Latest news with #SocialSecurityNumber
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Miami Herald
‘Zero tolerance for fraud': Miami tightens driver's license procedures
Miami is increasing the stringency of document checks presented by driver's license applicants as proof of their legal status. On social media, Miami-Dade County Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez issued a stern warning to those seeking driver's licenses issued by the state of Florida that his office, where driver's license applications are currently processed, will not tolerate fraud related to documentation submitted by applicants. 'Using false documents to obtain a driver's license or state ID is a crime. In Florida, driving privileges are only granted to those who meet all legal requirements, including proof of legal presence and verified residency,' he wrote on his X account on Thursday. 'As Miami-Dade County Tax Collector, I am committed to protecting the integrity of our services. No more shortcuts. Zero tolerance for fraud,' he added. Fernandez emphasized potential attempts to misuse or manipulate the system by submitting documents that do not meet verification standards, including fake bank statements or utility bills (water or electricity), to obtain a driver's license or REAL ID. He also stated that the document constituted a 'privilege' and not a right. He clarified that providing false documentation constituted a crime. 'The use of fraudulent documents not only violates the law, but also undermines the trust we strive to build in our community,' he said. 'As Miami-Dade County's tax collector, I am fully committed to protecting the integrity of our services. Our office is strengthening fraud protocols, implementing new technology, and training our staff to identify and prevent these illegal attempts,' he stated. Increased demand for driver's licenses Since early May, the REAL ID has become standard for domestic travel at U.S. airports, a requirement that Florida drivers' licenses and identification cards meet. These documents also serve as proof of regularized immigration status in the country, amidst the ongoing operations and raids by several federal agencies targeting illegal immigration. Last month, a new state regulation went into effect limiting the term of the validity of driver's licenses for certain legal immigrants. Meanwhile, Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) centers have faced long lines and chaos in Miami amid increased demand for driver's licenses and REAL IDs. In response to the chaos, the Miami-Dade tax collector's office decided to incorporate such procedures for the benefit of taxpayers. Fernández has opened several new offices, while promising to expand services to other areas of the county where they are currently unavailable. To get a driver's license in Florida, you can present several identification documents, including: ▪ Permanent residence card or green card ▪ Proof of Social Security Number ▪ Bank or credit card statements ▪ Public service receipts, such as water, electricity, and gas, in the applicant's name.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How to read a credit report
Your credit report is a comprehensive document of your credit history that dictates your credit score and influences financial decisions made by lenders. Understanding your credit report can guide your spending and borrowing choices, leading to a better credit score. Regular scrutiny of your credit report is essential to identify any inaccuracies that could harm your credit score and financial well-being. You have the right to dispute any errors with the credit bureau, backing your argument with appropriate paperwork. It may seem intimidating to read a credit report, but breaking down the information in your reports is easier than you think. When you understand how to read a credit report accurately, you gain a better understanding of your overall finances. It also makes it easier to identify any errors or inconsistencies that might be negatively affecting your score unfairly. Your credit report is a detailed record of your credit history and is used to determine your credit score as well as other financial decisions by lenders and other parties. Learn how to understand credit reports and check for errors at least once a year to keep a solid foundation. You can order one free copy of your credit report each year from the three main reporting bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. You can get all three reports at once for free by ordering directly from While there may be minor differences in how each of your credit reports is organized, all three bureaus should provide accurate information in these five sections. Your personal information will include your name — including former names and any aliases — your Social Security number and birth date. Your report will include current and previous addresses and contact information, like phone numbers and email addresses. Watch out: Check for typos and incorrect identity information. Make sure that all the personal information included in your credit report is correct. Every part of your credit report needs to pertain to you: not your dependents, not your former spouse, and especially not a stranger with the same name. A misspelled name (even just an incorrect middle initial), an address you don't recognize, an errant digit in the Social Security Number or a phone number that isn't yours are all indicators that your report may have been confused with someone else's. Your credit report will include current and previous employers. Employer history is sometimes included in