Archive for November, 2009
Identity Theft
November 8th, 2009
Identity theft is a rapidly growing national epidemic. The Federal Trade Commission's report on identity theft called Identity Theft the fastest-growing crime in the nation, with nearly 20 million victims per year, with costs to businesses of $80 billion and costs to consumers of nearly $50 billion.
The internet and identity theft
While the internet makes people's lives easier, the Internet and its vast collections of easily accessible personal data make identity theft simpler for criminally minded people. Businesses' lack stringent privacy policies and corporate mistakes in handling sensitive customer information also contribute to the problem of identity theft.
Information leak
Incidents of information-rich files being left unsecured in garbage bins and credit slips left unshredded are common. Unfortunately, local police agencies are ill equipped to handle these sophisticated crimes, which often cross state borders.
From a police perspective, identity theft is a silent crime. It just doesn't merit the priority of crimes like murder, robbery, and other violent crimes more easily reported and televised.
District attorneys are in a similar bind. Reelection is secured by winning big verdicts in publicity- generating cases.
Federal and state law taking identity theft more seriously
Federal and state law enforcement agencies are beginning to take the problem of identity theft more seriously, especially now that the FBI has declared identity theft as the fastest-growing white collar crime in the country.
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Free Sample Letter Complaining of Unfair Debt Collection Practices
November 7th, 2009
One day you may be faced with having to deal with unfair debt collection practices. When that happens, you will want to write a letter complaining about unfair debt collection practices. We have provided a free sample letter complaining of unfair debt collection practices for you.
What does a letter complaining of unfair debt collection practices contain?
The free sample letter complaining of unfair debt collection practices contains:
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your name and address
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name and address of creditor and/or collection agency
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date
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statement informing them that they have violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
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date of incidence
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what happened
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formal request for them to change their practices
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statement informing them that you are forwarding the letter complaining of unfair debt collection practices to the Federal Trade Commission and the state Attorney General.
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sign
| ________________________ (your name and address) ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ (name & address of __________ (date) Dear Sir or Madam: I am writing to inform you that your agency / company violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, a federal law, in your dealings with me. The incident(s) occurred on ________________ and was/were as follows: ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ I am requesting that you take steps to change your practices. I am also forwarding a copy of this letter to the Federal Trade Commission and the state Attorney General. Sincerely, ____________(sign and print your name) cc. Federal Trade Commission |
The above letter is a free sample letter complaining of unfair debt collection practices. You can modify this free sample letter complaining of unfair debt collection practices to suit your credit dispute purposes. There are also other free sample Credit Repair letters available on various sections of our Repair Credit Score website.
Credit File Stability Continued
November 1st, 2009
Credit File Stability (Continued...)
Your telephone number
Your telephone number especially if it's unlisted. If you haven't yet given the credit bureaus your phone number, consider doing so now. A creditor who cannot verify a telephone number is often reluctant to grant credit.
Your date of birth
A creditor will probably not grant you credit if it does not know your age. However, creditors also cannot discriminate against you based on your age.
Your Social Security number
Your bank checking or savings account number
Your bank checking or savings account number is is an excellent sign of stability. Again, however, you won't want to add this information if you've been sued or you think a creditor may sue you. A creditor with a judgment against you will likely use this information to try to collect.
Are credit bureaus required to add this information to your credit file?
Credit bureaus aren't required to add any of this information to your Credit Report, but they often do. They are most likely to add to your Credit Report information on jobs and residences, as that information is used by creditors in evaluating applications for credit. They will also add your telephone number, date of birth, and Social Security number, because those items help identify you and lessen the chances of "mixed" credit files. You may need to pay a small fee when a credit bureau adds information to your credit file.
What documents should I provide to credit bureaus when requesting them to add information to my credit file?
When requesting credit bureaus to add any information to your credit file, enclose any documentation that verifies information you're providing, such as copies (never originals) of your driver's license, a canceled check, a bill addressed to you, a pay stub showing your employer's name and address, or anything else
similar. Remember to keep photocopies of all correspondence.