Though it may seem like something that does not affect many people anymore, since we all know so much about the issue now, many people in America are still affected by identity theft today. Even though we know more today about the dangers of identity theft those who seek to steal identities are constantly trying to find the next new technology that will help them get around our current security measures.
Not only are identity thieves still doing a booming business, they are making more money than ever. The Justice Department stated that American households suffered upwards of thirteen billion dollars last year alone! And those are direct financial losses, which means that’s money that these families will never see again.
According to officials, the majority of the increase in identity theft loss happened from the misuse of credit cards. The numbers of people using ill-gotten personal information to open new accounts actually decreased in the five year period from 2005-2010. And even though overall American households lost over thirteen billion in 2010, twenty four percent of those who experienced identity compromise suffered no direct financial loss. Unfortunately even though that sounds positive, it means that the other seventy six percent of the people affected by identity theft in 2010 took on all of that thirteen billion dollars by themselves.
Identity theft can happen to anyone, and when it does the effects go far beyond what many expect them to. Even if you are a victim there are certain situations where you can be held liable for financial losses due to identity theft. Usually if you have only been scammed out of your credit card information you will probably only be held liable for the first fifty dollars in damages. That can be a lot of money for some, but it doesn’t compare to what can happen if thieves have their hands on some more pertinent information. If you lose your debit card information for example, especially if you’ve also lost the PIN number, you can be held responsible for most if not all the illegal charges to your card. It’s not unheard of for thieves to get their hands on a debit card and PIN and then wipe the accounts clean and then some, leaving the victim to pay any overdraft fees.
And when you consider the myriad of other ways a thief can steal your identity, it can be a daunting task for some families where they are left struggling to pick up the pieces. There can be cases where someone steals your social security number, your tax information, your insurance information and people can even provide your stolen information when they commit a crime thereby placing a warrant out for your arrest! Though these situations are less common that credit card and debit card theft, they do happen and the effects can be much more devastating than missing your life savings. Many victims of identity fraud have to invest countless hours and their own personal money into not only restoring their accounts, but restoring their good name. they are tasked with spending the time and money to restore their credit and potentially their criminal record.
Cutting Off Access for Oral Bacteria May Be Key to Preventing Tooth Decay
The journal of Microbiology recently published a study containing results which suggest that we may now have the keys to preventing gum disease and tooth loss. The study says that if we can strip some oral bacteria from being able to access the other pathogenic oral bacteria then we may be able to use them to help prevent decay and loss.
New Oversight Means New Rules for Credit Collectors
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Green Beer? Try Green Teeth
This Saint Patrick’s Day thousands of people across the U.S. will be going out to celebrate with lots of delicious green foods like green cakes, green cupcakes, green chocolate, green eggs and ham, and even the popular Saint Patty’s Day hit green beer. But all this green food has one thing in common: green food coloring. In small doses green food coloring can be a fun way to brighten up your food or play along for Saint Patrick’s Day, but after eating green food coloring all day a person’s teeth will quickly start to show that green dye.
