Articles Posted in Identity Theft

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stockfresh_2064336_identity-theft-word-cloud-concept_sizeS-300x300Working from home sounds great. Anyone would enjoy getting away from the office gossip and arrange work schedules to better fit in with personal time. Still, an individual must be careful. There is danger lurking in the dark places of the Internet.

The Hacking Industry

Outsiders peeking into personal space is a real danger on the Internet. Cyber thieves are busy with phishing trips and hacking down security walls. Working from home is relaxing and people get careless. Opening an innocent-looking email can invite a lot of unwelcome guests into a person’s cyberspace. The damage may be extensive.

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You face a risk every time you turn on your computer. Hackers are waiting for their next victim, and it could be you. It is unfortunate to learn that you may not be as safe as you think.

The Weapons Hackers Use

It takes time to break into a person’s private information. The most common shares are:

  • Malware
  • Spyware
  • Phishing

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Capital One was a recent victim of hacking. Approximately 100 million subscribers were compromised, and their personal information was stolen. A theft this large should remind all of us about the magnitude of the danger posed by Internet pirates.

Cyber theft is a multi-billion-dollar crime industry. Hackers live anywhere on Earth and do business with global clients. Purloined data is sold in batches and bogus credit card accounts are created for dishonest use. Individuals’ existing bank and credit accounts are exploited. Most victims don’t know of the crime until they receive their monthly statements.

Companies will offer Group Legal Plans and Pre-Paid Legal Services. They don’t always provide Identity Theft Prevention or Credit Monitoring Plans. A victim often must restore credit ratings and financial integrity alone. It is a long process and can be stressful. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services offer Group Legal Plan benefits to organizations. We also offer Identity Theft and Credit Monitoring services to individuals. Continue reading

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Increasingly more people are becoming worried about their information and with very good reason. Cyber theft has become chronic and it is a multi-billion-dollar, international business. It has spread from banks and retail establishments to social media. It seems every day we are hearing about how a major social media platform has had a security breach. The danger is very serious.

What people must understand is that cyber thieves aren’t necessarily going for one individual’s information. Instead, they steal batches of personal data and sell them to other criminals. These people will in turn raid bank accounts and set up bogus credit card accounts. Victims will not know about the crime until the end of the month when their statements come in. Credit integrity is compromised as well as personal finances. Identity theft has become a desperate situation which needs to be controlled and credit status needs to be closely monitored. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services has the solution for ordinary consumers. Continue reading

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If hacking were a company, it would be a high-level Fortune 500 corporation. Cyber theft is a multi-billion-dollar industry with international reach. Finance, retail, and hospitality were once the primary hunting ground for hackers. Social media has now becoming increasingly more vulnerable.

The Leaks Are Damaging

Security walls are built to shelter data, but social media has leaking issues. Giants such as Google are now forced to admit that large quantities of personal information were exposed to theft. Corporate apologies are nice, but they don’t do a lot to minimize the danger.

Hackers will do more than open a bogus credit card account. These felons will sell bundles of data to criminal groups who will invade bank accounts and personal privacy. Group legal plan vendors can offer separate services to help people protect themselves from the consequences of a privacy raid. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services can furnish a group identity theft and credit monitoring plan benefit in addition to a group legal plan. Continue reading

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The Marriott had some bad news and some good news for the buying public. The bad news was cyber thieves hacked the Marriott’s computer system and stole the passport information of 5 million people. The good news was it could have been worse with millions more victims.

Cyber theft is a major crime industry which is becoming increasingly more sophisticated. Banking, retail, and the hospitality industries are all at risk of security wall breaches. Hackers do not always use the information to set up dummy accounts. Instead, these felons sell batches to other criminal groups who will create accounts. A smart idea for group legal plans is to offer an identity theft benefit. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services has such a benefit.

Panic Creates Delays

The felons work fast because they have the element of surprise. A victim doesn’t know until statements arrive. The large credit card balances or empty bank accounts create panic. The victim might delay a day or two before responding and that gives the thief more time to exploit an opportunity. Moreover, the response may be inefficient. The victim does not quite know what to do and makes mistakes due to ignorance. Continue reading

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Cybersecurity is big business. Companies are worried about hackers and build thicker walls against those thieves. Ordinary consumers might feel safe, but their individual information can be stolen. It may be a telephone solicitation or phishing email; there are ways to take personal data. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services wants to help people protect their bank accounts and credit cards

We Sound the Alarm

Alerts are the customary means of personal protection. Sudden drops in credit scores are clues someone else is using your credit card data. The Countrywide credit monitoring uses three credit agencies to monitor activity. Sudden changes in credit scores are released to a plan member. The process of reporting damage can begin immediately.

Recovering from a cyber-attack is not easy. A great deal of paperwork is required right away. Usually more than one bank or credit card company must be notified of the theft. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services offers a variety of assistance in our group legal plan benefit. We do the same with ID protection. Continue reading

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Data breaches are becoming analogous with armed robbery in our society. Hackers can scale security walls of major retail companies. Best Buy is only the latest retail chain to have its data security compromised. Kmart, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Panera Bread have all experienced data theft.

The greatest danger is the volume. Thousands of people are getting their personal financial information compromised. Hackers have become more sophisticated in an industry which is now worldwide. They do more than just set up bogus credit card accounts; they sell batches of data to other criminal organizations. They, in turn, maximize the losses. It is becoming easy for felons to invade credit card and bank accounts.

Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services offers group legal plan benefits to organizations, but we do more than that. We also provide identity theft and credit monitoring plans that employers should consider. The financial wellness and safety of their employees may depend upon it. Continue reading

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Countrywide will Protect You from Hackers 

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Consumers enjoy the convenience of ATM machines but there is a danger involved. If you are standing in line, be concerned about the person standing behind you. It is possible, while you are putting your code into the ATM, that person is making a mental note of your information. It is a risk that is becoming more common in our modern society. Hackers are willing to hit the jackpot with your money.

The worst case would be if a hacker got your information from the ATM and used the same machine to empty your bank accounts You might not know about the theft until weeks later when the bank statements arrive. The same is true if credit cards are pilfered from your wallet. Group legal plan vendors do not always include identity theft protection. Countrywide Pre- Paid Legal Services does have the option which can protect your information Continue reading

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The Holiday Season is Full of Thievesindex

 

Holiday shopping brings out the best and the worst in people. In this season of giving there’s also some underhanded taking going on. It can be someone standing behind you in line at the point-of-sale. That person is looking over your shoulder and memorizing your credit card number or your debit card number. It doesn’t take much more for that person to hack into your accounts and start doing a little illegal shopping. Group legal plans often provide a base program and nothing else. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal services is different. We do offer group legal plan benefits, but we also have a means to protect your identity.

Time Helps the Thief

Christmas bills do not show up on credit cards until January. It gives an identity thief plenty of time to make some mischief. This individual can easily max out your credit card with purchases, selling the stuff on eBay or from a car trunk. You don’t know the damage until weeks later. Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services offer protection using email alerts. These Internet sent warnings tell an individual that there’s been some unusual activity on the credit card, allowing the owner to take corrective action immediately. These alerts come from the three top credit reporting bureaus and are highly reliable. Continue reading