Equal Justice For All

Gangs are moving away from violent crime and petty theft

2006-04-22T11:12:00.000-07:00

Gangs are moving away from violent crime--That is the Good News!

Consumer Affairs is reporting that gangs are finding other ways to support their meth habits, etc. and to stay out of the more risky ways of "earning" a living.What did they choose? Something much less risky, but still very lucrative!

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/04/id_theft_gangs.html

Gang members are taking computer classes at the libraries and putting their newfound skills to work in Identity Theft.

George Schmidt
Independent Sales Associate
Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc.
http://www.prepaidlegal.com/hub/grschmidt

With Identity Theft, Being Careful Is Not Good Enough

2005-12-15T17:03:00.000-08:00

BEING CAREFUL WILL NOT PREVENT IDENTITY THEFT

Many people are under the impression that if they are careful with their personal information, they can avoid becoming victims of identity theft. Sorry folks, that just isn’t so!

You have without doubt seen many articles, and even information at your bank’s website or the website for your credit card company telling you what you need to do to protect yourself. I will not take up space in this article repeating what you can find there.

What you do need to be aware of is that no matter what you do, or how careful you are, there are still many ways that the identity thieves can get their hands on your data.
Have you ever bought a car?
Have you ever applied for a job, life insurance or medical insurance?
Have you ever taken out a loan, or refinanced your home mortgage?
Do you use your credit card in restaurants?

The list could go on and on. These few items just illustrate the kind of legitimate activities that expose you to identity thieves. One person in a legitimate business can compromise your private information. In fact, people you invite into your home are just as likely to utilize information they find when you aren’t looking. A high percentage of identity theft involves family members and people that know the victim.

The current percentage of victims in the United States is now over 18%, and will be over 25% by the end of this year. By 2010, the percentage is expected to be one out of TWO! More cases of identity theft have been reported in the last SIX MONTHS than were reported in the last TWENTY YEARS!

You may already be a victim and not know it. A recent study shows that 85% of victims don’t find out that they have been victimized until well after the fact. Often they find out when they start to refinance their home mortgage or apply for a new credit card.

I have read some articles that claim that Identity Theft Insurance is too expensive and not worth the money. Don’t listen to that! It just is not true. How much would it be worth to you on a monthly basis to avoid the cost and time involved in trying to clear up your accounts?

Surveys support the claims that the cost and time involved is increasing. The Identity Theft Resource Center has stated that victims can expect to log 600 hours recovering from this crime. Just three years ago, the average was 175 hours. Can you afford to be off work for that period of time to clear up your records? How much would it be worth to have one of the top Risk Management firms in the world doing all of this for you?

Can you continuously monitor your credit yourself? Would you actually do it? That is what it would take, and NO, you cannot and will not do it yourself. Our Identity Theft Shield provides just that kind of attention to ALL of your accounts, including many areas that you would not normally think could be involved in identity theft. Examples:
Derogatory comments added to your credit report
Public records are added to your report
Inquiries are made
A change of address is requested
New accounts are opened in your name

Early notification is the key, and the sooner you find out the better. The amount of losses and the amount of time needed will also be reduced. Most credit card companies will not charge you for fraudulent activity if notified within a stated period. By law, if you do not report fraud related losses within 60 days, you will be held accountable. Checking your credit report once a year, or even three times a year will not protect you.

If you become a victim, you will be able to report it quickly, and an experienced investigator will be assigned to do most of the work for you. The company will correct identity theft issues you have with:
Credit card companies
Financial institutions
All three credit repositories
The Federal Trade Commission
The Social Security Administration
The Department of Motor Vehicles
The US Postal Service
Law enforcement personnel and other organizations that may be affected.

Don’t wait until you become a victim of identity theft to do what is necessary to provide for these services. Pre-existing problems will not be covered by this program.

You can learn a lot about this service by going to: http://www.prepaidlegal.com/idt/grschmidt

You can also get a copy of the magazine that just reached the stands in early October. It is “Identity Theft—Special Report: You Are At Risk!” The magazine is from the publisher of Success From Home.

George Schmidt
Independent Associate
Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc.

About the author:
George Schmidt is an independent associate of Pre-Paid Legal Services and has been for over six years. In that capacity, George provides legal plans and the Identity Theft Shield to both individuals and employees of businesses at a discounted rate.
For additional information on any of the plans provided, go to: http://www.prepaidlegal.com/hub/grschmidt

Identity Theft Is No Laughing Matter

2005-11-17T10:02:00.000-08:00

United States: Identity Theft Is No Laughing Matter: Who´s Using Your Name?
14 November 2005Article by Mr Derrick Carpenter

It's a crisp November night, the Friday after Thanksgiving, and you're waiting for your car to warm-up before you start that long drive back home from your father's house in Philly, to North Jersey. There's a tap at your driver's side window, you look up into a beam of blinding light. It's the police. The officer motions for you to roll down your window; he wants to know why you're sitting in the car with the engine running.

