers from your mailbox or, when your mail is wrongly delivered, or simply snatches your purse.

Some thieves, known as “dumpster divers,” go through your trash looking for discarded bills, receipts and phone cards.

Many years ago, I threw away an AT&T phone card because I didn’t want to use it, but someone went through my garbage, found it, sold it, and I had hell to pay to prove that I didn't make almost $2,000 in long distance phone calls.

Don’t Be a Victim of Identity Theft

Learn what you need to do to protect yourself from identity theft with the following 12 tips:

1. Buy a crosscut shredder:  The kind that turns paper into confetti, and feed financial statements, pre-approved credit offers, canceled checks, other sensitive paper-work through it.
2. Set your garbage on the curb the day of trash pickup, not the night before. Thieves have less time, and less darkness to dig through your garbage.
3. Drop paid bills and other money-filled mail at the post office or, in an official U.S. Postal Service mailbox.
4. Pick up new checks at the bank instead of having them mailed to your home (even though they’re cheaper). Or, get them sent by registered mail so you have to sign for them. Nowadays, they’re mailed in a plain wrapper for security.
5. Limit the amount of personal information on your checks. Only add your telephone or driver’s license number if the merchant requires it, and never give your social security number. A legitimate retailer won’t need it.
6. Only carry the credit and bankcards you need, not every one you own. And, don’t keep your social security card in your wallet. Store it in a safe place. If a thief steals your wallet, it’s one less piece of information they have.
7. Cancel credit cards you rarely use. Having fewer open accounts makes you less vulnerable to identity theft.
8. Write down all your credit card account numbers and expiration dates, as well as the names, phone numbers, and addresses of each creditor so you can call them if the cards get stolen. Store this information in a safe place.
9. Pay attention to when you usually receive bills and statements, and be on the lookout for them. If one hasn't arrived within a few days of its normal date, call the company who sent it and let them know it may have been stolen.
10. Carefully check each statement and bill as soon as you receive it. Look for charges you didn't make. This is crucial because thieves think most people don’t check their statements or, will ignore small reoccurring amounts. Report them immediately to the company billing you or your bank.
11. Request copies of your credit report every year.
12. Opt out of pre-approved credit card offers, and give thieves less to steal.

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Tonza Borden

Single Mom’s Fight Back Against Identity Theft

Identity Theft is Serious Business

                

You could be denied credit, mortgages, jobs, educational opportunities, and even arrested for crimes committed in your name.

Even though you must spend your own time and money repairing the damage, it’s essential you do so.

You must watch out for these warning signs that someone has stolen your identity:

• You suddenly stop receiving monthly bank statements or credit card bills.
• You start getting bills from companies you don’t recognize.
• You are denied loans or credit for no reason you can think of.
• Collection agencies begin contacting you about debts you didn't create.

Acting fast is key in limiting the damage.

Take these emergency steps set out by the Federal Trade Commission as soon as you suspect your identity has been stolen:

Call in Identity Theft Fraud Alerts

Notify the fraud department of one of the three major credit bureaus, and ask them to place a fraud alert on your credit file.

They will notify the other two bureaus and have them do the same.

This alert flags your file so creditors will contact you before they open any new accounts in your name or, make changes to your existing accounts.

This initial alert will expire after a certain amount of time and, you must call each bureau to renew it.

Review Your Credit Reports for Identity Theft

As soon as you have placed fraud alerts, each bureau will send you a free copy of your credit report.

Look it over carefully for suspicious activity, like accounts you didn't open or unexplained debts.

Order your reports periodically the first year following the crime, then at least once a year thereafter.

Write a letter to dispute fraudulent activity on your credit report, and send it to the credit bureaus.

Choose Your Identity Theft Accounts

Contact credit card companies, utility companies, banks, lenders, and other creditors, and ask to speak with someone in their security or fraud department.

First, close any existing accounts you know the thief tampered with, as well as any new accounts he opened.

Next, open new accounts with different passwords and personal identification numbers.

Don’t go for the obvious like your mother’s maiden name, your birthday, phone number, or the last four digits of your social security number.

These are too easy to guess.

Dispute Debts about Identity Theft in Writing

Phone calls aren’t enough.

It’s crucial to tell your creditors about the fraud in writing.

Otherwise, they could still hold you liable for the bad debts.

To challenge charges made to one of your existing accounts, mail a dispute letter to the creditor telling them which charges are fraudulent.

To dispute new accounts a thief opened in your name, fill out an ID Theft Affidavit, a form put out by the Federal Trade Commission, and mail it to the creditor.

