OK, so you owe a debt, but who is trying to get you to pay up? There are two kinds of people who might call you looking to collect money that you owe to a creditor. The creditor themselves (think Visa), or a third party collection agency that Visa may hire to collect their debts for them. The Fair Debt Collection Practice Act (FDCPA) was created in the 1970s and provides a wealth of protections for debtors. These are strict regulations and rules that a debt collector must follow, and if any of these rules are broken, there is a great possibility that take the agency that violated the FDCPA to court. But what about that deadbeat friend of yours who owes you five bucks? Are you required to grant them thirty days to refute your claim? Clearly, as both you and your friend’s wallet know, you don’t.

My point is that the FDCPA is a very special set of guidelines meant specifically for a very special set of people: third party debt collectors. Browse through Morency v. Evanston Northwestern Healthcare Corp. This was a district court case in Illinois from 1999. In this court case, a hospital issued and sent out pre-collection notices in an attempt to collect debt. For third party debt collectors, this is a definite no-no according to the FDCPA. What could have happened? Well, anyone that received the letter may have been off the hook for the money they owed. But after looking at the situation, the court ruled that the hospital was a creditor, because the money was going directly to it, and not a third party collection agency, so the FDCPA did not apply there.

This case has not been the first of its kind, and courts will take many questions into consideration to try and figure out if the creditor should also be deemed bill collector. In a number of these cases they ask the following questions: Does it say on the letters that get mailed out if the debtor does not pay up the debt will be sent out to collection? Did the creditor hire a collection agency only to send letters, not for commission? Is the collection agency itself just a mailing service?

Here’s another example: if a debtor neglects to respond to a letter mailed out by a collection agency, and said collection agency has no further contact with the debtor, it probably will not be held to third party debt collection agency standards. If a collection agency doesn’t receive the files or information on the debtors, then it probably won’t be considered a debt collection agency either.

And thus completes our lesson on the difference between third party debt collection agencies and creditors attempting to collect, and why it pays to know who you are paying. And remember: good luck trying to get that five dollars back from your friend!

Rapid Recovery Solution is a commercial collection agencies.

I work for a debt collection company, and thus, am constantly searching for new things to write about this enthralling subject. One interesting story I dug up was on legal ways to locate information on debtor’s bank accounts. Of course, being able to find a debtor’s bank account can be rather helpful in your attempts to collect money.

Under the law, a licensed, private investigator must do the work, and you should always be very wary when you employ somebody to find bank account numbers seeing as there are a number of scam businesses claiming to do just that, and instead, taking the money while doing nothing in return.

But what if you are a “hands on” kind of collection agency? That’s where the article came in. It listed what it thought were some great ideas on finding your debtor’s bank account, but some of these just seemed crazy. But for your reading pleasure, here is a summary of them all.

1. The old “I give you my checking information you give me your checking information” shtick: If your debtor is employed by a retail store, purchase something from the person in debt and pay with a check. This is a useful way to figure out what the account information is, because by observing your own bank statement, you will be able to locate the debtor’s account number.

2. The “old landlady” scheme: speaking with a landlady or landlord that a debtor used to have can be very helpful. See if the landlady will tell you his bank account information, or you can subpoena the former landlord for a copy of the rental application to determine where the defendant banked. It is probable that the debtor utilizes the same bank account. (Editor’s note: Do NOT even ask me why a debtor’s formal landlady would voluntarily offer a former tenant’s bank account information to a random person!!!) To Be Continued In Part Two…

Mallory Megan works for Rapid Recovery Solution and writes about credit collection agencies.

As you sit there reading this article thieves are literally pickpocketing you. On top of that you are being lied to, and robbed without a gun. You may not realize this because you are so use to living with it – your bank is over charging you, the credit bureaus are telling you one thing while doing another, and whatever interest rate you are paying I can guarantee you that you are over paying. Read every word of this article from start to finish, and I will break down the credit repair process and explain how you can get started today.

