College is a great time for young adults as they break free from parental control and begin to learn their own way through life. Even though they may be ready to leave home they are not always ready to take on the world and the surprises and heartaches it can provide. Identity theft has got to be the last thing on the mind of a college student, perhaps the next test, party, or road trip to Panama City for spring break, but definitely not identity theft. This is why they are prime targets for identity theft and this is why with a couple precautions you can protect your college student from the heartache of identity theft.

1. Computer Protection
Every college student needs a computer for writing papers and doing research, but keeping it secure and free from viruses is important to preventing an identity theft. Viruses can steal important information from you so obtaining anti-virus software is paramount to preventing this type of breach.

2. Securing Documents
Many college students are not very organized and this can provide the opportunity for identity thieves to get their hands on their sensitive information. It’s important to secure your sensitive documents. This means locking up you Social Security card, Passport and other identifying information. A filing cabinet that locks is a good start but a safe is even better. Shredding documents is something college students should definitely do. Anything sensitive should be shredded before discarding it.

3. Mail Security
Mail at a college is usually less secure than you would have hoped. Many times it can be accessed by too many people or arrive to the wrong person due to students moving around a lot. This can cause sensitive mail to be compromised something you don’t want. Sensitive mail should always be sent to permanent address or PO Boxes to prevent your mail from falling into the wrong hands. When sending sensitive mail make sure to deliver it to the post office yourself to prevent it from being intercepted before reaching the post office.

4. Monitor Credit and Bank Statements
College students should always check their bank statements on a regular bases to prevent any fraudulent charges from clearing their accounts. Checking credit card statements, credit reports, and bank statements is critical to preventing a breach from effecting you long term.

These are just some of the things you can do to prevent an identity theft while at College. For even better protection try the leader in identity theft protection LifeLock. You can get a discount on a LifeLock membership with promo code “DEFENSE“.

Visa, one of the largest credit card companies, has been commended on a process called Tokenization. Tokenization is the process of replacing sensitive data with unique identification symbols that retain all the essential information without compromising its security. Visa has taken the steps to making their  Tokenization system very robust in conformance to best practices, and have been recognized for it.

Not every merchant uses such a robust system, which leaves their customers vulnerable to identity theft. When companies don’t follow best practices they leave it up to their customers to deal with the consequences for themselves. So I applaud Visa for taking the proactive steps to prevent a breach of their customers data in such a way.

Visa has had their fair share of theft attempts. Do you wonder why hackers don’t spend all their time trying to get access to main credit card companies servers? Because they have tried and have failed and companies like Visa keep their information encrypted using tokenization with the keys changing regularly. Visa has, in recent, fought off several attempts to gain access to their servers and were successful in doing so.

Unfortunately not all companies are so carful with your information. Every time you use your credit card it has to go through a credit card processing company who now also has your information. There are several companies that process credit cards, so your information is most likely stored in several of them. If those companies aren’t as secure it doesn’t matter how secure your information is on Visa’s servers. Your card information could still be stolen from those card processing companies, which has happened in recent.

The best way to discover and monitor your identity is to be proactive about it. The best company that allows you to do that is LifeLock. They by far offer the best tools and service that help you discover and remediate any identity theft. You could look after your own identity, but just looking at your credit report isn’t enough. You need the tools that LifeLock can provide to it’s members for a more complete analysis of your identity.

Receive 30 days free and get a 10 percent discount on enrollment with the LifeLock Promo Code “Defense.”

No one is 100% safe from identity theft. Identity theft takes on so many forms that no one can avoid it, not even with a service like LifeLock or any other. There are however simple things you can do to help prevent an identity theft that everyone should follow. These things, by no stretch of the imagination, will prevent all kinds of identity theft, but it will make it harder for the common thief from getting your information and stealing your identity.

