Sunday, October 18, 2009

Identity Theift - Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff


Utah Identity Theft

Utah Identity theft is when a criminal uses your name, social security number or other personal information to commit a crime for financial gain in the state of Utah. ID theft has become has become an epidemic in the U.S. and around the world, with millions of people becoming victims of identity theft each year.


Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff fights for the people of utah read more at his website http://attorneygeneral.utah.gov/protecting_utah.html


Utah Loan Fraud
Types of Loan Fraud
Utah
All Locations
Business/ Personal / Student Loan
2.8%
2.6%
Auto Loan / Lease
1.6%
1.95%
Real Estate Loan
1%
1.2%
Unspecified
0.2%
0.2%
Total
5%
5%

Loan fraud comes in several forms. A thief using a victim's name to take out a loan is one form of ID theft. But, Utah loan fraud scams also include advanced-fee loan fraud scams, where criminals place fraudulent advertisements in newspapers or online, in which consumers are asked to call an 800 or 900 phone number to apply for a loan. The thief then says he can only approve the victim if they provide a small advanced processing free, usually around $300. The thief takes the money and runs. This scam is sometimes known as the Nigerian loan fraud scam, since the con artists often claim to be Nigerian government officials.
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Utah Bank Fraud
Types of Bank Fraud
Utah
All Locations
Existing Accounts
15%
8.5%
Electronic Fund Transfer
7.8%
6.6%
New Accounts
4.2%
3.6%
Unspecified
0.2%
0.1%
Total
16%
18%

Not every bank hires honest, upstanding employees. This means that a bank employee might use your personal information for his or her own financial benefit. He or she may use your identity to acquire credit cards or create new accounts in your name. “Phishing” is another Utah bank fraud crime that often involves a fraudulent online auction or online bank. Emails from these ID thieves may direct consumers to a counterfeit banking website. The information is then used to commit purchases or drain the credit card accounts of consumers.