the personal information section. Watch out: Make sure you recognize all employers listed. Your employment history doesn't affect your credit score since it has nothing to do with your credit or your debt. It's included on your credit report to verify your identity, so finding incorrect information like company names you don't recognize or employers you never worked for is a red flag. Your credit history is the largest section of your credit report and the most important. Your FICO credit score is calculated with quite a few factors, including amounts owed (30 percent), the length of credit history (15 percent), new credit (10 percent) and credit mix (10 percent). But your payment history determines the majority of your credit score calculation (35 percent). Since your credit history includes the most important pieces of data used to determine your credit score, you'll need to spend time carefully checking for errors in this section of the report. The credit history of your credit report will include the following components: Current and closed accounts from the past seven to 10 years. This includes individual accounts, joint accounts and ones where you're listed as an authorized user. You'll see revolving credit, like credit cards and home equity lines of credit, as well as installment loans, like student loans, auto loans or mortgages. Payment history. This is a record of all your payments, particularly whether minimum payments were made on time. Negative accounts will show any payments that are missed. Past-due amounts may be reported as 30, 60, 90, 120 or 150 days late. Current balances. This includes the current balance when the issuer reported to the bureau and the highest ever balance on the account. Names of creditors and lenders. Every account listed will include the name of the lender or creditor and the date it was opened. Credit reports don't include specific information about individual purchases. Credit limits or loan amounts. The current credit limit for revolving accounts and the original loan amount for any fixed installment accounts. Account status. You may see accounts listed as open, closed, paid, refinanced, transferred or foreclosed. Some accounts may be marked as charged off, which is when a debt is between 90 and 180 days past due and considered delinquent. Even after you've closed an account or paid off a loan, the accounts will appear in your credit history for a period of time. Negative credit information — including late payments, delinquent loans and charged off loans and accounts — can remain on your credit report for seven years. Credit information about closed accounts in good standing will disappear from your credit report after 10 years. Watch out: Carefully review all account details, particularly payment history. Carefully scrutinize your credit history to check that the account number, account name, balance amount, payment history, payment due date and payment status are all correct. Check to make sure that the account's current credit limits or original loan amounts are correct. If the credit limit listed is lower than the one you actually have, it may hurt your credit utilization, which in turn impacts your credit score. Public records related to debt will be included in your report. These could include bankruptcies, foreclosures or repossession. Public records stay on your report for seven years with one exception: Chapter 7 bankruptcy will stay on your report for 10 years. All of these can hurt your credit score because they show a pattern of serious delinquency. This section does not include arrests, lawsuits, divorces or unaffiliated infractions with the law, like speeding tickets. Watch out: Public records can seriously impact your financial prospects. If your credit report has a public record included, you may need to submit a credit report explanation to lenders to explain why there's a negative item in your report. Any public record included on a credit report must include your name, address, Social Security number or date of birth and must be verified with a courthouse visit at least every 90 days. Make sure the public record pertains to you with the correct name, date of birth, address and personal information included. Tax liens no longer affect your credit, so you shouldn't find property tax liens, income tax liens, federal and state tax liens or civil judgments on your report. If you find a tax lien on your credit report, you need to dispute the error with the credit bureaus. A credit inquiry is a record on your credit report that shows who accessed your information and when. There are two types of credit inquiries: Soft inquiries happen when you check your own credit. Soft inquiries, also known as soft credit checks, also happen when current creditors check your account or when other companies plan to send pre-approved offers. Hard inquiries are more serious. These appear when lenders check your credit when you apply for new credit cards, credit card limit increases, loans or mortgages. Hard inquiries can also happen when a collection agency is trying to locate you. While soft inquiries do not affect your credit score, each hard inquiry can temporarily drop your credit score by a few points. Hard inquiries matter because they can indicate increased risk to lenders as they wonder why you want or need more credit. Watch out: Hard inquiries can lower your credit score or be a sign of identity theft. If you notice an inquiry you don't recognize, it could indicate identity theft. However, it's possible that an unfamiliar credit inquiry on your report could be the result of multiple potential lenders pulling your