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Debix Newsletter
November 2011

In this Issue:
* Protect Your Bank Account with Chex Systems
* Customer Story: Social Media Helps Catch a Thief
* Don't Fall Victim to These Holiday Scams


Protect Your Bank Account with Chex Systems

Stay Safe by Placing a Freeze on Your Bank Accounts

George from the OnCall Investigation team warns that it's common for
identity thieves to try and open bank accounts using their home
address with another person's identity. All thieves need is your name
and Social Security number to open a fraudulent account you know
nothing about.

Here's how it works: To open a bank account, a thief puts down his
address with another person's name and Social Security number. They
use their own money (usually the minimum to establish the account),
then receive a debit card in the mail. They can then overdraft the
account, transfer funds from a hacked account and withdraw the money
at any ATM. When the activity is traced by the victim's bank or a law
enforcement agency, it leads to an innocent person - the person whose
identity was stolen to open the account in the first place.

What makes this situation so easy and common is the fact that banks
don't do credit checks on people opening debit accounts. By the time
the two victims - the account holder whose money was fraudulently
transferred and the person whose information was used to establish
the account - realize someone has compromised their identities and
accounts, the stolen money has already been withdrawn from an ATM.

But there is a good way for you to protect yourself from this scam:
place a freeze with Chex Systems. Banks use Chex Systems to verify
the validity of checks and to verify if a consumer has been a victim
of bank fraud, has unpaid debt to other banks or has bounced checks
in the past. And now, under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act,
Chex Systems works directly on your behalf, for free, to protect you
from bank-account theft.

Go to: ConsumerDebit.com -
www.consumerdebit.com/consumerinfo/us/en/index.htm and click on
"Security Freeze" to prevent new debit or savings accounts from being
opened in your name without your knowledge. Two types of freezes can
be placed:

PIN Verification: You are issued a nine-digit pin that is required to
open a new checking account Document Verification: Banks are required
to ask for more documentation in order to verify your identity when
opening a checking account. Banks use Chex Systems to verify the
validity of checks and to verify if a consumer has been a victim of
bank fraud, has unpaid debt to other banks or has bounced checks in
the past. And now, under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, Chex
Systems works directly on your behalf to protect you from
bank-account theft.

Protect Your Family with Debix! -
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?DebixIdentityProtect/ca23493dcb/a0eb88ddc9/120562a98c -
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?DebixIdentityProtect/ca23493dcb/a0eb88ddc9/cd5006c9e8 Or Call 866-747-5214 between 9am-5pm Central.


Customer Story: Social Media Helps Catch a Thief

Investigator Paul Gets Creative to Help Solve the Case

When Stephanie discovered her purse was stolen at a party, she
immediately called her bank to cancel all her credit cards only to
find the thief was already on a spending spree. As she thought
through the things in her purse, she realized she needed backup to
protect against anything else the thief might be planning. Stephanie
also hoped she could recover what was lost, "I was carrying about
$600 in jewelry that I no longer wear. I planned to take it to the
jewelry store the next day and use it to offset the cost of resizing
my engagement ring." Since she had signed up for Debix free identity
protection that includes free investigation and identity repair
services, she gave us a call and was connected with OnCall
Investigator, Paul.

Paul says in most cases the client's top priorities include repairing
damage to their credit file and recovering expenses, but there is an
additional need when a purse is stolen. "In these cases, the
contents are personal and have sentimental value that makes them
irreplaceable. Our clients want to see the thief apprehended and
held accountable. And they want their valuables back."

Unfortunately, local police don't always have the resources to track
down a suspect. But, if they have strong leads, it can make a
difference and that is what Paul aimed to establish. First, he
followed the paper trail. "The clues pointed to a man and woman
working together. We knew where they cashed checks and made credit
card purchases and uncovered the suspects' names. We verified that
the suspects were recorded on surveillance cameras and collected the
video footage." Paul wanted to go further and began exploring new
investigation techniques using social media to build a rich profile
of the suspects before handing the case over to police. Information
the suspects voluntarily placed in the public domain allowed their
activities be monitored and led to the discovery of friends who could
be questioned.

When the case was handed over to the police they were able to bring
one of the suspects in for questioning and the evidence was
compelling enough to elicit a full confession. The Austin Police
Department is actively working to bring in the other suspect at this
time and Paul is using Stephanie's case as the prototype to solve a
similar one in Dallas.

Protect Your Family with Debix! -
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?DebixIdentityProtect/ca23493dcb/a0eb88ddc9/02d65dbd41 -
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?DebixIdentityProtect/ca23493dcb/a0eb88ddc9/9029a8f76f Or Call 866-747-5214 between 9am-5pm Central.


Black Friday Is Coming...Don't Fall Victim to These Holiday Scams

It's hard to believe that it's time for holiday shopping! As you make
your shopping lists for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, be sure to
safeguard your identity. Unfortunately, where most people see holiday
cheer, criminals see an opportunity to scam and steal.

Here are a few precautions to take when shopping in stores:

Guard your valuables: This is the easiest, and in many ways the most
effective, way to avoid identity fraud during the holidays. Keep an
eye on the cashier: Cashiers have been known to write down customer
credit card numbers for later use, or, in a patently brazen move,
bringing in their own card swiper and swipe your credit card
information into it after swiping it for your legitimate purpose.
Watch for over-the-shoulder peekers: When standing in line waiting to
be checked out, you should guard your credit card, driver's license
and other important pieces of ID.

If you decide to give money to charity this holiday season, make sure
you don't fall victim to a charity scam! Here are a few steps to take
when making a donation:

Confirm it's a real charity: Our favorite tool for verifying
charities is

Charity Navigator
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?DebixIdentityProtect/ca23493dcb/a0eb88ddc9/0b9d09169c. You can search by name, type of charity, and location to confirm the
group's existence, and view how it is rated by the Charity Navigator
staff. Steer clear of phishing attempts: If you receive an email,
Tweet, or Facebook message requesting a donation, don't click on any
of the links in the message. Instead, go to Charity Navigator or
Google the organization to go directly to its website. That way, if
you do choose to make a donation online using your credit card, you
know the intended group is getting your money and your credit card
information is safe. Shred any unwanted mail from charities: Make
sure to shred any snail mail you receive soliciting charitable
donations. Charities mailings often include a form already filled out
with your name and address. Don't just toss these in the trash, as
the personal data not only offers identity thieves a great deal of
information, but the type of charity who targets you for donations
does as well.

Protect Your Family with Debix! -
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?DebixIdentityProtect/ca23493dcb/a0eb88ddc9/aab56f4d85 -
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?DebixIdentityProtect/ca23493dcb/a0eb88ddc9/5d88497947 Or Call 866-747-5214 between 9am-5pm Central.

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Debix Identity Protection
823 Congress Avenue, Suite 300
Austin, Texas 78701
US