Nine million! That’s how many Americans have their identities stolen each year, estimates the

Federal Trade Commission.

From January 2005 until October 2007, a staggering 215 million personal records were breached,

reported the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. The FTC noted that, in half of the criminal incidents

in 2005, thieves obtained goods or services worth $500 or less. In 10 percent of cases, thieves stole at least $6,000.

ID theft has only been a crime since 1998, when Congress passed the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act, but it’s escalated as a problem. Not only do criminals use identity theft to steal assets, they also commit crimes in the name and character of the victim.

The FTC urges a “deter-detect-defend” approach to battle ID theft, which costs consumers and businesses plenty of money and time. Deterring means safeguarding personal data to make it harder to steal and misuse. Detecting means monitoring and becoming aware of irregularities that indicate data has been stolen. Defending means reporting the crime and then taking steps to regain data security, recover stolen assets and fix misused information.

Identity theft criminals commonly use six methods to steal consumer and business information:

1. “Dumpster diving” for papers with personal information

2. “Skimming”—stealing credit/debit card numbers when a card is processed

3. “Phishing”—pretending to be a financial institution or company and sending spam e-mail messages to get people to reveal personal information

4. Changing an address by completing a change of address form to divert bills to a criminal’s location

5. Stealing wallets, mail, checks, employer personnel records and other paperwork—through

breaking-and-entering physically or electronically or bribing employees who have access to information

6. “Pretexting”—using false pretenses or tricks of social engineering to obtain personal information from consumers, financial institutions, telephone companies and other sources.

Identity theft robs a victim of time that must be urgently spent to alert police, credit bureaus, financial institutions, medical providers and others. A victim has to prove an identity loss or financial loss; close accounts; write letters to government entities; and even work with a legal advocate to recover and rebuild a stolen identity.

Likewise, the costs for legal fees can quickly add up and overwhelm a stressed victim. The loss of work time also can be costly, at the very time when financial resources are under attack by a criminal.

Personal and business insurance can play a key role in the “defend” stage of the identity theft battle. Insurers offer services to help consumers and businesses report identity theft and recover from it. Sometimes these services are included as part of a homeowners insurance package or even a business insurance package; the cost may be included or additional.

An identity recovery package may include reimbursement of legal fees related to identity theft, as well as costs of credit reports and postage, phone, shipping fees, lost wages and child/elder care for those forced to spend time away from family to resolve the situation. The ID package also might include a limited benefit for mental health counseling for crime victims. The first step in checking on whether you’re covered for identity theft?

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Medical Payments, typically called MedPay coverage, is a part of your personal auto policy. It pays for the cost of necessary medical care you receive as a result of an auto accident, and can be used regardless of what party is at fault. MedPay often is limited to the medical treatment you receive within the first three years after a covered accident, and is limited to a specific dollar amount. In some states, MedPay only applies after all other medical insurance is exhausted. Call us to check what yours covers.

An Example
If you sustain $3,500 in injuries from an accident in which you ran into a building, and you do not have any health insurance whatsoever, in most cases this means you can use your MedPay coverage, up to the $1,000 limit you selected, for your injuries. As a result, you will be responsible for the other $2,500 in medical bills.

The insurance you carry on your vehicle does not cover vehicle breakdown due to  equipment failure, and even your warrantee may have exclusions if you do not maintain your vehicle correctly,  so it is important that you take care of your vehicle…especially if you don’t want to be stranded somewhere. Below are the main things you should pay attention to, and you can look in your owner’s manual for other maintenance items and timelines, and some you could do yourself. Other things you may need to have a qualified mechanic with the expertise and equipment to do the job correctly for you.

Change the oil and oil filter regularly.

The owner’s manual for your car will specify exactly how often you should do this, but a good rule of thumb is to change them every 3,000 to 4,000 miles. If you change the oil and filter yourself, be sure to dispose of the used oil properly.

Check all the fluids.

This includes brake, power steering, transmission, transaxle, windshield washer and antifreeze fluids. Your owner’s manual will tell you how to check these. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, have a mechanic do it.

Check the air pressure level in your tires at least once a month.

Your owner’s manual should specify the ideal air pressure for your particular tire. If not, check on the outside of the tire. It is always listed on the sidewall.

Make sure all your lights work.

Check you headlights, turn signals, brake lights and taillights.

Replace the windshield wiper blades periodically.

If your wiper blades are cracked or torn, or if they begin to streak, it’s time to replace them.

Inspect the engine belts.

They should not look dry or frayed. Some belts are easy to change, but some you may need a mechanic.

Check the air filter.

The filter should be clean, not clogged or damaged. This will also help with fuel economy.

The following are helpful tips following a flood:

• Follow local news and government notices to learn whether your water supply is safe to drink.
• Avoid the floodwaters since they may be contaminated by a variety of contaminants like oil, gasoline, or raw sewage. It can also be electrically charged from downed power lines.
• Avoid ALL moving water.
• Know where the floodwaters have receded since the roads and surrounding areas may have weakened and could collapse under excessive weight.
• As with all catastrophes, you must stay away from downed power lines since they may be hot, and try to report them to the power company even if you think they may already have been reported.
• Return to your home only when you are re-assured by authorities it is safe to do so.
• Avoid all buildings if they are surrounded by floodwaters.
• Always use extreme caution when entering any building after a flood. There may be hidden damage that could create catastrophic results, particularly in foundations.
• Since damaged sewage systems are serious health hazards, make sure you service your damaged septic tanks, cesspools, pits, and leaching systems as soon as it is safe to do so.
• Make sure you clean, disinfect, and dry out everything that got wet. Remember, Mud left from floodwater can contain contaminants and need to be removed.
• Check FEMA for other helpful information http://www.fema.gov

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