Are all identity theft protection services rip-offs?

December 7, 2009

In the past, I’ve been pretty dismissive when it comes to identity theft protection services, but is it possible I’ve been too harsh?

Perhaps. I still believe that a lot of companies offering identity theft protection are charging you a lot of money for things you could do yourself, but are there at least some out there that are honest?

Apparently. Take Lifelock, Inc. from Tempe, AZ for example.

You know the commercials with the guy’s SSN plastered on the side of a truck? That bunch.

As it turns out, Lifelock is fully accredited by the Better Business Bureau, and has an A+ rating. To me, that says they deliver what they claim to deliver, and that they resolve customer issues in a timely and thorough fashion.

Now, whether or not they provide a service you could perform on your own for free, I can’t say; I’m not using any protection service. However, it sounds like Lifelock is on the up-and-up.

Again, though, you have to do your research and make sure you’ve got the right company; there’s another company called “Life Lock” out of Washington, DC that is not accredited and has a big, fat F. Similar name, not similar service.

So I guess I’m backpedaling just a little here. I’m no longer saying “never, ever use an identity theft protection or credit monitoring service,” but I will repeat one of the rules of picking a credit counseling company: make sure the company you’re working with is accredited and has at least an A rating (and I would hold out for A+). At least you’ll know they deliver on their promises, and will tell you in advance exactly how they do what they do.

Now, whether or not I’d plaster my SSN on the side of a truck is another story. Not all identity theft is financial, you know?

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Posted by Clint

Avoid charity scams this holiday season.

December 2, 2009

The holiday season is a time when concept of “giving” seems to come up a lot.

Hey, I’m all for it, too. Every single one of us, without exception, has something we could use to help someone else in our community, our country, or our world (“We are all connected,” after all). If “giving” was my main topic today, I would probably mention that there are people in need all year round, not just during November and December, but since it’s not, I won’t.

Instead, I’m going to talk about charity scams.

You see, two forces collide during the holiday season:

  1. The fact that a lot of people are thinking about “giving” more than usual
  2. The fact that there are people in the world who will do literally anything to line their own pockets.

It’s sort of a perfect storm.

However, there are some incredibly easy steps you can take to make sure you’re donating dollars to people who are in actual need, instead of donating to some crook’s wallet.

First, you could just decide ahead of time which charity or charities you’re going to support, and contact them yourself. If other organizations ask for donations, simply explain that you’ve already given what you had budgeted for the year. Legitimate charities will understand. Anybody who won’t accept this explanation is not to be trusted.

Secondly, consider donating something other than money. Food banks (like this one) can almost always use someone to help out at their distribution centers for a few hours, and there’s always the classic “helping out at the Soup Kitchen” scenario. Call or email organizations in your area and find out what sort of in-kind donations they’re looking for.

These two methods of giving are pretty safe. Scammers are looking for the easy money—they’re not going to set up an entire working food bank in hopes of skimming a few hundred dollars. However, there always seem to be a lot of opportunities that spring up on the spur of the moment this time of year.

First off, be cautious of charities that contact you via email. Most legitimate charities aren’t going to seek new donors this way. However, if you’ve given to an organization before, they might use email, since it saves them money on postage. Still, never respond directly to an email soliciting donations—use the organization’s official website or phone number, which you should use a source other than the email message (phonebook, Internet search, etc.) to find.

Always ask what percentage of your donation goes to help whoever the charity is supposed to help. If they’re on the up-and-up, they won’t mind the question. An angry or otherwise negative answer is a warning sign.

Donating by check is recommended over cash, as it gives you a way to track your donation for tax deduction purposes. However, never make the check out to a person—always write it to the organization.

I would also suggest going one extra step and paying by cashier’s check, to keep your checking account number out of general circulation, but if it’s an organization you trust, you can make that call yourself.

Watch out for fake charities using names that sound similar to real ones. Sometimes the difference between “foundation” and “center” can mean the difference between your money being used for the greater good, or just ending up in some dirtbag’s pocket.

Check out any charity with the Better Business Bureau before you donate, and I would also suggest doing a general Internet search. Sometimes you’ll find “Scrooge Lists” that call out charities who only pass on a tiny portion of their proceeds to the people they’re supposed to be helping. Be especially wary of any organization that claims to be raising money for disabled or retired police officers or firefighters or their families. A lot of these so-called charities are scams, plain and simple. What would you call a charity that keeps over 98% of its proceeds? 

Finally, as a general rule, never respond to an unsolicited charity request without doing some homework first, no matter who the person contacting you claims to be. Know who you’re donating to before you send a single dime.

Once you’ve verified that you’re dealing with a legitimate charity, however, have at it—give as generously as your conscience dictates.

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Posted by Clint

Do credit repair companies work?

November 5, 2009

You see the advertisements on the Internet, in your inbox and even on television; “We can fix your bad credit!” All that negative stuff on your credit report—gone in a flash. These companies know how to take your hot mess of a credit report and turn it into a bright, shiny, new credit report with no negative information.

Fine. Dandy. Except that no, they can’t.

First, let’s get our definitions straight: there is credit counseling and credit repair. The first can be a legitimate way to fix the situation you’re in. The fact that you’re in credit counseling shows up as a negative hit on your credit report and will lower your score for a while, but when you’re in over your head, it’s probably worth it.

The second one is basically a sham.

