Featured Products
Don’t wait to become another statistic. Every year, millions of people fall victim to identity theft. Now, Equifax is providing you with our most comprehensive tool to help you protect your identity.
NEW ID Patrol™:
- Scans the Internet for your Social Security number (if you choose) and up to 10 major credit/debit card numbers you provide, and alerts you if your information is found**
- Allows you to lock and unlock your Equifax credit file in real time, so you decide who sees it — and when (certain exceptions apply)***
- Offers unlimited access to your Equifax Credit Report™ plus one FREE 3-in-1 report‡
- Gives you 24/7 access to trained Identity Theft Resolution Specialists
- Provides daily, comprehensive monitoring of your Equifax, Experian and TransUnion credit files, and alerts within 24 hours of key changes
- FREE Identity Theft Protection Kit
Special introductory price: $16.95 $12.95 per month — a $48 yearly value! Order by August 31, 2008 and enjoy Equifax's brand-new, exclusive comprehensive product today!
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Every day, sensitive stolen personal information is traded on the Internet in underground Web sites and chat rooms. This kind of identity theft is a real problem, and Equifax has a real solution: new Equifax WebDetect.™** Here’s what WebDetect does:
- Proactively scans suspected Internet trading sites for your Social Security number, and up to 10 major credit and debit card numbers you provide
- Alerts you if your sensitive personal information appears on suspected Internet trading sites**
- Provides suggestions on what actions you should consider taking to protect yourself if your identity is ever compromised
- Knowledgeable Customer Care available 7 days a week
Do you want the added security of WebDetect’s continuous Internet scanning? Add Equifax WebDetect to your current Credit Watch subscription for just $2 more per month!
To add Equifax WebDetect,™ follow these 4 easy steps:
- Log into the Member Center
- Click the “Equifax WebDetect” product box on right side of screen
- Click “Order Now” button
- Complete purchase
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Better Business Bureau "Secure Your ID" Day Returns
Equifax and Better Business Bureau’s first "Secure Your ID" event on May 3 was a tremendous success. Attending venues across 60 major cities, consumers and small businesses learned the importance of destroying personal documents in order to protect themselves from the threat of identity theft. Sensitive documents weighing 494,926 pounds were shredded at venues across the country the day of the event, helping those concerned about the safety of their information get a head start on identity protection — that’s 247.5 tons of information out of thieving hands! Due to the success of this multi-city event, Better Business Bureaus across the U.S. and Canada are hosting another Secure Your ID day on Saturday, September 20. Find details about an event location near you today by visiting www.us.bbb.org/secureID.
Fifty-six percent* of identity theft victims that could trace the source of the theft ultimately learned that thieves took something that was once in their own possession — such as mail, lost wallets, trash and more. That indicates that one of the best ways to thwart identity theft is by responsibly destroying sensitive documents when you no longer need them.
Log on to www.us.bbb.org/secureID to find the event nearest you. Bring along up to three boxes or bags full of your personally identifying documents and watch them be shredded on the spot! In addition to this effective measure against identity theft, you’ll also learn helpful tips and techniques to help you protect your identity, no matter what you’re doing. All standard-sized, paper-based materials are accepted.
The Better Business Bureau — partnering with Equifax — is here to help you learn how to keep yourself safe. Start gathering your documents and mark your calendar for September 20.
NEW Monthly Poll: You're in Charge!
At Equifax, we want to bring you the information that is most important to you. That’s why we’re introducing a monthly poll. Simply select your answer below to this month's identity theft question and hit "vote". The results will be published in an upcoming newsletter so we can keep you up-to-date on the things that are most important to you!†
Interactive Tool: Calculate Your Net Worth
Your net worth is the value of all of your assets, minus the total of all of your liabilities. Put another way, it is what you own, minus what you owe. If you owe more than you own, you have a negative net worth. If you own more than you owe, you will have a positive net worth. This calculator helps you determine your net worth. It also estimates how your net worth could grow (or shrink!) over the next ten years.
Equifax and BBB Identity Theft Alerts: Tips for Keeping your Cell Phone Safe from Hackers and Thieves
As technology improves, we increasingly rely on our cell phones for more than just making calls; we’re using them to send e-mails, schedule meetings and surf the Internet. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) warns that the downside of having a little computer in your pocket is that (like the computer on your desk) there are people out there ready, willing and able to exploit it.
More and more cell phones are reported lost or stolen each year. If your phone lands in the wrong hands, you’re not only saying goodbye to all your contacts but also potentially facing a very high phone bill. Some victims report having received bills for more than $25,000 after their phone was stolen.
Even if your phone never leaves your side, it’s still vulnerable to hackers — or "phreakers," as they’re called. Just by walking past you, phreakers can hack into your cell phone and listen in on your calls or steal personal information without your knowledge. They do so by exploiting the short-range Bluetooth wireless connections between cell phones and hands-free headsets or PCs. Phreakers can also spread viruses through text messages, e-mails and memory cards.
The BBB offers a number of simple steps you can take to protect yourself and your personal information.
Don’t lose it! Your best defense against thieves and hackers is to keep close tabs on your cell phone. If other people can’t get their hands on it, they’re going to have a much harder time trying to take advantage of it.
Contact your cell phone provider as soon as your cell phone is lost or you think it’s been hacked. If your cell phone is lost or stolen you’ll want to discontinue service immediately before the thief can run up a big bill. Check your provider’s policy because, while they may offer to cover charges if the phone is stolen, they are not required to, and you could be held responsible.
Password protect your phone. Locking and password protecting your phone is just as important as having passwords on your computer.
Turn off your Bluetooth. Disabling your Bluetooth wireless connection when you’re not using it will significantly decrease a phreaker’s opportunity to wirelessly hack into your phone.
Download anti-virus software and keep it updated. New viruses are created every day, so it’s important to have anti-virus software on your cell phone — if it’s available for your model — and update it regularly.
Don’t accept files and text messages from strangers. You wouldn’t download an attachment to an e-mail you received from a stranger to your PC. For the same reason you want to be very careful about opening unsolicited files and text messages on your cell phone.
The BBB has advice you can use on keeping up and keeping safe with emerging technology. For more tips and information, go to www.us.bbb.org.
© 2008 by the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc. Arlington, VA
Used by permission. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc.