You explain that you're sitting in front of your father's house waiting for your car to warm-up and you'll be on your way in a minute or two. "License, registration, and insurance," the officer barks, as though he gave no thought to what you just said. You're no criminal, you own a business, you've served in the Air Force, you haven't been drinking, and you've got a wife and two beautiful little girls to get home to, so you comply without an argument. "Big deal," you think, "I still have to wait for the car to warm-up anyway," as the officer retreats to his vehicle.
A minute later you're being removed from your car, placed in handcuffs and being read your rights. You want to know what's going on and you're told a bench warrant, from a town you don't remember being in, has been issued, for a ticket you can't remember receiving. "When did I get a ticket in East Orange," you ask more to yourself then anyone else. Your car gets impounded and you're transported to the East Orange, NJ police station, all the while you have no information regarding this ticket or its court date.

It's Friday night, you get your fingerprints and photos taken, call your wife and tell her what's happening: Court's isn't until Monday evening and because you were arrested for skipping court, no bail is set. Funny thing is she can't remember seeing any court notices either. Monday can't come fast enough; you're finally taken to see the judge, he opens "your" folder. Lo and behold they're not looking for "you" - you can go. Seems someone's using your name to break the law.
It didn't end with that. That first incident was three years ago; two weeks ago the East Orange police, accompanied by a local patrol person, show up at your house with the same warrant. This time you're handcuffed in front of your wife who is 7-months pregnant, your 4 & 5-year old girls and your neighbors. This time it only took three hours to straighten out the situation. Now, you carry a letter from the court all the time, it states that you're not the person for whom they are looking. This could happen for the rest of your life, you have to prove "I am me."

As providers of a service that offers Identity Theft Protection, my wife and I deal with horror stories like this client's everyday. Most of our clients are people who believe "these things happen to other people." Maybe you do too. The difference is they know how quickly they became other people, and had their lives turned upside down. Previously, we believed the cliché, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," to be pragmatic.

Now, we understand the problem: You Can't Prevent Identity Theft! You can't stop the millions of bits of information already in databases about you. However, you can protect yourself. First, knowing what's on your credit report! For this to be effective you need the information from all three credit repositories: Equifax, Transunion, & Experian. Secondly, having your credit continually monitored will alert you to any changes to or inquires into your credit report; the sooner the crime is detected the sooner you get your life back. Unfortunately, too many of us play the wait-and-see card, allowing these crooks to run up hundreds or thousands of dollars, applying for employment or medical benefits in our name, or as in this client's case, using your name to avoid criminal prosecution.

When all that stands between you, employment, healthcare, a home or a loan, a criminal record, or liability for income taxes, because some jerk took a job using your personal information, is your good name. What you better know is: Who's Using Your Name? Look at it this way, you have auto insurance, but you're not planning on getting into an accident; you have homeowners, life and health insurance, not because you want things to go wrong, but in the event they do you want everything back the way it was! A Report by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in September 2003 states: 1 out of 6 people fall victim to identity thieves yearly. Waiting and seeing is no longer an option. Your good name demands you become proactive.

I love a good laugh, but identity theft is no joke, even though Citibank would have us believe otherwise. If you've watched any television at all, since the commercials debuted. You've most likely seen the commercial where the couch potato with the "valley-girl" voice-over whines, "first I hit the checking account and then I went to the mall - fifteen hundred dollllars for a leather bustier." "She" doesn't care, it wasn't her money. She had already emptied the "poor slob's" checking account. I know humor sells and it sounds cute unless you're the "poor slob," or any of the other 5 million people who have been victimized.

The theft of people's identities is not a new crime; the information needed has become easily available. Partly due to the internet and the lax security protocols of our banks and other financial institutions', some of the blame rests with our need for convenience. We let our waiter or waitress walk away, to who knows where, to do who knows what, with our credit cards. We leave our outgoing mail in our mailboxes with the flag up, signals anybody can see. We discard important documents, with sensitive personal information on them, without first shredding them. We carry our social security card and use it as a form of ID. It's no wonder that for the fourth consecutive year, identity theft is the top consumer complaint.

In July of 2003 The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC)1, published a survey of victims of this crime, it studies not only areas that have been previously explored by the FTC, GAO and other consumer groups, but also quantifies areas that have never been tested. The study highlights include:
Fraudulent charges now average more than $90,000 per name used.

Nearly 85% of all victims find out about their identity theft case in a negative manner. Only 15% of victims find out due to a proactive action taken by a business.

The average time spent by victims is about 600 hours, an increase of more than 247% over previous studies.

The emotional impact of identity theft has been found to parallel that of victims of violent crime.
The responsiveness toward victims by the various entities with which they must interact, continues to be lacking in sensitivity in most cases and has not improved since studies released in 2000 (Nowhere to Turn) 2.

There are three major types of Identity Theft: Financial, Criminal, and Cloning. Unfortunately there is no way to prevent any of them. Identity thieves take advantage of a system that is basically flawed. Credit applications can be submitted by Internet, telephone or in person. According to law enforcement, the average arrest rate is under 5% of all reported cases. This primarily is due to the fact identity theft frequently crosses jurisdictional boundaries, with crimes often happening outside the city or county were the victim lives. Where does the victim report those crimes under these circumstances?