report after you apply for a loan or mortgage. That said, issuers typically consider similar closely-timed inquiries as a single inquiry if they happen within a certain time frame — usually 45 days or less. Check the dates of all inquiries listed as they should be removed after two years. You can always file a dispute and request a hard inquiry removal. Credit reports are an important snapshot of your financial health. Credit can make or break your chances at getting a mortgage and influences what kind of credit cards, insurances and interest rates you qualify for. Having good credit can make it easier for banks and lenders to say yes to your credit applications, and you're more likely to be offered lower interest rates or better loan conditions, like a low fixed-rate mortgage or a higher credit limit on a card. With good credit, landlords are more likely to rent you an apartment. Bad credit means that you're limited to fewer credit card options, you'll miss out on the benefits that come with top-rated credit cards, and you're likely to have higher interest rates and higher insurance premiums. Bad credit could mean being turned down for a rental, having to make a larger upfront payment or taking on a cosigner with good credit. Understanding your credit report helps you know where you stand so you can work on building your credit score. Regularly reviewing your credit report at least once a year also gives you a chance to correct any errors to make sure your credit report is an accurate representation of your financial situation. If you find incorrect or outdated information on one of your credit reports, you can file a dispute with the credit bureau to get it updated. Mistakes happen, and it's important to catch them as incorrect information can affect your credit score, as well as any application processes that consider your report. Once you file a dispute, the credit bureau has 30 days to make a decision on whether to remove the item. You should get into the habit of checking your credit report for errors that could hurt your credit score or indicate identity theft. Potential errors include: Unfamiliar accounts and account numbers you don't recognize. Addresses you've never lived at. Former spouses listed on credit cards, loans and bank accounts. Incorrect reporting of account status, such as accounts incorrectly reported as late or delinquent. Gather relevant documents to dispute credit report errors. Since disputes are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, you'll need to provide documentation to support your claim. You will need to provide proof of your identity, including your Social Security number, date of birth and a copy of your ID — like your driver's license or passport. Depending on the specific error, you may need to submit copies of documents to support your case, which could include bank and credit card statements, loans or death certificates. Experian, TransUnion and Equifax all accept online disputes. You can easily fill in your information online or dispute by mail or over the phone. Equifax: You can dispute online or by mail to Equifax Information Services, LLC, P.O. Box 740256, Atlanta, GA 30374-0256. Dispute over the phone at 888-378-4329. Experian: You can dispute information online or over the phone using the toll-free number included on your credit report. Dispute by mail at Experian, P.O. Box 4500, Allen, TX 75013. TransUnion: Call the toll-free number 800-916-8800, dispute online or by mail to TransUnion Consumer Solutions, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA, 19016-2000. Make sure to complete and include the request form on the website. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires any information considered inaccurate, incomplete or unverifiable to be corrected or deleted from your credit report within 30 days. Knowing how to read your credit report helps you understand how to improve your credit and maintain a healthy credit score. You need to monitor your credit reports regularly to catch potential identity theft and fraud. When you understand why it's important to check your credit report and understand how to read a credit report, you can make more informed decisions about your spending and behavior as a borrower. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Coin Geek
11-06-2025
- Coin Geek
How BSV can end the age of SSN-based identity theft
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... In an age defined by digital transformation, the persistence of outdated and insecure systems stands in stark contrast to the rapid pace of innovation elsewhere. Perhaps nowhere is this contradiction more evident than in how personal identity is handled in the United States. At the center of this broken model is the Social Security Number (SSN), a nine-digit relic designed in the 1930s to track earnings and benefits, not to serve as a universal password to a person's entire life. Yet today, the SSN is treated as exactly that. It has become a linchpin of identification, verification, and authorization across financial services, government programs, employment processes, and healthcare access. The problem is simple. SSNs were never built to be secure. They are static, easily copied, and universally accepted across countless platforms with minimal safeguards. Once compromised, they provide a direct gateway for identity thieves to wreak havoc on a person's credit, finances, and personal reputation. Compounding the crisis is the role of credit reporting agencies such as Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, which have turned the mass collection of sensitive personal information