A wise man once said that you cannot solve a problem if you do not understand the problem. The same applies to repairing your credit. You cannot repair your credit if you do not understand how the system works. Forget about all the lies that the media has told you about the credit bureaus, and they can help you. Take a look at it form a business perspective – the credit bureaus make money by selling your information to other businesses. To put it simply it is more beneficial to them that you have bad credit. I think that it is pretty obvious that the bureaus main concern it making a profit.

Another point that I want to drive home about repairing your credit is this. You did not mess up your credit overnight so do not expect to repair it overnight. On average most situations can be rectified within 60-90 days. There are outstanding circumstances such as bankruptcies, school loans etc… When it comes to those type of dings the organizations are quick to post a negative statements on your credit report, but slow to remove. You have to constantly follow up, after all it is your credit.

You can start the credit repair process by requesting your report from all three credit bureaus. According to the law you are entitled to a free copy of your credit report once a year. With all three reports in hand, you will want to grab a highlighter and begin highlighting any digs that you may encounter. Don’t make the mistake of not double checking things such as your name, and address and your current occupation. Those small dings could mean anywhere from 25 to 50 points on your credit report.

Understanding your credit report once you actually have it in hand is one of the most important part of the credit repair process. You will find a a ton of abbreviations on your credit report and mysteriously there are little to no explanations as to what they mean. Most decent credit repair kits will come with some sort of key that will explain all of those nasty little abbreviations.

Once you have identified all the dings on your report it’s time to prepare for the battle. You want to send a letter of dispute – disputing every single thing no matter how big or small, that you have found. Make sure to make copies for your records, in fact make copies of everything that you do, and I do mean everything.

Once you have mailed your letters of dispute the count down officially starts. The credit bureaus legally have 30 to 45 days to complete their investigations regarding your claims. If they cannot disprove your claims within the allotted amount of time, the are required by law to remove the dings from the credit report.

If you want to learn more about repairing your credit or your ready to take immediate action you can start with this credit repair kit.

You probably know that having a cell phone is not cheap. Costs can run anywhere from 50 to more than 100 per month depending on your plan. These high costs prohibit many less financially inclined people from owing a cell phone.

Even though cell phones are expensive, most people own one. This is because cell phones make life more convenient. Not only can it make life more convenient, but it comes in real handy when there is an emergency. Due to its usefulness during an emergency, the government feels that people living in poverty should have a free cell phone.

Free phones are for people that are considered to be living in poverty and therefore your household income is used to determine whether you get a phone or not. You can determine your eligibility by whether or not you are receiving other government assistance. If so, then you get a free phone.

Along with a free phone, you also get free minutes. But you do not get much free minutes. Usually it comes out to an hour per month depending on where you live.

There is no limit as to the length of time you can participate in the free phone program. But in order to continue participating in the program every year, you have to show proof of your household income. If it is not below 125% of the poverty line, then you are out of the program

Get in contact with a service provider in your state. Some states might not have the program yet. You can check to see if your state the program by going to the service providers website and entering your zip code.

Get the applications that you will need to fill out and apply for the cell phone. When you send your application, the service provider will need to see your supporting documentation showing your household income.

When using the phone, make sure you do not use up all your minutes before the end of the month. If you have no minutes and the time comes when you really need it for emergency, you will regret using up all your minutes.

Jimmy Chu has helped numerous people find free government cell phone. For more information on this program, please go to his website.

In a business column dated January 20, Baltimore Sun writer Jay Hancock seems to delight in the fact that a prominent accounts receivable management firm filed bankruptcy in the midst of an unemployment-driven recession. Speculation suggests the underlying message of the article was to threaten violence against collectors.

Hancock states that collectors are not working up to par to recover money because in a recession people owe more money. But wait! This argument runs in circles, many collection agencies protest. Yes, debt collectors will get much more work when credit defaults are on the rise. But the collections industry, like any other, depends on the financial stability of consumers. If consumers do not have the money to pay back the debt, collection starts to seem like a moot point.