You see, while the Fair Credit Reporting Act gives consumers the right to challenge (and ultimately have removed) inaccurate or outdated items on their credit reports, information that is timely and accurate stays. There is no “secret” method to getting it removed; if you defaulted on a credit card two years ago, that’s going to haunt you for a while. If you’re staying afloat but have a massive amount of debt racked up, that’s going to show up on your report. There’s no way around it.

In other words, any company that’s promising to erase your bad credit history is scamming you.

However, that doesn’t mean your credit can’t be repaired. The thing is, you have to take the initiative to do it yourself, and it takes time—several years, in some cases.

This may not be the answer you wanted, but it’s the only true answer.

So how do you repair your bad credit on your own? First, pay off everything you owe. Don’t take on new debt if you can avoid it. If you have to take on some debt, pay it on time, every time. Visit a credit union, too—many offer small “payday alternative” loans that make those Payday Loans look like the rip-off they are. These loans are for small amounts, with very low interest rates and easy repayment terms. You’ll probably have to verify employment to show you can and will repay the loan—this is why credit unions weren’t a part or cause of Economic Crash-N-Burn ’08—they generally only gave loans to people who could handle them. REGIONAL calls its version of this loan the Step Up Loan, by the way.

At any rate, showing that you can repay a small payday alternative loan will help you re-establish your credit history and start to swing the pendulum back towards “good credit.”

Okay, I know…Dave Ramsey says that all debt is bad debt, so he’d probably bristle at my mentioning this route towards rebuilding your credit. Obviously, the ultimate goal is to not owe anyone and be able to buy most things with cash. However, you’re probably not going to hit that “able to buy a house with a briefcase full of C-notes” point for several years. In the meantime, you’re going to need to rebuild your credit so you can borrow a little here and there. And heck, if you can operate without credit once you’ve got your old debts paid off, more power to you. But let’s stay grounded in the here-and-now reality of most people for the moment.

If you’re at the point where your debts and bad credit are overwhelming, it may be time to call in a good credit counseling agency. Just be sure to remember these points:

  1. Only use credit counseling services that are not-for-profit
  2. Never pay a credit counseling service up front
  3. Make sure the agency is Better Business Bureau accredited
  4. Make sure they have an A or A+ rating from the BBB
  5. Remember that it takes time and effort on your part to fix your credit; there are no free rides.

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Posted by Clint

Misleading credit counseling advertisements on television

September 28, 2009

I just saw what may have been the sleaziest credit counseling commercial I’ve ever seen.

It appeared on the Weather Channel around 2:30 PM local time (I was watching Full Force Nature; they had some really killer close-up tornado footy).  Now, sleazy ads during daytime television are nothing new, but this one was incredible.

It began with footage of the President giving an address about the economy. I don’t know the date or specific topic of the speech—I know he used the phrase “drastic action.” This was framed by graphics designed to closely emulate the look of a broadcast from a cable news channel. There was a headline at the bottom of the screen about debt counseling, with a ticker underneath that, the kind they normally use to give up-to-the-minute stock prices.

After the (out-of-context) presidential clip, it cut to a woman in front of a photo of either the White House or the Capital Building. She was dressed in a sharp suit like a news anchor, and was telling you to call now for information on debt elimination. The headline and ticker remained at the bottom of the screen. If you weren’t paying close attention, you might easily mistake it for a genuine news item. Naturally, the color scheme of the ad was red, white and blue.

Of course, it wasn’t real. Consider these facts:

  1. Real news broadcasts don’t tell you to call a toll-free number for information on debt counseling
  2. The government does not endorse any such service, nor did it create the advertisement
  3. The President did not create or approve the ad, nor does he endorse any such service
  4. Anyone can create a TV commercial using cheap graphics and public domain footage and, as long as they purchase the time, have it run on television
  5. Ads that run during daytime television are created under the assumption that you are jobless, directionless, desperate and not very intelligent. In other words, they’re insulting. Take them with a massive grain of salt.

I didn’t catch the name of the company, but I wish I had. I’d gladly post it here, along with their BBB rating and the advice to not use their services. If I catch the commercial again, I’ll make note of this information. If it is a legitimate, non-profit counseling service, they need to be told that their advertisements are misleading and unbecoming. If they’re not, they need to be called out on it and run out of business.

There are real, non-profit credit counseling services available for those who need them. REGIONAL has a relationship with Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Northwest Indiana. They’ve got an excellent BBB rating.

If you’re in a different area, start with the Better Business Bureau, and don’t use any service with anything less than an A rating.

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Posted by Clint

Hit these links

August 14, 2009

Let’s take a break from the Identity Theft Myths series today, and instead look at some other topics from other places on the web.

“Is Facebook becoming Phishingbook?” explores a social media scam that seems to be growing lately. Summary: if you’re Facebook friend tells you they’ve been mugged in London and need you to wire money, don’t.

Excellent advice from Craigslist. There is a lot of fraud happening through this popular site. Summary: only buy/sell locally, and never wire money. Ever.

“10 Ways to Avoid Sneaky Work-at-home Scams” is exactly what it sounds like. Summary: the economy is weak and these scams are only going to become more common.

“Beware of Cash For Clunkers Scams.” I’ve covered this here before, but the Eastern Michigan BBB has some more information on the topic. Summary: CARS works by taking your heap, junker or jalopy (or “hoopty,” in the parlance of our times) to a dealer and trading it. There is no pre-registration or anything.

We’ll return to the Identity Theft Myths next Monday. Until then, have fun.

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Posted by Clint

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