into a multi-billion dollar business. These institutions, operating with limited transparency and little consumer oversight, store enormous amounts of data in centralized servers. These databases, frequently targeted by cybercriminals, are an open invitation to large-scale breaches. The infamous 2017 Equifax breach, which exposed the sensitive data of more than 147 million Americans, was not an anomaly. It was an inevitability. The scale of damage from identity theft is staggering. Victims often spend years recovering from unauthorized loans, ruined credit scores, fraudulent tax filings, and emotional distress. Yet the response from institutions remains inadequate, with most reforms offering little more than cosmetic fixes. What's needed is a fundamental redesign of how identity is stored, verified, and controlled. That is precisely where the BSV blockchain steps in, not as a speculative asset or digital fad, but as a robust infrastructure to rebuild identity from the ground up. BSV, or Bitcoin Satoshi Vision, is a public, scalable, and regulation-friendly blockchain that emphasizes data integrity, immutability, and micropayment functionality. Unlike other blockchains plagued with high transaction fees and congestion, BSV is purpose-built to handle enterprise-level data operations at low cost and high throughput. This makes it uniquely positioned to support a decentralized identity system capable of replacing insecure legacy models. At the heart of this new model is self-sovereign identity. Rather than relying on a central authority to issue and protect your identity, users on the BSV blockchain can establish digital identities backed by cryptographic keys. These identities can be enriched with credentials issued by trusted institutions such as governments, schools, employers, or banks and anchored to the blockchain through hashed records. This creates a verifiable trail of trust without revealing private information unless explicitly authorized. This model prevents the wholesale leakage of identity. A person no longer needs to share their full birthdate, address, or SSN to prove they meet certain requirements. Instead, they can present digitally signed assertions such as 'over 18,' 'U.S. citizen,' or 'employed by X company' without disclosing sensitive background data. Each interaction can use single-use credentials, ensuring that even if a data packet is intercepted, it cannot be reused or exploited elsewhere. Critically, BSV can also bring transparency and accountability to the credit reporting ecosystem. Currently, consumers have little to no visibility into who is accessing or modifying their credit reports. Unauthorized access may go undetected for months, and disputing errors can be a drawn-out process with few protections. By recording credit access logs and data modification events on the BSV blockchain, consumers and institutions alike can benefit from an immutable audit trail. This provides indisputable evidence of who accessed data and when, making abuse far easier to identify and rectify. Additionally, the tokenization and micropayment capabilities of BSV enable dynamic data permissioning. For instance, a user could grant a lender temporary access to a credit credential in exchange for a micro-fee, with the permission automatically expiring after a set duration. No permanent data transfer occurs, and the user retains full control over who can see what and for how long. This shift from static data sharing to tokenized, revocable access transforms the power dynamic between individuals and data brokers. One of the key advantages of using BSV for identity and credit reform lies in its alignment with legal frameworks. Because BSV emphasizes lawful data handling, verifiable records, and compliance-ready infrastructure, it can integrate with existing regulations like Know-Your-Customer (KYC), anti-money laundering (AML), and data privacy laws such as GDPR and CCPA. It does not seek to replace the role of governments and institutions. It enhances them by enabling these entities to issue and verify credentials in a secure, decentralized manner. Beyond the technical benefits, the societal impact of a BSV powered identity system could be profound. Victims of identity theft are often the most vulnerable such as low-income families, the elderly, immigrants, or people navigating health crises. These populations face higher barriers to resolving fraudulent activity, obtaining credit, or proving their legitimacy. By placing identity tools directly in the hands of individuals and eliminating reliance on unaccountable third parties, BSV has the potential to democratize access to secure identification and financial participation. The promise of blockchain has always been rooted in trust. Trust in the integrity of data. Trust in the permanence of records. Trust in systems that operate without the need for blind faith in flawed institutions. BSV delivers on that promise by offering the infrastructure to make trust programmatic, verifiable, and enforceable. The United States cannot continue to rely on a 90-year-old identifier and a handful of oligopolistic credit agencies to safeguard the digital lives of 330 million people. The tools to build something better already exist. BSV offers the foundation for a more secure and user-controlled identity future, one in which breaches are no longer inevitable, credit is no longer unaccountable, and individuals are no longer powerless. The question is no longer whether blockchain can solve the problem but whether institutions are ready to embrace a system that shifts power back to the people they claim to serve. Watch: Why identity is important as we move to Web3 title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="">