Despite the fact that many of his economic theories and beliefs are in erroneous, later in the article Hancock brings up the bankruptcy of debt collection law firm Mann Bracken, making the suggestion that violence against debt collectors could be an acceptable path to justice. Because Mann Bracken had an order to stop debt collection activities, thousands of cases filed by the firm against consumers will be tossed out.

Hancock’s reaction is a little bit shocking. “A firebomb tossed into the company’s offices could not have been as effective.” Seriously? Firebomb the office?

It is clear that people take their interactions with collectors very personally. Some handle it well, some do not. It is hard to believe that there are swarms of consumers out there wishing physical harm to debt collectors and their offices. On the flip side,unfortunately, debt collectors are people with emotions as well. Your debt is their commission. While most collectors follow protocol, there is that one occasional jerk that gets you really angry. Founded or unfounded as these feelings may seem, it appears that things have taken a turn for the worst when violent threats pass as a business column.

Rapid Recovery Solution is a national collection agency .

Mortgage fraud is the perversion or omission of details in the process of finding a loan for the purpose of financial advantage. It covers a large range and many sorts of criminal activities and its result reaches all of us in time as can now be seen through the foreclosure predicament and plunging housing values.

Unluckily with all the weakness of the present economy, mortgage fraud is on the rise as people become additionally desperate to regain their previous lifestyles. It may occur from either side on the mortgage transaction – borrower and lender.

One of the most familiar kind is falsified info provided over a loan application which accounts for nearly more than half of every mortgage scams. One more instance is falsifying or misleading support documents such as tax returns, bank statements, verification of employment and bank deposits, et cetera. Hidden kickbacks (amount given back at closing that is not recorded in any of the interrelated requirements), and / or excessively valuing an appraisal of the property resulting in an overblown buying price are other kinds. These are few examples of mortgage fraud and there are numerous additional variations, but the basic point is that no matter what number of shades of fraud one can find, be straightforward in the lending process because the penalties are fast and severe. They are also becoming increasingly more prosecuted.

Not only mortgage scams from the borrower’s part are on the increase, but additionally scams from a business part. Should you be considering buying or selling your house, obtain referrals for mortgage and real estate professionals and ensure to follow up in checking out their licenses with the state. Confer with the Better Business Bureau. Ask them for referrals from former clients that you can call if you’re still having trouble making a decision. Do some research to determine what properties are buying and selling for in your area. Be realistic in your evaluation. This provides you with an idea of whether the specialists are excessively inflating anything they’re informing you or if they’re on target. Understand all record and each line of everything you are obliged to sign. Tend not to leave any items blank and do not leave without your own copy of any and every signed documents. If you ever do not feel qualified to understand most of what you’re signing, take a trusted overseer with you. Proper companies should have no problem with several inquiries, outside aid, or waiting until you understand everything prior to continuing. Don’t feel pressured to serve their desires. These are decisions that need to be informed, careful, and deliberate as their effects may be long lasting and powerful. Lastly, don’t be tempted to fabricate any data you supply or allow any expert to talk you into doing so.

If you suspect you’re a target of mortgage fraud call a local FBI office (202-324-3000 – National FBI Financial Institution Fraud Unit). One more contact will be the Federal Trade Commission at (877) 382-4357. You must also report an objection to the Better Business Bureau within your city. Last of all, whatsoever you decide to try and do please take action fast so the culprits do not get away with it.

Another great article by Barrhaven Real Estate

Many people love and hate their checkbooks. They are absolutely unnecessary in today’s world but people are naturally stubborn and will continue to use paper checks.

These little rectangular pieces of paper have the ability to ruin your life for years. That sounds a little dramatic but it’s all too common.

People view checks as convenient and may be scared to get a debit card because it requires changing their old routine.