Some creditors may require you to fill out one of their own fraud forms. Ask which they prefer when you call.

Insist the creditor send you a letter saying they have forgiven the fraudulent debts and closed the unauthorized accounts.

You may need this information in writing if these same bad debts reappear on your credit report.

File a Police Report about Identity Theft

An official police report builds your case and may protect you from creditors on fraudulent debts.

Give the police as much information as you can, then get a copy of the report.

Your creditors may need proof of the crime to forgive the debts.

Plus, the credit bureaus will automatically block or erase any fraudulent activity from your credit report if you send them a police report.

Complain to the Federal Trade Commission About Identity Theft

File a complaint about the crime with the Federal Trade Commission.

This government agency tracks trends in identity theft and gathers information to help solve future cases.

Filing a complaint also helps government officials understand how widespread this crime is.

Stay Organized to Fight Identity Theft

You could spend weeks or even months undoing the damage from identity theft.

The Federal Trade Commission offers these tips to help keep you organized:

• Keep a notebook. Write down the name and company of everyone you speak to, what they told you, and the date of the conversation.
• Follow up all phone conversations in writing.
• Make copies of every piece of correspondence you mail regarding your case.
• Only mail copies, not originals, of police reports, sales slips, or other supporting documents. Keep the originals in your own files.
• Send all correspondence by certified mail, and request a return receipt. This way you can prove the date a creditor received your letter.
• Save your files, even after you think the case is closed. Problems could crop up later on.

You are Never Alone When Dealing with Identity Theft

Many consumer groups offer counseling and step-by-step help.


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Tonza Borden

Just Say No To Pre-Approved Credit Cards

Why a Pre-Approved Credit Card is not Credit Card Relief

You’re pre-approved for a new credit card with a limit of thousands of dollars.

This is dangerous in two ways.

Not only can the temptation of easy credit spell disaster to anyone’s budget and financial security, but also the risk of identity theft rises with every credit card offering drifting through your mailbox. 

And, like Spam Emails, all that clutter of “junk mail” credit card offers is simply annoying.

What should you do?

Opt Out to Stop Pre-Approved Credit Card Offers for Credit Card Relief

This means you stop the offers of pre-approved credit cards at the source, which is the credit bureau.

You have the choice of getting your name removed from the mailing list for two years or permanently.

If you’re reading your free credit report closely, you already know this and have done it right?

When you opt out, you will be asked for personal information including your name, telephone number, and social security number, for verification purposes.

All we can do is pray that these details remain confidential and are only used to process our request (in this age of outsourcing, list selling, identity theft…) for credit card relief.

Tired of the debt lifestyle?

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Tonza Borden

How To Save Money On Home Improvements After A Disaster

“I was just in the neighborhood…”

These words are often the beginning of a very common scam.

That’s a tip off that this isn’t a save money opportunity.

If your house has been damaged in a fire, flood, or other natural disaster, you could be a prime target, to lose money.

Phony contractors make big claims and charge big bucks to repair your home.

They may demand a large deposit up front, then start the job and never finish it.

They may use poor quality material, perform shoddy work, or fail to meet building codes.

People are often so consumed with the devastation that has occurred in their lives that they are more vulnerable to disaster fraud.

Learn the Signs of Fraud to Save Money

If you educate yourself against dishonest contractors now, you can avoid becoming a victim of disaster fraud.

To save money, beware of contractors who:

• Go door-to-door looking for customers (and without business cards), drive an unmarked van or truck, or have out-of-state license plates.

• Ask you to pay the entire cost of the job up front.

• Encourage you to spend a lot of money on temporary repairs.

• Ask you to obtain the permit for any work. It could mean the contractor does not have a license.

• You can only reach them through an answering service.

• Quote you a price that’s vastly different from estimates from other contractors.

• Make outrageous promises and pressure you for a quick-decision.

Know Who to Trust to Save Money

Follow these tips for protecting yourself and hiring an honest, reliable contractor:

• Ask your insurance agent, friends, and neighbors who they recommend.

• Write down the salesperson’s license plate and driver’s license numbers.

• Ask the contractor for proof of his insurance coverage and any licenses he need to perform the repairs.

• Ask for a list of recent customers, then call them and find out if they were satisfied with the work.

• Call your local Better Business Bureau or Home Builders Association to find out if a contractor has complaints against them.

• Get estimates in writing from at least three contractors. These should include all the labor, materials, and verbal promises the contractor made.

