ScamSafe

» Welcome to ScamSafe

Identity theft protection, scams, fraud, privacy, credit reports and credit scores are what ScamSafe is all about.

Security Tip: The best background check time is when you are dealing with anyone who is not licensed in their field.

» How fast does your credit score recover from your goofs?

Experts say you can expect a late payment to hurt your credit score for seven years, with your score gradually recovering over that time frame as you make smart borrowing decisions -- though exactly how much and how fast your score recovers isn't entirely clear.

The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act says that negative items can only appear on your credit report for seven years, but it doesn't say how the credit industry should treat the impact of those items after they happen. That vagueness, combined with the secrecy and complexity involved in credit scoring, mean that it's tough to say exactly how a borrower's credit score will recover from a late payment. Still, provided the borrower makes smart decisions following a slip-up, time will heal those credit wounds.

"Every consumer's situation is different, but generally speaking, the impact from a negative item, such as a late payment, will lessen as that item ages" says Steve Katz, spokesman for credit bureau TransUnion.

While FICO, creator of the most-widely used scoring model, largely keeps the details of its scoring model a secret, we do know the approximate damage a late payment will cause. FICO pulled the curtain back a bit on its scoring model recently when it acknowledged just how much certain credit mistakes can hurt a borrower's credit score. For example, in the case of two hypothetical consumers, FICO said that a 30-day late payment would reduce a FICO score of 680 by 60 to 80 points, while an identical late payment would reduce a FICO score of 780 by 90 to 110 points. (For more on this topic, see our story on FICO's damage points.) You can run FICO's credit score simulator to get an idea of how much damage various mistakes, including a late payment, may cause to your own credit score.

Read more

» How your credit utilization ratio is calculated

The calculation of your credit score combines a wide-angle view of your total combined credit utilization -- including any authorized credit card accounts -- with a close-up view of each individual credit card account. 

FICO says it takes that approach in order to get the most accurate view possible of a person's credit utilization, or their existing debt levels compared to their available lines of credit. As you already know, FICO's scoring model -- by far the most widely used in the United States -- pays close attention to that ratio, and you're wise to do the same.

"The utilization rate is an important indicator of lending risk. A person who is charging to the limit on their credit cards is far more likely to suddenly have repayment problems than a person who uses their credit cards sparingly," says Rod Griffin, director of public education with credit bureau Experian. For credit scores, "the lower the utilization rate, the better," Griffin says.

Read more 

» What everyone should know about credit reports and scores

Don't be overly concerned with your credit score. It can be a serious challenge to ever really "know" that number. That's because these scores vary based on when they are calculated (since they originate from a momentary snapshot of your credit report) and the scoring model itself. (There are many scores out there, including FICO, VantageScore, proprietary models and "educational" scores that aren't used by any lenders). Your credit score number can -- and does -- vary from day to day and lender to lender. As a result, at a given moment in time, it's extremely difficult to truly "know" your credit score with any certainty.    

So instead of placing emphasis on that score, focus on your credit reports. Those reports are the basis for lending decisions, regardless of the scoring model used. In some cases, they are even used for hiring decisions. Note that I said "credit reports" -- plural. That's because you've got a report with each of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) that maintain a record of individual U.S. consumers' borrowing behavior. Unless lenders tell you, it's difficult to know what report they may be working with. Since the information listed in those bureaus' reports can differ, you need to look at each one for a complete picture of where you stand.

Read more  

» 5 traits that go along with a lower credit score

You know how important good credit is, so you watch your credit-related activity closely. You limit credit inquiries, maintain a respectable debt-to-income ratio and -- of course -- pay the bills on time.

But know this: The credit industry is watching right back. If you've checked your credit report, you can see it tracks your individual behavior, but did you know it tracks how we behave in groups? In search of ways to identify the most creditworthy customers, the industry and academics have studied where we live, who we are, how we behave -- and how these traits relate to credit scores.

So, the studies say, a pack-a-day smoker from Harlingen, Texas, is likely to have a worse credit score than a very patient woman from Wausau, Wis.

Hold the e-mails, though -- these unexpected traits that go along with lower credit scores are just correlations, not causations. It's not cause and effect. "None of these things are factored into your score, but have been studied alongside credit scores," explains Michele Raneri, vice president of analytics for Experian.

Keep reading to learn about five things that tend to go along with a lower credit score.

Read more

» 10 things you should know about identity theft

Identity theft is often in the news, but there are a lot of misconceptions swirling around about how to best protect yourself.

While some identity thieves focus on getting your credit cards and maxing them out before you even realize they're missing, an increasing number are using one piece of information about you -- often a credit card number -- in order to steal your entire identity.

Though many folks worry about keeping their credit card information secure when shopping online, the top methods that identity thieves use to steal personal data are still low-tech, according to Justin Yurek, president of ID Watchdog, an identity theft-monitoring firm. "Watch your personal documents, be careful to whom you give out your data over the phone, and be careful of mail theft," he says.

Read more

» Cybercriminals Recruit Dupes With Bogus Job Offer Emails

It’s not uncommon for users to receive links that point to a shady website that advertises work-from-home jobs. However, this is not the only method preferred by fraudsters and in some cases they’re looking for much more than someone who’s willing to pay a small fee for the key to success. The crooks continue by highlighting the fact that it’s not a scam and present a short list of basic requirements. Finally, they mention the amount of money that can be earned and, as expected, the amount is fairly high for a job that involves typing and making a few calls.

A noteworthy fact is that the emails originate from email addresses hosted at careerin-finance.com, a domain registered at a Chinese registrar that’s known to support shady operations. However, this is not just a regular job scam. In reality, it’s an attempt to recruit money mules – knowing or unknowing individuals who help fraudsters launder money.