When was the last time you checked your credit report? Did you check your bank statement from last month or is it still unopened? This is a crime of opportunity and due diligence is the only way to catch it. Next time you're in your house of worship, on a bus, at a ballgame, or a movie look at the three people to your left and then the three to your right, chances are one of them is or has been a victim of Identity Theft or knows someone who has. I don't care how funny you think those Citibank's ads are, when someone uses your name and the police come take you out of your house in front of your family and neighbors, you won't be laughing.
Footnotes

The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) published, IDENTITY THEFT: THE AFTERMATH 2003 A comprehensive study -to understand the impact of identity theft on known victims as well as recommendations for reform. www.idtheftcenter.org

Beth Givens is a widely-respected expert in the area of privacy. She was one of the two co-writers of the landmark "Nowhere to Turn" study, done in 2000 and the first to study long-term impacts of identity theft on victims. Privacy Rights Clearinghouse www.privacyrights.org

Identity Theft Insurance Shows Rising Interest

2005-09-12T12:14:00.000-07:00

September 12, 2005 08:00 AM US Eastern Timezone
Identity Theft Insurance Appealing to Young Adults;
New Study from Vertis Identifies Generation Y's Rising Interest in Insurance Products

Customer Focus(R) 2005: Insurance (Slide Show: Business Wire)
BALTIMORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 12, 2005--Vertis, a leading provider of targeted advertising, media, and marketing services, today announced the results of its proprietary "Customer Focus(R) 2005: Insurance" study, which reveals that 15 percent of total adults would consider purchasing identity theft insurance.

More specifically, 38 percent of technically-savvy men age 18-24 expressed interest in this type of insurance, compared to 19 percent in 2003 (See Figure A in multimedia). Additionally, the figures report that 25 percent of women 25-34 and 23 percent of women 18-24 expressed interest in identity theft insurance.

"According to recent research from Gartner Inc., computer scams such as identity theft cost banks and credit card companies more than $1.2 billion annually," said Janice Mayo, senior vice president, marketing, at Vertis. "This has raised a red flag with consumers, especially those that frequently use the Internet, as they look to protect themselves from becoming a victim. Therefore, insurance agents who recognize this concern are wise to utilize multi-channel marketing strategies such as direct mail and the Internet to more actively promote identity theft insurance to this consumer audience."

Although identity theft insurance has found an interest within the 18-24 age group, the study also found increases of six to 10 percentage points in their interest in other insurance products, including long-term care, mortgage insurance, high and low face life insurance, and accident insurance products.

"According to the study, 22 percent of young adults interested in insurance products purchased them through their current provider, compared to eight percent in 2002. This presents a great opportunity for agents to cross-sell to these young adults," added Jim Litwin, vice president of market insight at Vertis. (See Figure B)

The Vertis "Customer Focus(R) 2005: Insurance" study shows the following additional findings, which provide insight into the type of insurance adults are most interested in purchasing.
Insurance Decisions Made by Adults

-- 42 percent of women 25-34 stated they would consider purchasing hospital/surgical benefits insurance in 2005, compared to 32 percent in 2003 (See Figure C)
-- 35 percent of men 18-24 considered purchasing accident products insurance such as AD&D (accidental death and dismemberment) and travel, compared to 25 percent in 2003
-- High face life insurance purchases increased to 14 percent among women 50-64, compared to 7 percent in 2003
-- 50 percent of men 65 and over responded that a $100,000 life insurance policy would be sufficient if they were interested in purchasing life insurance for the first time, compared to 28 percent in 2003

Who's Reading Insurance Direct Mail?
-- 77 percent of insurance direct mail readers with a household income of $50,000-$75,000 read life insurance direct mail
-- 53 percent of insurance direct mail readers with a household income of less than $30,000 responded to insurance direct mail by calling an 800 number, visiting a Web site, meeting in person with an agent, or via mail; this number has increased from 30 percent in 2002
-- Similarly, 46 percent of insurance direct mail readers with a household income of $75,000+ responded to mail offers from an insurance company, compared to 24 percent in 2002 (See Figure D)
-- 31 percent of women 25-34 who read direct mail looked at offers from insurance companies, compared to 23 percent in 2002; similarly, 24 percent of men in the same category read insurance direct mail, compared to 16 percent in 2002

Adults Interested in Identity Theft Insurance
-- 13 percent of women 50-64 stated they would consider purchasing identity theft insurance, an increase from six percent in 2003
-- Of the adults interested in identity theft insurance products, 34 percent have an income of less than $30,000, while 18 percent have an income of $50,000-$75,000 (See Figure E)
-- 22 percent of adults interested in identity theft insurance products have white collar occupations, while 14 percent have blue collar jobs

