An estimated 440 banks concede  their customers are possible victims of a massive data breach. according to new data from BankInfoSecurity.com. But not all of those institutions have taken action to protect their consumers, frustrating watchdogs like the New York State Consumer Protection Board.
Heartland Payment Systems, the nation’s sixth-largest processor for Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover Card transactions, […]

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1.     Writing your PIN (Personal Identification Number) on your ATM and credit cards or on another piece of paper in your wallet.  If you lose your wallet, identity thieves get instant access to your bank and credit card accounts.
2.     Keeping more than two or three ATM and credit cards in your wallet at any given […]

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Identity theft can happen to even the most careful consumers. When prevention fails, the next best thing is early detection. Fair Isaac, the company that created the FICO credit score, said there are a number of warning signs of identity theft. They include:

Unexpected phone calls from unfamiliar creditors Be suspicious if a creditor […]

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Most consumers understand the potential dangers of sharing their credit card numbers. But fewer realize they put themselves in even greater financial jeopardy when they share information about their checking accounts. It’s riskier than you think.
In the past few years, more consumers have been complaining about unauthorized debits from their checking accounts. Some were victimized […]

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Asa Aarons talks with Steve Ely, president of Personal Information Solutions for Atlanta-based Equifax, about credit reports, privacy and the company’s newest product, ID Theft Patrol.

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