What makes simple checks so damaging is the fact they have an enormous amount of your personal information on them. Every single check has your bank account and routing numbers right there on the bottom.

In skilled hands, just these numbers alone can enable someone to get money right from your account and deposit it in their own. Sure you will find out on your next bank statement but by then, the damage is done.

Another important piece of information on a paper check is your full name and address. Many married couples put the name of their spouse on there as well.

Now they have two identities to steal. Identity thieves absolutely love it when people are foolish enough to put social security numbers on the check too. There is no reason anyone should ever do that.

If your social security number is on there with your name, address, account number and routing number, you might as well walk strangers into your house and give them all of your bank statements, credit card bills, and utility bills.

It’s just ridiculous. If your checkbook is stolen, even if you cancel the checks, the information is all still on them. Be very careful to keep your checks secure and put as little information on them as possible on them.

There are many different programs available on the market today for helping with debt relief. Debt counseling, debt management, cheap re-finance deals, and much, much more. The problem is that these debt programs all have the same issue, which can make getting out of debt a bit difficult and stressful. Can you guess what this problem might be?

You may be thinking that it could be the fees, or the inflated interest rates, or maybe it could be the actual debt management companies themselves. Wrong. The main reason why people fail to get out of debt is the fixed monthly installments that come with all debt management programs.

Does your monthly income vary? The answer to this is most probably, absolutely yes. And this is very easy to understand as people’s careers vary and so do the amount of hours they work vary. For instance, if you are a shop owner, trade varies every day. The amount of money you earn is dependent on the amount of turnover generated every month. You may be a shop floor worker, and will probably find that the amount of hours you work is based upon the season of the year or special events etc. The global economy may have an impact on shopping habits, which may have a knock on effect leading to loss of jobs, or cut down in hours available.

Do you spend the same amount of money every month? Again, the answer to this question is most probably no. Like many people, you may have commitments which go out on a regular monthly basis, ie. your mortgage, or rent, or maybe your monthly line rental for your cell phone. However, other expenses can’t be guaranteed to be the same every month, for example your food, clothing, fuel, general entertainment expenses and so on. This is why it’s very difficult to spend the exact same amount every month. Let’s face it, the more we earn, the more we spend.

One of the main causes for people getting into debt is unexpected expenses. When people have a fixed monthly income, they budget all of their expenses around this. An unexpected expense can upset their budgets, leading to debts.

Debt counseling can often help you get out of debt, however the flaws in this system can real hurt you if you are not careful. People who start these programs normally get off to a good start. However it is only good until you start missing installments. This can happen for many reasons, but the most common reason for this is a bad budget. For instance, you may be ticking along just fine when you are hit with an unexpected bill for your car maintenance, of your boiler packs up and needs emergency attention. These types of unexpected events lead to bad budgets and failure of debt counseling programs, as there is no flexibility. Once this happens, you are straight back to where you started.

Other situations can also affect your monthly budget. Things like, loss of employment, an unexpected accident which leads to time off work, a bad business decision, clients not paying you on time etc. These are just some of problems that can lead on to more debt, as they affect your monthly budget.

So are there any debt programs that does provide this flexibility? Yes. Debt settlement, or debt consolidation. It’s certainly not for everyone. Debt settlement is a good alternative to bankruptcy. It’s not for people who can pay their bills in full without hardship. But it can be a real blessing for those seeking relief from a crushing debt burden.

Debt settlement and debt consolidation are good programs which give you flexibility and full control of your finances. What is debt settlement? Debt settlement is a program where an account is set up for you to deposit any extra cash that you generate every month. Once you have reached a target deposit, your debt adviser will negotiate a settlement figure with your creditors. The best way to tackle this is one step or debt at a time. Before long, you will learn how to spend wisely and you will be out of debt, leading to a more secure financial future.