Who's Most Concerned About Their Pets?
-- 65 percent of adults interested in pet insurance have no children, compared to 28 percent with 1-2 children
-- Of the adults interested in pet insurance products, 37 percent are working women and 32 percent are white collar managers or professionals (See Figure F)
-- 43 percent of adults interested in pet insurance products are Baby Boomers (1946-1964), while 19 percent are Generation X adults (1965-1976)
-- Of the adults interested in pet insurance products, 30 percent have a household income of less than $30,000 while 18 percent have an income of $50,000-$75,000

About Customer Focus(R)
"Customer Focus"(R) is Vertis' proprietary annual study tracking consumer behavior across a wide variety of industry segments -- home improvement, furniture, grocery, sporting goods, home electronics, optical, insurance, credit cards, nonprofit, financial, retail, office supplies, and discount stores -- and media, including advertising inserts, direct marketing, and the Internet. The survey was first conducted in 1998 and, in subsequent years, has been expanded and modified to identify emerging consumer behavior patterns and track shifts in consumer practices and motivations.

Since its inception, "Customer Focus"(R) has proven to be one of the nation's most comprehensive examinations of consumer behavior. The survey of 2,000 adults -- conducted by one of the nation's leading field research companies in August/September 2004 -- measures both general and industry-specific shopping trends, and Vertis provides the significant data as a value-added service to its clients.

To acquire a customized "Customer Focus(R) 2005: Insurance" study or speak to a Vertis executive, please contact Michelle Metter or Maria Amor at 619-234-0345.

About Vertis
Vertis is the premier provider of targeted advertising, media, and marketing services. Its products and services include consumer research, audience targeting, media planning and placement, creative services and workflow management, targeted advertising inserts, direct mail, interactive marketing, packaging solutions, and digital one-to-one marketing and fulfillment. Headquartered in Baltimore, with facilities throughout the U.S. and the U.K., Vertis combines technology, creative resources, and innovative production to serve the targeted marketing needs of companies worldwide.

To learn more about Vertis, visit www.vertisinc.com.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "believes," "anticipates," "expects," "estimates," "plans," "intends," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

All forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from projected results. Factors that may cause these differences include fluctuations in the cost of raw materials we use; changes in the advertising, marketing, and information services markets; the financial condition of our customers; actions by our competitors; changes in the legal or regulatory environment; general economic and business conditions in the U.S. and other countries; and changes in interest and foreign currency exchange rates.

Consequently, you should consider any such forward-looking statements only as our current plans, estimates, and beliefs. Even if those plans, estimates, or beliefs change because of future events or circumstances, we decline any obligation to publicly update or revise any such forward-looking statements.

Contacts:
Vertis Grace Platon, 800-365-8957
or
FormulaMichelle Metter/Maria Amor, 619-234-0345

Article on Identity Theft From the CanyonCourier--Colorado

2005-08-22T10:50:00.000-07:00

Eight indicted in identity-theft ring
By Jonathan Ellis08/19/2005

GOLDEN — Eight people have been indicted by a Jefferson County grand jury in a massive identity-theft ring that defrauded more than 30 local and national artists.The victims include the artists and dozens of local stores and banks where members of the ring cashed fraudulent checks.

"To our knowledge it's one of the largest identity-theft cases in Jefferson County history," said Carl Blesch, an investigator with the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office. "This is the first in a series of identity-theft investigations that target check printers and people who are engaged in identity theft for the purposes of racketeering and illegal drug use."

The indictments, unsealed Monday, charge the eight with racketeering under the Colorado Organized Crime Act. The indictments allege the group committed forgery, criminal impersonation, theft and other crimes as part of a criminal enterprise, and each person could receive up to 24 years in prison. The investigation was conducted by the DA's office and Lakewood police.Those indicted were Nathanial Harris, 28; Kasiani Konstantinidis, 24; Aimee Carpenter, 31; Janet Garcia, 44; Theresa Ellenberg, 42; Renee Gutierrez, 22; Al Houston, 41; and Geneva Sanders, 18. More people could face criminal charges, Blesch said.

Authorities say the thefts started in late 2004 when Carpenter, an employee of a company that sponsored art exhibits, began stealing checks from artists who were renting booths for art fairs. The company's name was not released because authorities want to protect the owner.

Carpenter, Harris and Konstantinidis then used information on the checks to create bogus personal and business checks. The fraudulent checks were used for cash and to buy items at dozens of stores and banks across the metro area and added up to nearly $50,000.

Carpenter, Harris and Konstantinidis used a computer to create the bogus checks. The other five members of the ring took the checks to local businesses. Authorities say they divided merchandise and used money to buy illegal drugs.

Darlene Nixon, a Lakewood painter who was one of the victims, said the fraudulent checks created with her information were sophisticated and included water marks and other security features.Nixon accessed her account on the Internet and noticed two checks totaling about $1,200 written from her account. She frantically called her credit union and credit card companies to cancel her accounts."It's like any kind of theft. You feel like you've been violated, especially when it's your bank account," she said. "You put your money in the bank to keep it safe."

Jefferson County District Attorney Scott Storey received permission to form a second grand jury this spring to combat identity-theft cases and other complex crimes.This is the first major identity-theft case handled by the new grand jury, which will meet once a week for a year. More cases are expected.