When you are ready to sign a contract, make sure it includes all work details, warranties, time schedule, the quality of building materials, and cost.

Fill in all the blanks in the contract. Never leave empty spaces for someone to fill out later.

Pay by credit card or check, never cash. Checks offer the most protection, because you can stop payment if you have a dispute with the contractor.

Pay in installments. Put as little money down as you can, and only make the last payment when you are completely happy with the work.

Tell your insurance agent if an unlicensed or fraudulent contractor approaches you.

Disaster fraud doesn’t have to ruin your life; there are ways you can still save money, by not being defrauded.

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Tonza Borden

  

Inspiration -- Madam C. J. Walker: "I Promoted Myself Into Business..."

Madam C. J. Walker

You cannot get debt relief if you do not have a money strategy.

This post was presented to inspire you to promote yourself into a make money online from home business.

Therefore, Madam C. J. Walker is a woman that all single moms should study.

In 1993, I attended broadcasting school in Indiana, where I saw a documentary about her, and visited her factory that has become a renown museum and mixed-use center that spans a city block.

To me, she is the pure essence of a single mother who chose to blaze her own trail to business success and debt freedom.

She started out doing menial jobs, but she decided to "promote herself into the business of manufacturing hair goods and preparations... I have built my own factory on my own ground."

Talk about breaking through economic barriers.

Can you imagine the difficulty she faced and endured pulling herself up out of poverty?

I cannot pretend to think that she did not need debt relief as well.

When I start to feel that things are not going right or, not happening fast enough, I think about Madam C. J. Walker for a reality check.

Then, my courage is renewed to walk through fire and on water to reach my goals.

If you have never heard of Madam C. J. Walker, I would like to introduce her to you through a New York Times Obituary, which briefly tells her life story:

May 26, 1919

Wealthiest Negress Dead

By THE NEW YORK TIMES

In 1917 Madame Walker completed at Irvington, on the banks of the Hudson, a mansion which cost $250,000, and since then had made her home there. The house, which is one of the show places in the vicinity, is three stories high and consists of thirty or more rooms. She had installed in this home an $8,000 organ with furnishings, including bronze and marble statuary, cut glass candelabra, tapestries, and paintings, said to be of intrinsic beauty and value.

OBITUARY

Mrs. C. J. Walker, known as New York's wealthiest negress, having accumulated a fortune from the sale of so-called anti-kink hair tonic and from real estate investments in the last fourteen years, died yesterday morning at her country estate at Irvington-on-Hudson. She was proprietor of the Madame Walker hair dressing parlors at 108 West 136th Street and other places in the city. Her death recalled the unusual story of how she rose in twelve years from a washerwoman making only $1.50 a day to a position of wealth and influence among members of her race.

Estimates of Mrs. Walker's fortune had run up to $1,000,000. She said herself two years ago that she was not yet a millionaire, but hoped to be some time, not that she wanted the money for herself, but for the good she could do with it. She spent $10,000 every year for the education of young negro men and women in Southern colleges and sent six  youths to Tuskegee Institute every year. She recently gave $5,000 to the National Conference on Lynching.

Born fifty-one years ago, she was married at 14, and was left a widow at 20 with a little girl to support. She worked as a cook, washerwoman, and the like until she had reached the age of about 37. One morning while bending over her wash she suddenly realized that there was no prospect on her meager wage of laying away anything for old age.

She had often said that one night shortly afterward she had a dream and something told her to start a hair tonic business, which she did, in Denver, Col., on a capital of $1.25.

In a few years she had accumulated a large sum, and invested in real estate in the West and South and in New York State, nearly all the property greatly increasing in value. She then owned a $50,000 home in the northern part of this city, which some years ago she gave to her daughter, Mrs. Lelia Walker Robinson, associated with her in business.

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Tonza Borden

Single Mom 101 by +Anita Sands Hernandez

SingleMomDebtTalk.com Contributing Author +Anita Sands Hernandez

You were abandoned by a pitiless,  oligarch-run White House.

You are  jobless, chained with unpaid student loans, compound interest that triples which they tell you cannot be escaped.

You are unable to graduate with a degree,  unable to find a job, unable to pay rent, marry or have children.
We're going to fix all that.

GUERRILLA CAPITALISM and entrepreneurial moxie is taught here by an OLD-Timer, skilled in cottage industries, frugal living, QUALIFIED TO TEACH THE RUTHLESS RULES OF REALITY so that YOU WILL achieve wealth and success, family and love without slaving for massah or hoeing anybody else's row.