First of all, and this should go without saying, you should never carry your Social Security card with you in you wallet. This is a big “NO NO” and should be avoided if you can help it. Sometimes with new jobs and dealing with the government you might need the actual card. This can’t be avoided but make sure when you arrive home the card comes back out of your wallet and into its safe place. Also inquire if the actual card is needed or just a copy. If they only need a photocopy do it at home so you don’t risk transporting it around.

Be aware of card skimming, a very common way of gaining credit and debit card information. When you use an ATM inspect the opening where you put your card to make sure nothing has been placed over it and make sure it doesn’t wiggle or move. If you have any doubts about the machine simply don’t use it. When using your card at a store make sure to watch the person at the counter and what they do with your card. If they move it out of your site or look like they swiped it into a handheld device it might be time to cancel the card and perhaps even inform the authorities.

Keep your computer free of viruses and malware with anti-virus software. There are millions of malicious programs out there. Take precautions by using anti-virus software, and avoid using Peer-to-Peer networks like Limewire and Torrents. Virus and sharing networks are an easy way to get your identity stolen.

Many banks nowadays have SMS text alerts for your bank account. Go to your banks online website and turn them on.  Set up alerts that will inform you of large amounts of money leaving your checking account. If more than $200 leaves my account I get a notification of it right away. This will help you discover a breached debit card and help you recover and prevent further damage. Also check your credit card statements often. You have more time to recover lost money with a credit card, but you still want to catch it early.

Keep a list of contact number for all your credit cards and documents you keep in your wallet or purse. Numbers for your bank’s customer service line and numbers for each of your credit card companies and so on. In the event you have your wallet or purse stolen you will have a list of all the numbers to call so you can cancel your cards and also have them reissued. This will keep the time the thief has to use your card at a minimum and reduce the damage done by them. Remember that thieves know that you are going to try and cancel everything before they have a chance to cash in on it, so it’s a race you, literally, can’t afford to loose.

These simple things can help you catch and remediate an identity theft, but if you want to take your protection to a higher level you might want to think about getting a membership with LifeLock. They are the leader in Identity theft protection, giving their members unparalleled features and services. If you really want to protect your identity LifeLock is the way to go and for $10 a month you can’t beat it.

LifeLock, the leader in identity theft protection, has won a Stevie for Best New Product or Service of the Year at The 2010 American Business Awards, for their Identity Alert system. The awards were held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. Cheryl Casone of Fox Business Network hosted the ceremonies, and the awards were broadcaster nationwide on the Business TalkRadio Network.

This is LifeLocks fourth Stevie award won in a row. Mike Prusinski, LifeLock Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications accepted the award and said, “On behalf of the 450 employees and the 1.7 million members we have, thank you for this.” Stevie awards are presented in 40 different categories which included Best Overall Company of the Year, Executive of the Year, and Corporate Social Responsibility Program of the Year. There were more than 2,700 different companies and organizations, from just about every industry, considered for an award.

Todd Davis, LifeLock Chairman and CEO had this to say about winning an award, “This award exemplifies how LifeLock has become a leader in the identity theft protection field and further proves to consumers that LifeLock always has the consumer’s best interest in mind.”

It’s good to see LifeLock’s new Identity Alert system get noticed for how ground breaking it really is. LifeLock has totally revamped their Alert system and it’s better than ever. There were over 200 executives across the country participating in the judging and it seems as if they have taken notice of the advancements LifeLock has made to their service.

LifeLock, the leader identity theft protection, has teamed up with the United States Census Bureau to educate the public about the Census and help protect people from identity theft. The Census is an important form consisting of 10 questions that helps give the government an accurate idea of the demographic and population of the US as a country.

Partners with the United States Census Bureau are government, non-profit, corporate or community organizations that have formally agreed to help share the message of the Census and will actively peruse the Census Bureau’s goal of achieving a complete count. In LifeLocks case they have agreed to inform people of the identity theft risks that could be related to the Census, because of fraud and scams that are sure to surface after the Census goes out.