That being said, debt settlement needs to be taken seriously, because that is the only way yu are going to get out of debt. You need to take action. The good thing about the program is the flexibility. If you miss a payment one month, don’t worry about it. That’s life. These things happen. Just make sure, you put something in next month, if you can afford it. Get into a regular habit of doing this, and before long, you will become debt free. Debt settlement is truly a life saver and can definitely get you debt free. It’s a shame other debt help programs are not as flexible…

Looking to find the best deal on debt direct, then visit www.debtline.us to find the best advice on debt and get help for you.

The use of your personal data such as your name, address, telephone number, credit card, and mother’s maiden name by other people is called identity theft, which is also known to be an identity fraud. It is the illegal use of your personality to commit crime or any illegal acts.

Usually, this crime is done to commit financial fraud or deception. Either it is using your name to buy something or obtaining it thought the use of your credit account and other personal security accounts.

By the use of your name, the identity theft gets a good service and all they left for you is the bill that your name will be paying.

Sometimes, the well-established citizens are the ones victimized by identity theft; it can also target some people who do not have that much account.

These identity thieves also use college students, the data and information about these students are much better and much easier to obtain. They use their names for application for credit cards and use it for criminal and illegal purposes.

Most college students do not care about their financial account and do not apply for these credit cards but will eventually receive credit card application on their mailbox.

Large business groups are the main target of these identity thieves. They usually find out before they apply for credits, they have history of non-payment of bills, which is actually done by these identity thieves.

Small businesses will be surprised once they apply for loan and denied of approval because of the pending loan that needs to be paid. This is every critical problem where in these small businesses have to pay the loan they did not purchase.

Almost everybody is possible to be victimized by these identity thieves. It is because of the modern technology that exists in the world today.

Transactions are made without face-to-face contact, transactions that require the name, address, contact number, security information and sometimes password. Using malicious software that are downloaded through websites, thieves are able to gets all these information.

This is how easy these thieves get the information they need. Once they got all the information they need, they will have all the possibilities to commit different financial and other related crimes.

These thieves use different identities to purchase something, gather different services, obtain bank account, apply for credit card, apply for loans and other government benefits and obtain money using the victims” identity.

The major problem with this kind of crime is that the victim will be forced to clear all the transaction he or she has not made. In most cases, these thieves usually pretend to be the victims” identity, obtaining all the necessary information including the victim’s security settings.

The funny thing, these transactions are from the knowledge of the owner but will be surprised to receive many bills and loans to be paid. The more that these thieves involve in these crimes the longer it is to repair the damage.

The damage done to the victim will bring difficulty in obtaining new jobs, applying as an employer, applying for credit cards and renting apartments.

However, this major problem can be resolved. Many companies offer identity theft insurance. Many people will have the privilege to obtain this insurance as an option in their home insurance policy.

It is now possible to detect the people that uses the personal data if have home insurance policy. By this means, the owner will have the knowledge on who are the thieves that tries to use their personal data. Reports about the present situation of the accounts are given to the owner in regular basis. However, the owner may need to pay the service rendered.

The amount that is paid over to these identity theft insurance is huge. There are many debates about it but people prefer to pay it to have peace of mind.

It is better to pay the huge prize than to be worried about the security of your identity. These insurance will surely protect the account from the identity thieves. You do not need to worry if the accounts are secured by it.

Finding the best identity theft insurance is the first thing you need to do.

The collection agency industry is a billion dollar industry. According to Rapid Recovery Solution, Inc. income from late fees and over-the-limit fees accounted for $14.8 billion dollars in the year 2004.

A debt collection account is defined as a delinquent account that has been forwarded to a debt collection agency, usually when it has become 90 to 120 days late. Creditors send accounts to debt collection agencies to remove them from their accounts receivables, then write-off the full debt owed as a loss. Creditors benefit in two ways: first, for writing off the debt as a loss on their taxes, and second, when the money is collected which can be recorded as a profit or accounts receivable. Most collection accounts are purchased from the original creditor for a fraction of the original amount owed but not always.