Nixon said she never met Carpenter, although she did exchange e-mails with her. Nixon also said that anybody who writes a check could become a victim of identify theft. With camera phones becoming more common, all a cashier has to do is take a picture of a check and then reproduce that information on a computer.

"I guess you just have to take your chances," Nixon said. "I'm not going to stop writing checks for my purchases."Arrest warrants have been issued for Carpenter, Harris and Konstantinidis, Blesch said. The others have been arrested. Meanwhile, the DA's victim assistance unit has been contacting victims to inform them.

Recent Parade Magazine Article on Identity Theft

2005-08-08T16:23:00.000-07:00

Be sure to read this recent article from Parade Magazine that talks about how individuals can guard their identity: http://archive.parade.com/2005/0731/0731_identity.html

Short Excerpts are below:

How To Guard Your Identity
By Lynn BrennerPublished: July 31, 2005

Chese days, it seems you can’t turn on the news without hearing about yet another security breach exposing consumer information to identity thieves. Due to stunningly widespread corporate carelessness, the records of more than 46 million Americans were lost or stolen in the first half of 2005 alone. Clearly, it’s up to you to protect yourself. Here’s what you need to know..........

Can This Happen To You?
All a thief needs is your Social Security number—which is routinely used by government agencies, health care providers, utility companies, employers and financial institutions. Even your video rental store has it. Often, this information is publicly available. That’s how retired Gen. John M. Shalikashvili, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, became a victim: His Social Security number, along with those of other military officers, was published in the Congressional Record and later posted on a Web site. In 1999, thieves used their identities to open 273 new credit card accounts and run up $200,000 in charges.

And all your personal information is now for sale by data brokers. In February, ChoicePoint, a huge data broker, revealed that it had unwittingly sold consumer Social Security numbers and credit reports to criminals posing as businessmen. That disclosure was mandated by a 2003 California law requiring consumer notification when data is compromised. (A weaker version of that law has been proposed at the federal level.) The same law has revealed shocking corporate irresponsibility: Bank of America, Time Warner, Wachovia, MCI and Ameritrade are among the household names that have admitted losing the personal data of more than 6 million customers and/or employees so far this year. MasterCard International disclosed that a hacker had stolen 40 million account numbers from a company that processes the transactions of MasterCard, Visa USA, American Express and Discover cardholders.......

NOTE TO ENTREPRENEURS: IF YOU AREN'T MARKETING THE IDENTITY THEFT SHIELD YOU ARE LEAVING LOTS OF MONEY ON THE TABLE! Start as a Pre-Paid Legal Associate this month only for just $49 (Normally $249)

At the very least protect yourself and your spouse with the Identity Theft Shield:

http://www.prepaidlegal.com/idt/grschmidt

George R. Schmidt Independent Sales Associate 925-676-1926
Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc.
888-559-2135 (Leave a Message--Listen to Option 2))
Membership Enrollment-- http://www.prepaidlegal.com/info/grschmidt
Membership Overview Call: 1-918-222-7552
Business Opp.-- http://www.prepaidlegal.com/hub/grschmidt
Opportunity Conference Call: 1-800-261-3214

Identity Theft Victims Struggle to Clear Their Names

2005-07-27T09:46:00.000-07:00

More information on the identity theft crisis:

This story was printed from ZDNet News, located at http://news.zdnet.com --------------------------------------------------------------
By Alorie GilbertURL: http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-5805671.html

One in four Americans who fall victim to identity theft find it a struggle to clear their name, according to a recent survey.

Twenty-eight percent of victims have been unsuccessful in restoring their reputations, despite trying for more than a year on average, the Nationwide Mutual Insurance said in a report released Tuesday. The survey, which polled close to 1,100 victims, indicated that people spend an average of 81 hours working to resolve their cases.

"The survey shows that recovering from identity theft can be difficult, costly and stressful, but what is most alarming is that despite the time, money and personal duress victims go through, resolution is not always achieved," Kirk Herath, an associate general counsel at Nationwide Mutual, said in a statement.

More than half of all victims discovered the identity fraud themselves after noticing fraudulent credit card charges or withdrawn funds, the report indicated. It took respondents an average of five-and-a-half months after the first incident to discover the crime. Just 17 percent were notified by a creditor or bank of suspicious activity on their account.

The average sum of charges made to victims' accounts as a result of identity theft was $3,968, according to the survey. While most respondents were not held liable for the charges, 16 percent report that they had to shoulder some or all of the cost. Forty percent of respondents listed
police, banks or credit issuers as difficult to work with when attempting to resolve the problem.

The high-tech industry is increasingly in the crosshairs of the identity theft debate. That's because vulnerable computer systems at some major companies have recently exposed hundreds of thousands of consumers to possible data theft. Security breaches have been reported by data processor CardSystems Solutions, Citigroup's consumer finance unit CitiFinancial, Bank of America and Wachovia, data brokers ChoicePoint and LexisNexis, and the University of California at Berkeley and Stanford University.