So, if you reply to such an offer (we highly recommend against doing so), you shouldn’t be surprised if your “employer” would ask you to transfer some money to and from your bank account, send money via Western Union, or perform other suspicious transactions.

More

» Medical Identity Theft: What it is and How to Protect Yourself

While it's the fastest-growing type of identity theft, a new Nationwide Insurance survey reveals few people know what medical identity theft is or how devastating it can be to your credit and your health.

The national telephone survey commissioned by Nationwide Insurance was conducted by Harris Interactive in February among 2,001 adults with health insurance. It found only 1 in 6 (15%) of insured adults say they are familiar with medical identity theft. Of that 15% only one in three (38 percent) could correctly define "medical identity."

"A stolen medical identity has a $50 street value -- whereas a stolen social security number, on the other hand, only sells for $1*," said Kirk Herath, Nationwide Chief Privacy Officer. "However, while most people are very careful with their social security number to protect their credit and personal information, they tend to be less careful when it comes to their medical information."

What is "Medical Identify Theft?"

Medical ID theft occurs when one person steals another's medical information to obtain or pay for health care treatment. It's a crime that can have a serious impact on your personal, financial and medical well being.

According to the World Privacy Foundation, medical identity theft has affected 1.5 million Americans at a cost of more than $30 billion.

If someone steals your medical information they illegally can use your health care insurance to obtain medical care, buy prescription drugs or submit false insurance claims in your name, all of which can lead to devastating financial results or potentially hazardous changes to your medical records.

The three most common ways your medical identity could be compromised are:

-- Financial medical identity theft -- Someone is getting medical help using your name and/or other information.

-- Criminal medical identity theft -- You are being held responsible for the actions of another's criminal behavior.

-- Government benefit fraud -- Your medical benefits are being used by another person.

Devastating Consequences, Difficult Recovery

According to a Nationwide Insurance survey, more than half (56%) of insured adults said it's likely that their credit card or credit card number would be stolen, while only one-third (32%) say they expect their medical identification to be stolen.

About one in five (22%) believe the most likely consequence would be that their health insurance could be cancelled, when in reality hazardous changes could be made to their medical records compromising their health.

"These are warning signs that should not be ignored," Herath said. "The cost and time associated with cleaning up a medical account is sizeable."

The personal expense of resolving a medical identity theft is about $20,000, according to actual victims. The same victims also said they had spent four to six months resolving the theft**.

More than half of the study participants underestimated how long it would take to restore their medical identity. Nineteen percent or about 1 in 5 said it would take less than two weeks. And more than half underestimated or didn't know how much it would cost.

When it comes to taking proactive measures to review their medical records for errors, 75 percent or 3 of 4 study participants "trust" that their medical records are correct.

"Blind faith in a medical record is risky behavior," Herath said. "Nationwide Insurance recommends being as knowledgeable about your medical records as you are about your financial reports."

Tips to protect your Medical Identity

Here are a few things you can do to safeguard your medical identity:

-- Closely monitor any "Explanation of Benefits" sent by health insurers

-- Pro-actively request a listing of benefits from your health insurers

-- Request a copy of current medical files from each health care provider

-- If you are victim, file a police report

-- Correct erroneous and false information in your file

-- Keep an eye on your credit report

-- Request an accounting of disclosures

 

» Merchant personal data may have been stolen from Global Payments

Hackers might have stolen the personal information of individuals who applied for a merchant account with card payment processor Global Payments.

"We have recently learned of potential unauthorized access to servers containing personal information from a subset of merchant applicants," Paul Garcia, Global Payments' chairman and CEO, said during a conference call with shareholders on Tuesday.

Affected individuals will be offered free credit monitoring services and identity protection insurance of $1 million. The three U.S. major credit reporting agencies have also been advised about the incident, Garcia said.

Garcia declined to share an exact number of individuals potentially affected by the unauthorized access to servers that contained merchant data, citing an ongoing process of analyzing that information.

More

» IRS Tax Return Identity Theft Hotline

If you think someone used your identity to file a fraudulent tax return and snatch your refund, call the new Tax Return Identity Theft Hotline.

Launched today by the IRS criminal investigations division and the U.S. Attorney's Office, the number is 412-395-4973.

Last summer, scam artists set up shop in Erie and began offering people help tapping into a fictitious federal stimulus program, then stole their identities, IRS criminal investigations spokesman Andrew Hromoko said. If anything similar happens this year, calls to the hotline could help the agency to identify the scheme quickly.

Callers who leave a message will receive a return call from a special agent within 24 to 48 hours.

A taxpayer who believes they are at risk of identity theft due to lost or stolen personal information should also contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 800-908-4490 so the agency can secure their tax account.

More

» Hackers more aggressive in attacking bank accounts

A survey of large financial institutions shows they faced more attacks by hackers to take over customer banking accounts last year than in the two previous years, and about a third of these attacks succeeded.

The total number of attacks to try and break in and transfer money out of hacked customer accounts was up to 314 over the course of 2011, according to the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC), which released findings of its survey of 95 financial institutions and five service providers. That's an increase from 87 attacks against bank accounts in 2009 and 239 in 2010.

FS-ISAC is the group that coordinates on security issues with the Department of Homeland Security. The survey was conducted by the American Bankers Association.

The actual dollar losses taken by the financial institutions last year was $777,064, down from a high of $3.12 million in 2010. Dollar loss for customers was $489,672 in 2011, as compared with $1.16 million in 2010.

More