When you receive a letter from a debt collection agency, verify that the company contacting you has a legal right to collect money on your account. A debt collection agency may hold a collection account for just a few months, and if they are unsuccessful in collecting on the debt owed, the account is forwarded to another debt collection agency. This process continues until the account is paid or legal action is taken against you.

Collection agencies obtain the following information to develop a strategy to collect money owed: name, address, credit report, credit application, correspondence with the consumer, amount owed by the consumer and date of last payment. Many collection agencies also use illegal tactics to scare consumers such as: pretending they are one of your creditors asking to verify information, pretending they are an old friend or neighbor to catch you off guard, sending persistent follow-up calls or letters, sending threatening letters or leaving threatening voice mail messages, preying on your emotions, canceling credit card privileges, making the threat of litigation or pursuing litigation, and continuing to charge late and over-the-limit fees. Many of these tactics violate the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).

A debt collection agency’s goal is to get the money owed paid as soon as possible. They will ask why you can’t make payment arrangements today. Another tactic that may be used is to transfer you to their supervisor, which by this time you may be angry or frustrated and could possibly agree to anything just to get off the phone with them. Don’t do it. Remain calm throughout the conversation. Don’t let the debt collection agency change your mind about what you can afford or scare you into doing something you don’t want to do. Be firm and stick to the terms agreed upon. Confirm your agreement in writing and send certified mail with a return receipt to ensure delivery and proof of delivery.

Collection agencies are slow to report that an account has been paid or transferred to another agency, so it is critical that you obtain proof of payment. If you have missed one or two payments, contact the original creditor immediately to set up a payment plan. Stick to your payment arrangement to sustain your relationship with the creditor and retain your credit rating.

Rapid Recovery Solution is a medical collection agency.

No one wants to be a victim of identity theft, as it is so difficult to clear all the transaction made by these thieves. If you do not have enough knowledge about it, you will not be prevented from being a victim of it.

All you need to do is to prevent yourself from being the victim. However, how are you going to do that?

Read this article and find out how you can prevent being victimized by these thieves.

The best way to protect you from being a victim of identity theft is to protect your information. You should know all the possibilities that your information can be obtained. You must be of good control over your information to avoid it from being stolen.

You should be aware of the means to obtain your information. There are in fact many ways to get it. These are the following means:

• Purchasing goods and services over the net

• Online banking

• Throwing away your previous credit cards without destroying it

• Storing personal data and information in your computer

• Cellular phone use

• Wireless phone use

• Using your passwords and numbers for identification

You need to safeguard your personal information using the following techniques. You should be conscious about it, as it will give you proper education on what to do and what to learn in terms of handling your account. Follow these simple guidelines to protect yourself from the harm of identity theft:

• It is safer to memorize your security codes and numbers other than writing it down. Never print these numbers on your checks.

• Give your files protection from making passwords. These can only be opened if your personal security code or password is entered. Never use your birth date or your name as a password; it can be an easy guess to the people.

• Require your credit bureaus to give you regular reports on the review of your credit accounts.

• Install software in your computer to avoid malicious software to enter your computer. Software such as firewall will minimize the chances of downloading bad software such as spyware, adware, and keyloggers.

This software will unnoticeably enter your computer to spy on all the operation made in your computer. With the use of firewalls, you are sure to get rid of this malicious software in real time.

• Do not include your personal information on the email inquiry. You should also avoid sending information over email.

If you are sure that the reputable website sent you a business transaction, go to the particular official website of the sender to reply. Never use the link indicated on the email sent.

• Never open mail attachments if you are not sure about who sent it to you. These attachments may contain software that can enter your computer system unnoticed. This problem can be solved by using software that gets rid of them. Choose software that updated continuously.

• Do not provide personal information when you are filling up forms online. Do not provide your personal data and most special your financial information online.

