Fraud & Violence

Identity Theft, Domestic
Violence, Internet Security,
Fraud and Scams

Bullying, domestic violence, identity theft, internet security, scams, cons and fraud are issues which increasingly affect many of us in the world of today.

Don't Risk Your Identity Being Stolen, Protect it NOW
Identity Theft is One of the Fastest Growing Crimes
Over 40,000 Reported Cases in U.K. in 2001, Many More
Unreported

In today's society it is not your word or character which incites the most trust, but your credit rating. Without a good credit rating you can't open a bank account, obtain a credit card, buy a house, hire a car, get a student loan, get a small business loan - the list goes on. If your credit rating is damaged you will pay increased fees and interest rates.

SAFEGUARD YOURSELF AGAINST IDENTITY THEFT
PROTECT YOUR CREDIT RATING

Identity theft is now one of the fastest growing crimes in the USA and UK and is growing throughout the world. Identity theft can happen to anyone. Thieves get the information they need from your credit cards, receipts, social security numbers, drivers licenses, passports, computers, in fact anywhere where your personal information is stored or discarded. They then use this information to obtain drivers licenses, credit cards etc., in your name.

Innocent people have had their credit records ruined, their driving records ruined, large bills run up on their accounts and their personal possessions taken over. Imagine the nightmare of waking up one day and finding that due to identity theft, crimes have even been committed in your name. The stress, the paperwork, the clearing of your name and the sleepless nights often take a bigger toll than even the debt. Identity theft is very, very serious and can be very difficult to sort out.

Over 40,000 cases of identity fraud reported in UK in 2001, many more went unreported or were placed in other crime categories. Identity theft is not yet a crime under current UK law.

Identity theft was used by some of the terrorists
on September 11

Computer and Internet Security
Is Your Personal and Business Information Safe?

Many homes now have computers, which may be used for educational, entertainment, communication or business purposes or a combination of the above. This equipment, its associated software and hardware items are attractive to burglars as it is relatively portable (especially laptops) and easy to sell. The lure of this expensive equipment, which may well be on view through a window could be hard for a thief to resist.

Don't make identity theft easy,
secure your computers and information,
install firewalls, lock your discs in safes
and shred your documents

The loss of the equipment is bad enough (normally covered by your insurance), but the loss of the information stored on the computer could be even worse. Others may be able to access all of your personal information and details, which could enable them to steal your identity and also your customers if you are in business. See section on identity theft.

If your business details and records were on the computer, their loss could be enough to cause your business to collapse. Confidential information relating to your company and customers/suppliers to whom you have a duty of care could also be accessed by these criminals, or others.

Your computer is also at risk from hackers and viruses. To improve your internet security you should install both a firewall and virus protection software.

Without a firewall hackers can access your computer, view what you are viewing and steal your personal and or business information. Every minute that you are online your computer is vulnerable. Your identity can be stolen and used through the information that they have gained about you. Hackers may also break into your system to use it as a base to unlawfully compromise a commercial system, which then makes it look as if you are the one doing the hacking.

Counterfeit money
Be aware that funny money is around
check your money carefully

Many of us may have innocently handled counterfeit money without even realising it, in turn passing it on to others. It is often only when passing this money over to a tradesman or a bank who sometimes check for counterfeits that we learn that some of our notes are worthless forgeries. While some counterfeit notes are extremely poor and easy to detect, others are very good. The Bank of England has estimated that there are approximately £90 million of dud notes on the UK streets at any one time.

Don't get caught out, we tell you how to check your money

Watch Out for Conmen, Scamsters and Fraudsters
They Come in Many Guises and Prey on the Unwary and Trusting.
they may even impersonate policeman.

All consumers are vulnerable to scams, cons and fraud. To avoid being caught you must be aware of and be familiar with the way that these crimes are perpetrated. By arming yourself with this knowledge you will reduce the chances of becoming one of their victims. You must always be alert and vigilant in all of the transactions that you make, as they all have risk and responsibility attached, especially to the unwary, trusting individuals that the con men tend to pick on.

Unfortunately many of the so called 'Business Opportunities' (Biz Opps), can also fall into the scams category, with many (in some cases extremely desperate) people being conned out of their savings or redundancy money. These poor people join these schemes in the hope that they can earn a living rather than remaining unemployed. Those caught out by these scamsters are often those who can least afford to lose money and who in many cases only got involved in the first place due to financial desperation.

Domestic Violence and Abuse Against Women and Men Wrecks Families

Domestic violence, abuse and bullying wrenches apart thousands of families every year, the victims, although mainly women come from all walks of life, all cultures, all income groups, all ages and all religions. Many of these violent attacks are at the hands of their husbands, boyfriends or lovers. Due to their feelings of isolation, helplessness, fear, guilt and shame, victims rarely tell anyone about their problems, not even friends, relatives, neighbours or the police.

Violent attacks both inside and outside the home are criminal offences, nobody has the right to abuse you physically, sexually or emotionally. The attackers may often try to make you feel responsible and guilty for the abuse, making it more difficult for you to take action against them.

Our new book ’How to Protect Your Family and Belongings NOW’ contains hundreds of security and safety tips for the whole family, (211, A4 pages) both in and away from the home. It is now available for instant download

Topics covered in the manual include:

* Typical Scams, Cons, Fraud

* Internet security

* Counterfeit money - checking and recognising

* Identity theft - what you should shred

* Victims of identity theft

* Abusive callers - how to avoid - do's and don'ts

* Domestic violence

* Computer security

* Information security

* Viruses, firewalls

Back to home page