As Part of the Lionheart Assurance Scam Prevention Toolkit™

You have likely heard of these famous combinations: Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato; or Baseball, Hot Dogs and Apple Pie; Lionheart Assurance Solutions has a new combination for 21st Century ID theft crimes and you should pay attention: Scams, Fraud and Ripoffs. Lionheart Assurance Solutions launches an article series on how to avoid Scams, Frauds, Ripoffs and personal identity fraud.

Learning how to avoid personal identity theft scams is a growing concern, as more and more people are becoming victims of such crimes. In fact, figures from the Federal Trade Commission show that yearly about two million people in the United States alone file complaints of identity fraud and other related scams that create ripoff victims. Here are some of the things that you ought to do to keep from being a target of cheating identity thieves.

Protecting your mail and trash from dumpster skimmers is an important tip with regard to how to avoid personal identity theft scams. Many people just throw out receipts, bank statements, credit card offers and other items containing personal information carelessly. Did you know that one of the common ways for criminals to get personal data from their victims is by checking their trash? Also, it is very crucial to protect your social security number at all times. Thieves can open bank accounts in your name, get new credit cards and even apply for a loan armed with just your social security number.

Put safety measures on your computer and also be wise with your online activities. Phishing information using fraudulent emails and websites is one of the ways in which cyber criminals can harvest personal numbers and data that can be used in a scam or identity fraud. You should always be careful about what you download or what links you open on the Web because these things can contain spyware and other malicious software that can harvest information about your keystrokes, passwords and login information. Another tip as to how to avoid personal identity scams is to be careful with your phone conversations when you are in a public place. Any personal detail you divulge in a park, subway and other public place can drift into the ears of ripoff criminals. If nothing else, it is a good time to be aware of your surroundings and who is sitting nearby, no matter how non-threatening they may appear.

Lastly, you should also protect the identity of your deceased friends and relatives. Many criminals use the information of the deceased in illegal activities, which include obtaining fake drivers licenses, buying contraband materials, and even opening new bank accounts. If you suspect that you or someone in your family is a victim of identity crime fraud, be sure to file complaints with proper authorities immediately. Remember: law enforcement is powerless to track down an identity thief without a formal complaint. Always be safe.

For more information about how to avoid personal identity scams, just go to http://www.LionheartAssuranceSolutions.com.

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