Although the industry claims that a small percentage of identity theft cases begin online, a separate survey indicates such incidents are starting to dent the confidence of online shoppers. Three out of four Web shoppers told Gartner that they are more cautious about where they buy goods online, while a third report buying fewer items than they would otherwise because of security concerns.

In another survey by The Conference Board, 54 percent of online consumers said they more concerned about the security of their personal data now than they were a year ago.

NOTE: Just more reasons to get the Identity Theft Shield
http://www.prepaidlegal.com/idt/grschmidt

2005-07-26T13:45:00.000-07:00

Here is a little bit of encouragement to get your will prepared and let your family know where it is.

Read the article below just published in the Contra Costa Times (Contra Costa County, California)

First thing you need to do after you read the article is to get your Pre-Paid Legal Membership, and then have our attorneys prepare your will for you with your first month of membership--at no extra cost.
http://www.prepaidlegal.com/info/grschmidt

Your living will--Advance Directive--will also be prepared for you at no extra cost.

Contact me to answer any questions or provide additional information.

George Schmidt
925-676-1926 or
888-559-2135 (toll free for messages only)

Your Last Wishes
By Joan Morris
CONTRA COSTA TIMES (Contra Costa County, California)

A MYSTERIOUS LITTLE key, found tucked away in a dusty desk drawer, remains as confounding today as it was 13 years ago when Terry Ann Black found it. But while Black never learned what the key opened, she has used it to unlock a door and assist others in sorting out the estates of departed loved ones.

Black, a Lafayette resident who has worked 40 years as a nurse, is the author of "Caring Is Not Enough: The Most Important Questions You Can Ask," a self-published booklet that contains more than 70 questions everyone should answer.

The responses are intended to help loved ones deal with banks, creditors, funeral homes and the other loose ends we leave behind when we die.

It is also an insurance policy against the kind of legal and emotional nightmare that enveloped Terri Schiavo and her family. After doctors concluded that Schiavo had suffered irreversible brain damage, her husband, Michael Schiavo, sought to remove life-sustaining measures and allow her to die. Schiavo's parents objected, and because the Florida woman had never written down her wishes, the case was bitterly fought in court and in the halls of public discourse, eventually involving Florida's governor and Congress.

Black's book is not a how-to, nor does it offer advice or direction on whether you should prolong life in circumstances such as Schiavo's. It is instead a checklist to ensure you've done everything you should, and a record for your loved ones to help ensure your last wishes are carried out.
"We work so hard to provide for our families," Black says, "and then we risk losing it all."
The book asks questions -- and provides a space for the answers -- about basic topics, but ones that it's doubtful we think about.

Do you have a will? When was it written? Do you have a copy? Where do you keep it? Who is your attorney? Does anyone have a durable power of attorney? Do you have a living will? Do you have advanced medical directives?

Black intends the book not only to be a record of information, but a gentle nudge to get people thinking about putting their affairs in order. It is not a question of if we will die, Black says, but of when. And most of us have no idea when that will be.

Black and her family were living in the Boston area in 1992 when her father-in-law died in a traffic accident. In the midst of the shock of his death and the grief over the loss, the family had to sort through the man's personal effects. And had to start from the very beginning.
They knew he had made a will, but they didn't know the attorney's name or where the will was kept. They knew he had a checking account, but they had to search for evidence of the bank, clues to savings accounts and investments.

While sorting through the mounds of material, Black found the key. It was easily recognizable as a safe deposit key, but it bore no indication of where the box was kept or information on what was contained inside. It could be important papers, stock certificates, even money. Or it might be sentimental things, old photographs, love letters, a promise ring from years ago.
"I would never ever know," Black says. No one ever located the box.

Later, when Black's mother died, she left a similar maze of paperwork. More confusion came when the will was located. It had been written many years earlier and property that her mother had willed to others had been lost, sold or given to someone else in the intervening years.
"You prepare for school, you plan for vacations, you plan for retirement," Black says, "but we never plan to die."
Her experiences led Black to write her book, which in 1992 contained 50 questions. Since then, she added more, keeping pace with the growing complications of life and death in the 21st century. In addition to questions about advanced directives and medical powers of attorney, she also recently added questions about computer passwords to protected investment accounts.
Even the most careful planner may slip up, Black says. She thought she and her husband had put everything in order. They have wills, they've created a trust fund, they know how they want their estate shared. But neither of them had filed advanced directives with their hospital.

They have now.

Joan Morris is a feature writer. Reach her at 925-977-8479 or jmorris@cctimes.com.

Questions to ask
A small sample of the many questions in "Caring Is Not Enough"
1. Do you have a will? Where is it kept?
2. Do you have a guardian for your minor children? Who is it and what is their phone number and address?
3. Do you own real estate other than your home? Where is it located?
4. Do you have a financial planner? What is the phone number where they can be reached?
5. Do you own a cemetery plot? Where is it located?
• Record vital information for your loved ones.
• Record your personal requests.
• Record your financial information.
• Record your medical information.
• Record important phone numbers.
• Protect yourself from interference by others.

Online
• To a read a sample of the questions asked in the book "Caring Is Not Enough," go to www.contracostatimes.com.