As I was writing the other day there are a couple ways to spot a scam when it come to the Census. A real Census taker will have a badge and photo ID, which scammers could possible duplicate. A real Census taker will never ask for personal identifying information like a Social Security Number, or banking information. They will never ask for money or claim that you own them money. They will never harass you or try and intimidate you. They will never contact you by email, only by Phone, Mail, or in person. You can not fill out the Census online so don’t be fouled by fake Census websites.

Keep these things in mind as you deal with the Census in the next couple of months. Remember never give out sensitive information to a Census taker they don’t need it and should never ask for it. Keep your eye’s open for scams and know what to look for and how to spot a scam when you see one.

Perhaps the most common of identity thefts is the credit card identity theft. This is when someone steals your credit card, check card, or debit card numbers and places charges on them posing as you. It’s a little bit different from the kind of identity theft where people can actually apply for new credit cards. This type of Identity theft is where they are just using your existing card’s information to make charges.

This type of identity theft can be prevented or at least caught earlier with a couple precautions. The first precaution is to make sure you keep an eye on your cards. Oh course if someone steals your wallet or purse and can assume they are going to try and steal money from your accounts or charge stuff to your credit cards. However, most people don’t know that people can steal your credit card number without stealing your card. When you hand your card to someone for processing make sure they don’t swipe your card into a skimmer, a handheld card scanning device that could be held in your hand, attached to a belt or ankle or other parts of their body. This of course will only work if you can see them when they run your card. Employees that process the card away from the counter can’t watched for this type of scam.

The next tip is a simple one but so many people don’t do it. You should always shield your pin from view when typing it in. Shoulder surfing is a technique where people look over your shoulder to see your pin. Sometimes it’s a simple as someone peaking over your shoulder, but people have been known to record your pin using video cameras and fake keypads among other things. A skimmer attached to the ATM completes the scam and they have everything they need to steal from your account.

Just like a password you should change your card number every so often. You can request a new card number from your bank however often as you like. It is time consuming because you have to change all your online accounts to the new number but this will cut all ties to any exposed card numbers.

Something I have been enjoying is alerts from credit card and check card accounts. Some banks like Bank of America have alerts that will send text messages informing you of what is happening to your account. My accounts inform me of any large purchases, unusual purchases, and low account balances. These alerts are often in real time and will help you catch fraudulent charges. You have to report fraudulent charges within 30 days at most banks and 60 days for most credit cards. So knowing a charge is fraudulent sooner is better than knowing about much later.

Identity theft protection is always a good idea. My favorite identity theft protection company is LifeLock above all other services. They have proven themselves to the be leader in identity theft protection. There is no one I would trust more than LifeLock with my credit. Not all identity thefts can be prevented, but what can be prevented LifeLock will be there to protect you.

Every year there are more statistics released about the aftermath of identity theft, including the average expense ($951) and the time it takes to resolve (165 hours). But those figures oversimplify the experiences of many identity theft victims. The Identity Theft Resource Center’s annual survey of ID theft victims more fully reveals the complete impact of identity theft.

For instance, in more than half of all identity theft instances, arrest warrant were issued in the victims’ names for crimes committed by the thief (56%). Others (57%) ended up with criminal records after their impostor was arrested, booked or arraigned using the stolen identity. (Respondents were able to report more than one category, so total exceeds 100%; and, of course, it makes sense that in many cases a warrant would precede arrest, etc.)

More than two-thirds of ID theft victims were billed for medical services received by the impostor (67%), and 56% were contacted by a billing department or collection agency for the medical bills. Most frightening, 33% discovered another person’s information in their medical records.

