DID YOU KNOW?...Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the United States. It affects as many as one out of 10 U.S. consumers and costs businesses and individuals billions of dollars every year. In fact, more than 20 people become victims of identity theft every minute of every day in the United States alone!
Here is an article below showing the importance of have an identity theft protection plan!
Recent Data Breach: Landry’s Restaurants
DATE OF BREACH: May 2015
DATE MADE PUBLIC: December 27, 2015
RECORDS AFFECTED: Number unknown at this time
DATA COMPROMISED: Cardholder name, card number, expiration date, internal verification code
On December 17, 2015, Landry’s Inc., a restaurant group that owns and operates over 500 restaurants in the U.S., confirmed its restaurants had been victims of a network-wide credit card breach. Customers who have dined at any of their restaurants since May 2015 could be at risk. The data obtained includes: cardholder name, card number, expiration date, and internal verification code.
A new, enhanced payment system has been put in place to encrypt card data throughout the restaurant’s systems. Landry’s said in a statement, “We want to assure our customers that protecting their payment card information is a top priority and are working non-stop to complete the investigation.” Landry’s advises to monitor account statements and immediately contact your financial institution if you see any unauthorized charges.
FACTS ABOUT ID THEFT
As we stated earlier, identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the United States, and the most feared. Here are some facts you and your potential customers should know:
- Identity theft affects one in 20 households, costs billions of dollars every year to businesses and, on average, takes hundreds of hours for a victim to regain pre-theft status.
- 1 in 10 American consumers have already been victims of identity theft.
- Over 50% of all identity theft is the result of the taking of a physical document, such as a credit application or account statement, which is often done via the Internet, mailbox, trash, or theft of non-public personal information.
- Over 20 people become victims of identity theft every minute of every day in the United States.
- 41% of victims who did not have Identity Theft Protection are still dealing with the issue more than 2 years after discovering it.
- Thieves often target the very young or the elderly or the recently deceased.
- Average fraud amount per victim was $6,400 in 2013. On average, victims incur between $800 - $1,400 in expenses related to restoring their identity. Average victim spends over 330 hours trying to reverse the damage.
- There are six types of Identity Theft:
- New Account Fraud
- Account Takeover Fraud
- Criminal Identity Theft
- Medical Identity Theft
- Identity Cloning
- Commercial Identity Theft
- Additional adverse effects of ID theft (without protection services) include: financial problems; high interest rates; denied employment; harassment from collection agencies; unauthorized use of medical benefits; low credit score; denied credit, tuition, or loans; higher insurance premiums; and even arrest.
A PrivacyMaxx membership provides proactive and comprehensive identity monitoring, alerts and resolution services. Its services go beyond the basic coverage provided to breach victims. Becoming a member ensures that your identity is being monitored, and that you will be notified quickly if any activity is detected. Additionally, if you become aware of any suspicious activity regarding your identity, you can easily contact your PrivacyMaxx Identity Recovery Advocate, who is there to assist you and, if necessary, restore your identity back to pre-theft status. You never know when an organization you trust and rely on will be hacked by thieves. Act now, and secure your future today!
To Your Success,
Sandra
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