HOW TO ORDER
Copies of "Caring Is Not Enough: The Most Important Questions You Can Ask" are available by mail or through the author's Web site. Send a check or money order for $8 to Terry Ann Black, P.O. Box 1397, Lafayette, CA 94549, or use PayPal at www.caringisnotenough.net.

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/living/health/12224466htm

New Jersey Veteran State Trooper Faces ID Theft Charges

2005-07-24T15:17:00.000-07:00

NJ Veteran state trooper faces ID theft, credit card fraud charges

July 19, 2005, 5:47 PM EDTTRENTON, N.J. -- A state trooper with 17 years on the job was suspended without pay Monday amid accusations that he applied for credit cards online using other people's names, birth dates and Social Security numbers while on duty.

Gary L. Stolinski, 37, of Mount Laurel, was indicted on official misconduct, identity theft and credit card fraud charges. Stolinski, a sergeant assigned to State Governmental Security Bureau, faces up to 15 years in prison and $175,000 in fines if convicted.

The trooper was not represented by a lawyer when he appeared for indictment, said Division of Criminal Justice spokesman John Hagerty. His home phone number is not listed. The indictment charges that Stolinski used a state police computer and other resources while on duty in Salem County last July 31 to apply for at least five credit cards using personal data from other people.

The security division for American Express Corp. determined that the applications were bogus, and contacted the legitimate holder of the Social Security number on one of the applications. The victim, an Arizona resident, contacted Flagstaff police, who reported the identity theft to police in Mount Laurel. Stolinski's next court date has not yet been set, Hagerty said.

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newjersey/ny-bc-nj--troopercharged0719jul19,0,3773695.story?coll=ny-region-apnewjersey

California Identity Theft Safeguards Inadequate--WSJ

2005-03-11T15:16:00.000-08:00

Another FIRST for California. Aren't we lucky!

A few notes from the article:

"California is the only state believed to have over One Million victims of Identity Theft last year."

"Only 11% of the cases statewide are solved."

It really makes you wonder how many millions of victims have not been reported in other states, where there isn't the same level of reporting, and how many are victims and don't know it yet!

Other points noted:Five of the nation's top 15 regions for identity fraud reports were from California.One in 10 victims last year were from California

Wow! So, who is Number Two?

Go this link link to see the full article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A64359-2005Mar1?language=printer

George Schmidt

New Schemes For Stealing Your Identity--and Credit

2005-02-22T17:06:00.000-08:00

SCENE 1. This is a new one. People sure stay busy trying to cheat us, don't they??

A friend went to the local gym and placed his belongings in the locker. After the workout and a shower, he came out, saw the locker open, and thought to himself, "Funny, I thought I locked the locker. Hmmmmm." He dressed and just flipped the wallet to make sure all was in order. Everything looked okay - all cards were in place. A few weeks later his credit card bill came - a whopping bill of $14,000!

He called the credit card company and started yelling at them, saying that he did not makethe transactions. Customer care personnel verified that there was no mistake in the system and asked if his card had been stolen."No," he said, but then took out his wallet, pulled out the credit card, and yep - you guessed it - a switch had been made. An expired similar credit card from the same bank was in the wallet. The thief broke into his locker at the gym and switched cards.

Verdict: The credit card issuer said since he did not report the card missing earlier, he would have to pay the amount owed to them. How much did he have to pay for items he did not buy? $9,000! Why were there no calls made to verify the amount swiped? Small amounts rarely trigger a"warning bell" with some credit card companies. It just so happens that all the small amounts added up to big one!

SCENE 2.
A man at a local restaurant paid for his meal with his credit card.
The bill for the meal came, he signed it, and the waitress folded the receipt
and passed the credit card along. Usually, he would just take it and place it
in his wallet or pocket. Funny enough, though, he actually took a look at the
card and, lo and behold, it was the expired card of another person.He called the waitress and she looked perplexed. She took it back, apologized, and hurried back to the counter under the watchful eye of the man. All the waitress did while walking to the counter was wave the wrong expired card to the counter cashier, and the counter cashier immediately looked down and took out the real card.

No exchange of words --- nothing! She took it and came back to the man with an apology.

Verdict: Make sure the credit cards in your wallet at yours. Check the name on the card every time you sign for something and/or the card is taken away for even a short period of time. Many people just take back the credit card without even looking at it, "assuming" that it has to be theirs.

FOR YOUR OWN SAKE, DEVELOP THE HABIT OF CHECKING YOUR CREDIT CARD EACH TIME IT IS RETURNED TO YOU AFTER A TRANSACTION!

SCENE 3:
Yesterday I went into a pizza restaurant to pick up an order that I had called in. I paid by using my Visa Check Card which, of course, is linked directly to my checking account. The young man behind the countertook my card, swiped it, then laid it flat on the counter as he waited for the
approval, which is pretty standard procedure. While he waited, he picked up his cell phone and started dialing.

