The Identity Theft Protection Guide

Score Your Info Savvy

Read through the following explanations to find out how much you know. When you're finished reading, tally your correct answers and give yourself one point for each one.

If your final score is nine or below, the street date for this book is September 2004 - order early because you need it. If you score a ten or an eleven, you should be proud of your savvy, but I'll bet that I can still surprise you in this book. If you score a twelve or more, you're REALLY on top of things…you get to write the sequel!

1) Which is more dangerous to carry around in your wallet: a credit card or a checkbook?

SHORT ANSWER: By far, the checkbook is more dangerous.
LONG ANSWER

2) What is more likely to happen: having your identity stolen or having some personal item stolen?

SHORT ANSWER: They are equally likely to happen.
LONG ANSWER

3) Most people have heard of their "credit report," but in reality each of us has more than one. How many credit reports does the average consumer have?

SHORT ANSWER: Three (that matter)
LONG ANSWER

4) TRUE or FALSE, you should order your credit reports once a year.

SHORT ANSWER: Absolutely TRUE!
LONG ANSWER

5) In addition to reporting on how you pay bills, credit reporting agencies also assign you a score that quantifies your creditworthiness. TRUE or FALSE, you should order your credit score once a year.

SHORT ANSWER: False
LONG ANSWER

6) If you sign up for the national Do Not Call list, how long will it be before all the telemarketing calls stop?

SHORT ANSWER: They will never all stop.
LONG ANSWER

7) Which of the following is tracked by the insurance industry to help make underwriting decisions and set rates?

a history of insurance claims you have made
the number of claims made on your house before you moved into it
who you loan your car to
your credit score
all of the above

SHORT ANSWER: e) all of the above.
LONG ANSWER

8) TRUE or FALSE, voter's registration information for all US citizens is now available online.

SHORT ANSWER: False
LONG ANSWER

9) We've all heard that employers can legally read our emails and listen to our calls, but is it against the law for an employer to monitor what you do in your free-time?

SHORT ANSWER: Not everywhere.
LONG ANSWER

10) TRUE or FALSE, by 2006, all mobile phones will have built-in technology that allows law enforcement to track where you are.

SHORT ANSWER: True. Many phones have the technology built in now, but the FCC has targeted December, 2005 for a national network to track the location data supplied by your phone.
LONG ANSWER

11) According to available reports, how many lives have red-light cameras at intersections saved?

between 0 and 100
between 100 and 1,000
between 1,000 and 5,000
between 5, 000 and 10,000
More than 10,000

SHORT ANSWER: It's difficult to tell but a few studies suggest that the answer is a) between 0 and 100.
LONG ANSWER

12) What percentage of air travelers are currently on government lists of people who are considered dangerous for travel on commercial airlines, also call "no-fly" lists?

SHORT ANSWER: 14 to 15%
LONG ANSWER

13) Of the 45 million kids currently online, what percentage will be propositioned for sex this year?

SHORT ANSWER: Almost 20% or 1 out of every 5 kids
LONG ANSWER

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