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October’s Home-Based Business Meeting was startlingly enlightening. West Linn Chamber member Herman Goudy spoke to us about Identity Theft. Herman also gave all who attended a One Year Free Listing in the Go Small Biz directory! Thanks, Herman! What a great resource.
So, how does Identity Theft affect us and where do those thieves get our info?
Did you know only 28% of ID theft originates from our credit card/financial records? I sure thought it was a higher number than that.
- The fastest growing and deadliest ID theft segment is medical records
- Imagine if someone stole your medical information and used it to get care for themselves
- Now, imagine they have different medical needs from you, including allergies to certain medications
- Often times, you won’t know your medical ID has been stolen and used by another until you are given meds that do not react well in your system. This could have deadly consequences
The other areas of ID theft occur in:
- Character ID theft – someone uses your good name in not-so-good circumstances or gets arrested under your name
- Drivers license ID theft – you could get pulled over because your ‘alter’ was involved in moving violations
7 to 10 million people are victims of Identity Theft. That’s 4.9 people every 10 seconds!
I shred all my person information, how are thieves getting my private information?
- Surprisingly, most ID thieves don’t get your information from your local trash container
- ID thieves gain access to our info from the databases where our private information is stored
- Sometimes it’s a computer security breach, sometimes it’s hackers
- Most ID thieves know it’s these databases that hold a wealth of information
That’s why it is important to monitor your records very carefully. A free report from the FTC and a discussion with Herman will help you determine how best to manage your identity and protect yourself, your family, and your business.
You may get the Free report from the FTC by calling (877) IDTHEFT or going online at www.consumer.gov/idtheft
If you are concerned about Identity Theft and are looking for someone to work on your behalf to monitor your ‘identity activity’, Herman’s business just might be able to help. As a local Group Security Specialist, Herman can help you:
- Obtain your credit report
- Conduct continuous credit monitoring
- Restore your identity if it is stolen
- Help reduce your out-of-pocket expenses and time spent away from work with other valuable services from detection to resolution
- His service offerings are tailored for families, home-based businesses, self-employed and small businesses
For more information, giver Herman a call at (503) 318-8219 or email him at hewilgo1@hotmail.com
Our next HBB Meeting is scheduled for November 12th. More information about this meeting will be announced soon! See you there!
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