From the Back Cover
50 Ways to Protect Your Identity and Your CreditEverything You Need to Know About Identity Theft, Credit Cards, Credit Repair, and Credit Reports

"The author substitutes straight talk for legal mumbo-jumbo in 50 Ways to Protect Your Identity and Your Credit. Reading this book is like getting a black belt in consumer self-defense." —Jim Bohannon, host of The Jim Bohannon Show

"Identity theft is among the fastest-growing problems facing Americans today. This book will help you learn all you need to know to protect your lives, money, and security. Consider it your first stop in your quest for knowledge and guidance to prevent ID theft." —Robert Powell, Editor of CBS MarketWatch

"As one who has lived through some of the nightmare scenarios discussed by the author,

I believe "Steve's Rules" (Chapter 14) need to be placed in a prominent place so you can see them any time you think you are safe. They may be the new practical commandments for financial survival." —Doug Stephan, host of the Good Day nationally syndicated radio show

"Detecting and stopping identity thieves is imperative to protecting your finances and financial reputation. Steve Weisman shows you how to protect yourself and what steps to take if you are victimized. This is a must-read for anyone with a bank account and a credit card!" —Bonnie Bleidt, Boston Stock Exchange Reporter, CBS4 Boston, Host of Early Exchange, WBIX

Don't be a victim! Save your identity, save your credit—and save a fortune!

10,000,000 Americans had their identities stolen last year—don't be the next!

Discover easy steps you can take now to reduce your vulnerability.

Recognize "phishing" and other identity scams—online and off.

Learn what you must do immediately if you've been attacked.

Defend yourself against credit rip-offs, and stop paying more than you have to!

It's all here: simple rules, handy checklists, even easy-to-use form letters!
© Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

About the Author
25 Ways to Protect Your Identity and Your Credit

STEVE WEISMAN hosts the nationally syndicated radio show A Touch of Grey, heard on more than 50 stations across America, including New York City's legendary WOR and KRLA Los Angeles. A member of the National Association of Elder Law Attorneys, he has taught at the University of Massachusetts, Curry College, and Boston University, and is an adjunct faculty member at Bentley College. He holds a JD degree from Boston College Law School and is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court. Weisman has a legal practice in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He also speaks to groups on legal topics throughout the country. Weisman is legal editor and columnist for Talkers Magazine, and writes for publications ranging from The Boston Globe to US Air Magazine. He has earned a Certificate of Merit from the American Bar Association for excellence in legal journalism. He is the author of A Guide to Elder Planning: Everything You Need to Know to Protect Yourself Legally & Financially (Financial Times, Prentice Hall).
© Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
I50 Ways to Protect Your Identity and Your CreditINTRODUCTION

Identity theft is one of the most pervasive and insidious crimes of today; a crime that can tremendously disrupt your life—or even put you in jail for crimes you never committed.

This book explains the horrific details of the many identity theft scams so prevalent today. Story after story takes you into the dark world of identity theft and the dire consequences that can flow from this crime that affects more and more people throughout the world. This book shows you just how vulnerable you are, but it also shows you steps you can take to protect yourself, as best you can, from becoming a victim. It also tells you what to do if you become an identity theft victim.

This book also explains how the world of credit operates and your rights and responsibilities.

Sure, love makes the world go round, but perhaps Joel Grey's character in the musical Cabaret was also right when he said, "Money makes the world go round." Today, however, it is often neither love nor money that sends the world in a spin, but rather credit.

Your credit affects whether you can rent an apartment, buy a home, buy a car, get a job, obtain insurance, or even take a vacation. Your credit is important. And unfortunately, the world of credit is fraught with peril.

You may be discriminated against in credit because of your age, your gender, or your marital status.

The privacy of your financial information may be compromised and widely disseminated to your detriment, making you more vulnerable to identity theft.

Your credit card may have hidden fees, charges, and conditions buried within mountains of "fine print" that can have disastrous effects.

Taking the wrong steps to repair your credit can cause your further financial victimization.

Your credit report, widely used throughout the world of finance and affecting so many areas of your daily life, may be wildly inaccurate or tainted.

This book may scare the hell out of you, and rightfully so. It explains just how vulnerable we all are in the world of identity theft and credit. But it also tells you what you can do about these problems. It provides specific steps you can take to protect your identity and maximize your credit.
© Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Don't be a victim! Save your identity, save your credit—and save a fortune!

10,000,000 Americans had their identities stolen last year—don't be the next!

Discover easy steps you can take now to reduce your vulnerability.

Recognize "phishing" and other identity scams—online and off.

Learn what you must do immediately if you've been attacked.

Defend yourself against credit rip-offs, and stop paying more than you have to!

It's all here: simple rules, handy checklists, even easy-to-use form letters!

FROM THE CRITICS

Library Journal