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Newest FTC Data Reveals Americans Lost Billions to Fraud in 2024 — Here Were the Most Expensive Scams
Scams and fraud impact millions of people every year, and falling for a scam can mean losing thousands of dollars. Be Aware: Try This: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported that in 2024, 2.6 million U.S. consumers reported a whopping $12.5 billion as lost to fraud — a figure 25% higher than in 2023. To protect yourself, it helps to know how to spot a scam. Data from the FTC indicated that the two most damaging types of fraud last year came in the form of investment and imposter scams. Read Next: Investment scams outpaced any other category of fraud targeting U.S. consumers in 2024, with reports of $5.7 billion in losses — an uptick of 24% in total value lost from 2023. These sorts of scams typically see fraudsters enticing victims to invest money into fraudulent assets, and when the transfer is complete, the cash disappears — along with the criminal who defrauded the victim. Imposter scams, on the other hand, accounted for $2.95 billion in losses coming from American checkbooks. These scams involve a fraudster pretending to be someone trustworthy or an authority figure, like a representative of a bank or government. They use this feigned authority and the urgency of dire consequences to convince victims to give them personal information, like a Social Security Number, or send them money. One striking fact: Last year, consumers reported losing more money to scams wherein they paid off the fraudsters with bank transfers or cryptocurrency than all other payment methods combined. And a second: While the FTC took in fraud reports from 2.6 million consumers in 2024 — and that number nearly matches the figure from 2023 — the total sum of money lost was much larger. Further, growth in particular subsets of scams was in evidence. Government imposter scams, a scenario in which a fraudster pretends to be a government official seeking monetary restitution or payment of some sort, saw consumer losses total $789 million, or about $171 million higher than in 2023. Business and job opportunity fraud, where hopefuls might pay false recruiters or hiring agencies for a way into their desired careers, accounted for $750.6 million in losses — up $250 million from 2023's figure. Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said, 'Scammers' tactics are constantly evolving. … The FTC is monitoring those trends closely and working hard to protect the American people from fraud.' The pace of these reports does not appear to be slowing, either. A separate FTC data sheet indicated that for 2025, year-to-date, 75,458 reports of government imposter scams have been recorded. The scammers represent themselves as collecting tolls or representing the Social Security Administration, Medicare or even the FTC themselves. Most payments this year have been made by gift card — never a valid payment method for government-owed debt — and most scammers called their victims via phone. More From GOBankingRates The New Retirement Problem Boomers Are Facing 9 Downsizing Tips for the Middle Class To Save on Monthly Expenses This article originally appeared on Newest FTC Data Reveals Americans Lost Billions to Fraud in 2024 — Here Were the Most Expensive Scams Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How to get a $500 Georgia Tax Rebate Check
Some good news could be coming to your mailbox or via direct deposit this week. The Georgia Department of Revenue announced this week that it will begin issuing $500 rebate checks to all eligible taxpayers in the state. Gov. Brian Kemp announced his intention to issue a rebate back in April when he signed House Bill 112 into law. This is the third time that Georgia has issued a tax rebate, with the previous amounts being released in 2022 and 2023. The $1 billion rebate comes as a result of the $16 billion surplus Georgia announced at the end of fiscal year 2024. $250 for individuals filing as single or married filing separately $375 for those filing as head of household $500 for couples filing jointly Taxpayer must have filed Georgia income tax returns for both 2023 and 2024 Taxpayer may not be claimed as a dependent on someone else's 2023 return Taxpayer must be a full-time Georgia resident for tax purposes If a taxpayer is set up to get their refunds through direct deposit, the money will be wired into their bank account. If a taxpayer directed their refund to be sent through the mail, a physical check will be issued. The Georgia Department of Revenue began issuing the surplus rebate checks in late May. According to House Bill 112, refunds are not taxable for Georgia individual income tax purposes but could be taxable on federal returns. 'Our Department is ready to get this third round of refunds out the door efficiently and securely,' said State Revenue Commissioner Frank O'Connell. 'We appreciate the continued partnership with the Governor and the General Assembly in making this happen.' According to a press release from the Department of Revenue, taxpayers can check their eligibility using the Surplus Tax Refund Eligibility Tool, available through the Georgia Tax Center, by inputting their tax year, Social Security Number or Tax Identification Number, and Federal Adjusted Gross Income. For more details on the 2025 tax rebate distribution and to track the status of your rebate check, visit: The post How to get a $500 Georgia Tax Rebate Check appeared first on Capital B News - Atlanta.