And, in the aftermath of identity theft, many victims report lingering emotional effects that approach the clinical definition of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as defined by the DSMIV-TR, the bible of the American Psychiatric Association:

• 14% report physical safety fears
• 63% report feelings of helplessness
• 31% report denial or disbelief
• 27% report feelings of isolation
• 31% reveal inability to trust people
• 40% report sleep disturbances
• 65% report rage or anger
• 27% report inability to concentrate

Because I write so much about identity theft I read a lot about it, too. And what I’m seeing lately is a lot of medical identity theft.

The story I saw today came from the Baltimore Sun: Christel Ebony Norwood stole the names, birth dates and Social Security numbers of at least 49 people from two medical facilities where she worked. She use it to get a fraudulent driver’s license and change the mailing address of her victims so she got their mail and they didn’t see the bills she was running up in their names. Among her purchases was a 2002 Mercedes-Benz she financed for $35,560.

Last week the big medical identity theft news from the LA Times was about a Cedars-Sinai Medical Center former employee who stole the personal information of at least 1,000 patients and parlayed it into fraudulent insurance claims worth at least $69,000. That’s a nice chunk of change, but he might have made additional money by selling that information to others.

One of the biggest identity theft stories of 2008 had to be the one about an extortion attempt involving Express Scripts and a few million of their customers. The extortionist added credibility to their ransom request by adding the details of 75 of the company’s members, including their names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and even some prescription info. The message was “Pay up, or we publish similar information on millions of your customers on the Internet.”

Visit LifeLock.com for information on how they can protect your identity, your finances and your good name. Need LifeLock discounts? Use the LifeLock discount code Defense to receive a huge discount on service.

Having to move to a nursing home, or having to place a loved one in a nursing home, is surely one of the hardest things anyone can go through. No matter how well we research, how clean the place seems, or how nice the staff seems to be, it’s the horror stories we’ve all heard that keep us awake at night.

I hate to do it, but here’s another of those horror stories. Tamara Smith, a certified nursing assistant who worked in several Savannah, GA area nursing homes, has been charged with stealing the identities of more than 40 of the nursing home residents that she was supposed to be caring for.

She used that information to open credit card accounts, and to buy computers and cell phones.

Smith’s victims were as young as 60 and as old as 100. Along with the 43 identity theft charges against her, Smith will also receive an elder abuse charge for each victim over 65. More than half of her victims are, or were, residents at Tara Nursing Home in Thunderbolt, GA.

Irene Pennington, Thunderbolt police chief said they’re still investigating the identity thefts, and expect to discover more victims. She also said they expect to arrest others suspected of being involved in the crimes.

LifeLock provides identity theft protection to nearly 1.5 million people in the United States. Visit LifeLock.com to learn more about their innovative and comprehensive services. Enroll using the LifeLock promotional code Defense to receive a huge discount.

As you begin preparations for tax season you might not be feeling a lot of government love. In fact, with the economy the way it is right now, you might be feeling downright hostile. And as you review your household budget yet again for one more way to cut back on expenses, you might be dripping tears onto your keyboard.

Here’s some (sort of) good news from the Identity Theft Resource Center that might help you lighten up a little: Government agencies were responsible for only 16.7% of all data breaches in 2008.

And now the bad news (because when the subject is data breaches, there’s always going to be some bad news): There were 656 data breaches last year, representing a 47% increase in the number of data breaches that occurred in 2007.

Local, state and federal governments were to blame for a total of 110 information leaks last year. The causes for those data losses break down as follows:

• 28 resulted from the improper protection of information while traveling over the government network.
• 22 were attributed to insider theft.
• 20 occurred when employees accidentally exposed citizens’ information.
• 15 have been chalked up to subcontractors with sloppy systems security.
• 5 were the product of hackers.

Which federal agency wins the prize for the biggest bungling of data protection? The U.S. Army wins this dubious distinction for their inadvertent Internet posting of promotion selection lists that contained the names and Social Security numbers of more than 50,000 officers.

So, what does all this tell us? While you’re trimming your budget leave an extra $9 a month for Life Lock protection services. Enroll using the LifeLock discount code Defense for the lowest available price.