• During a telephone call, never give your personal data and information on the one you are talking to.

You can give your financial information and other data if you are the one to initiate the conversation.

• Never mind the mails that tell you to complete your application on credit cards especially online.

• Never discard any previously used credit card before destroying it. Shred it tears it and torn it into pieces to secure that these credit cards will not be used again.

• If you lose your credit cards of other important cards report about it immediately to authorized personnel. You should temporarily close your account until the card has been captured.

• Destroy all the documents that contain your personal data and information. Burning them can be more preferable.

• Never discard bank receipts, credit card receipts and transaction receipt in public areas. Some people may obtain this information and use it against you.

These are the guidelines to protect you from experiencing the wrath of identity theft. Make sure to follow these guidelines well for the protection of you accounts.

You may have laughed off at the absurdity that is shown in identity theft commercials. But they should be not something to laugh about.

Some commercials may have even touched or scared you. But the most effective identity commercials are those that make people wary whenever they go out or use their credit cards.

What you see on television is actually a example of what might happen in reality. No matter how funny or violent these identity theft commercials maybe, they are nothing compared to what can happen in real life.

You can actually benefit and learn from watching commercials about identity theft. Try to listen to the accounts of identity theft victims talking about all the things the thief was able to purchase and what they have accomplished using your identity.

Identity theft is not just what you see in your tube. They are real and actual problems that still have no solutions. On the contrary, it is getting worse and worse as time goes by.

The more conservative methods used by identity thieves consist of stealing records or information while on the job and stealing your mail, such as bank and credit card statements, credit card offers, new checks and tax information.

Mail can be stolen while it is to and from your mailbox. A thief can fill out a “change of address” form and have your mail brought to a different address. They can also gain access to your information by going through your trash or the trash of businesses or public trash dumps.

To get a credit report, identity thieves may pretend to be a landlord, an employer or someone else who may have legal right to admission to your personal information.

Even if you think your own personal information is well protected, you may not be aware of some of the high-tech, and highly clever methods that thieves today are using to get your personal data.

Some of the most popular commercials show some skimming and phishing strategies that identity thieves are doing.

In skimming, identity thieves obtain credit or debit card numbers by putting the information in a data storage device they have put to an ATM or automated teller machine.

On the same note, shoulder surfing is when an identity thief uses a camera phone or positions near a person who is using the ATM or is typing in his or her credit card number into a phone. The most recent trend in this crime involves fraudulent emails. This is quickly becoming one of the frequent cases.

According to results of a survey done by a financial transaction company, around 43 percent of users have received phishing contracts in their emails. In this strategy, identity thieves pose as banks, credit card companies or other institutions to get you to give out information such as passwords or account numbers. In the more sophisticated strategy also known as pharming, users that are trying to get into a certain site is mislead to fake sites that have the same address.

Now that you already know some of the identity theft cases, you maybe wondering if you can use the measures you have seen on identity theft commercials. Although some of them may be reality-based and can actually work, it is important that you also know some of important things not seen in those commercials.

Consumers can avoid being an identity theft victim by using only ATMs that they are familiar with, checking out the machine to be certain that nothing looks out of the ordinary and covering up the pin number you are using.

You should continue maintaining your monthly checks and statements for at least one year in case you need to disagree over a particular check transaction made.

Finally, when you throw out papers that have personal information, such as ATM , bank checks, etc. try to shred them first before dumping. It is also a good idea to keep a file of all credit cards, account numbers, expiration dates and credit card customer service phone numbers in a safe place in case your cards are stolen or lost.

You can never be too careful these days. Anyone can be a victim of identity theft, commercial or no commercial.

In the last two series of articles I spoke about debit identity theft and how to prevent it. This is the last story of the series.

DO be alert when there is an opportunity for people to look over your shoulder to track your PIN number. Also, seriously consider the pros and cons before you utilize your debit card at a restaurant, where the server takes the card and you can’t actually see him swipe it, or at gas stations, where surveillance cameras can record you punching in your PIN.

Don’t blindly use your debit card for shopping online. Make sure you are only utilizing a debit card when you shop at well established, trusted sellers. If you do not know a site, before you enter your debit card number, look at the bottom of the web page for security seals from companies like PCI Compliance, Truste, or VeriSign. Keep your eyes peeled though. A number of fake sites will only cut and paste logos. Click on the link for the logo if you are not one hundred percent sure. If it is the real deal it will direct you to that website’s security verification.

The Federal Trade Commission has come up with new regulations for merchants that take effect June 1st that will necessitate that financial institutions set up checks that will set off a response if a customer’s card is used illegally. This new rule, commonly called the “red flag rule” should be of help, but thieves are clever and fraudulent charges can sometimes make their way out of the woodwork.

Being a victim of debit card theft has the capacity to change the way people purchase in the future. Some identity theft victims assert that they only pay by cash, check or credit card. Not having a debit card can be a hassle at times, especially if it has to do with writing a check and having it approved. But it might just be worth your peace of mind. It is always a wise idea to be savvy about your finances.

Rapid Recovery Solution is a medical debt collection company.

The majority of people do not think anything of it when they hand over a debit card to purchase something, but not those that have been burned by debit card theft, debit cards that can be used like credit cards to be exact. Last summer, a native of San Jose, California used his debit card to book a rental car that he planned to drive from Memphis Tennessee to Saint Louis while he took a vacation over there.

The car supposedly would have cost him about two hundred and forty dollars. When he went to buy something in Memphis, he found out that his bank account had been frozen. What had taken place was that the rental car agency had placed a five hundred dollar hold on his account, an amount that was large enough to trigger a fraud alert at his bank. The man got his account reactivated almost immediately, but the five hundred dollar hold remained. Not even until he turned in the car, but for two days after the fact.

This victim may have gotten off a lot easier than others. Three years ago, an identity thief got a hold of a woman’s debit card number and made six hundred dollars worth of fraudulent buys with the card. Going back and forth between her bank and the merchants took up a lot of time and caused a lot of emotional pain and distress.

Eventually, she received some of the charges that were illegal made back, but was not able to recover almost one hundred and sixty dollars worth of the charges. The victim believes that because her loss was so small, it really did not receive any attention from the police. Unluckily, what is not a big deal for law enforcement obviously has a big impact on someone that is struggling to pay their bills.

Another Michigan denizen experienced a similar situation a few years ago. Article will be continued in parts two and three.

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With all types of debts, accounts, and interest rates all hitting you at once, your financial situation can very well seem intimidating. But if you follow this program you will find that there is an effective and safe way to manage your money.

This simple calculation requires the interest rates for each debt account only. This is assuming that all debt accounts have the same tax liability, but if not, you can determine your interest rate after taxes for this calculation.

Your first step is to order your debts; highest interest rate to lowest. You’ll probably find credit cards at the top of the list. Retail credit cards offered by stores usually have the highest interest rates, so you might find this type of credit card on the top. Make sure that the rates did not fluctuate from the promotional rates that you originally signed up for. Card issuers can change your interest rates at any time. They are supposed to give warning, but you may not receive this warning.

Your mortgage and home equity loans may be the next on the list. It’s imperative that you capture every debt for which you make a monthly payment. Student loans might be the last on the list.

Next, pay the minimum to all debts every month. You will pay the minimum monthly payment for all of the debts, except for the one account listed at the top of the list.The next thing you want to do is send all extra available cash to the debt with the highest interest. All unused income after paying expenses should be dedicated towards the debt account with the highest interest rate.

Repeat these steps every month. You will protect your finances by making sure every creditor receives the minimum payment, but you will hone in on your debt that has the highest interest. Once a debt account has been eliminated, remove it from the list and re-order if interest rates have changed.

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