I noticed the phone because it is the same model I have, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Then I heard a click that sounded like my phone sounds when I take a picture. He then gave me back my card but kept the phone in his hand as if he was still pressing buttons. Meanwhile, I'm thinking: I wonder what he is taking a picture of, oblivious to what was really going on. It then dawned on me: the only thing there was my credit card, so now I'm paying close attention to what he is doing. He set his phone on the counter, leaving it open. About five seconds later, I heard the chime that tells you that the picture has been saved.

Now I'm standing there struggling with the fact that this boy just tooka picture of my credit card. Yes, he played it off well, because had we not had the same kind of phone, I probably would never have known what happened.

Needless to say, I immediately canceled that card as I was walking outof the pizza parlor. All I am saying is, be aware of your surroundings at all times. Whenever you are using your credit cards, take caution and don't be careless. Notice who is standing near you and what they are doing when you use your card. Be aware of phones because many have a camera phone these days. When you are in a restaurant and the waiter/waitress brings your card and receipt for you to sign, make sure you scratch the number off. Some restaurants are using only the last four digits, but a lot of them are still putting the whole thing on there. I have already been a victim of credit card fraud and, believe me, it is not fun. The truth is that they can get you even when you are careful, but don't make it easy for them.

Are You Paying Someone Else's Income Tax?

2004-12-10T11:10:00.000-08:00

Woman Frustrated with Identity Theft
Reported by April Norris

DECEMBER 7, 2004 - Stealing identities, it's the fastest growing crime in the country. And it's keeping one woman from getting a loan to help buy her two little girl's Christmas presents.
23 year-old Cynthia Pedraza learned someone was using her social security number five years ago.She was young and didn't think much of it, but now she's on an emotional roller coaster trying to repair her name and credit.

Cynthia breaks down from all the frustration. She says every Christmas she and her husband take out a small loan to help buy presents for their little girls.
"We're depending on that money, it hurts."

But, tough times have prompted her four year-old to offer money from her piggy bank.
"She tells us, daddy if you need money, it's in here, my heart broke, it broke."

The reason for all the heartache, someone stole Cynthia's identity and her credit is ruined. Last year, the IRS sent her bills claiming she owed almost five-thousand dollars in back taxes.
"They were coming out North Carolina, Mount Erie, they were giving a lot of out of state W-2 forms and I never lived, I've never gone out of state but once when I was like eight."

That's when Cynthia started doing her own investigating. She found out a woman has been using her information to get jobs and spent $60,000 for down payments on three homes.

Cynthia has also learned where the woman lives and works. But Harlingen detective William Bilokury says arresting the suspect won't be easy.

"There's the reality of this situation, I would love to be able to drive over to the airport and jump on a plane on everyone one of these identity cases that I have and fly out to all these states, but realistically speaking we don't have the budget for that."

He says Harlingen police average about two hundred identity cases a year, and those are only the ones reported.

"It's just a lot of reality is hitting me in the face, I know there's a lot of people going through the same probably bigger probably worse."

The out of state authorities tell Action Four News they will question the suspect Wednesday. If she doesn't fess up to who she really is, they'll arrest her for falsely identifying herself to an officer which is a misdemeanor.

The officer says the most her bond will be set at five hundred dollars and if she makes bond, they fear she may skip town.

Woman Frustrated with Identity TheftTeam 4 News - Harlingen,TX,USA... heart broke, it broke.". The reason for all the heartache, someone stole Cynthia's identity and her credit is ruined. Last year, the ...

http://www.team4news.com/Global/story.asp?S=2663282&nav=0w0vTwxZ

George Schmidt

Pre-Paid Legal Services Issues Dividend and Letter to Stockholders

2004-12-06T16:17:00.000-08:00

The following letter was issued by PPL, with all of the appropriate legal statements re "forward looking statements", etc. I have not reproduced all of that here. See the Pre-Paid website for stockholders for all of those details.

PRE-PAID LEGAL ISSUES LETTER TO SHAREHOLDERS
ADA, OK, December 6, 2004 -
Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. (NYSE:PPD) ("Pre-Paid") -
The attached "Letter to Shareholders" from Pre-Paid Chairman and CEO Harland C. Stonecipher was posted on Pre-Paid's web site for shareholders and/or electronically distributed to them today.

Letter to Shareholders - No. 7

From Harland C. Stonecipher
Date: December 6, 2004

Today we announced a year-end dividend of 50 cents ($0.50) per share. We will consider a quarterly dividend next year. I thought I should explain this decision. Over the past five and a half years our stock has been so undervalued, our cash generation so great the decision to repurchase shares was obvious. And we did with conviction. We repurchased $210 million of our own stock, reducing the number of shares outstanding from 23.6 million to 15.5 million.

During the same period we doubled our membership revenues. However, because we reduced the number of shares outstanding, our per share membership revenues tripled. As to the future, without putting up one cent, each outstanding share today has 52% more of the future; i.e., 52% more of earnings as well as dividends forever. Had we not reduced the number of shares outstanding, the $7.8 million we will pay out as a $0.50 per share dividend would have been reduced to $.32 per share.

Prior to the recent reduction in the confiscatory taxes on dividends, paying a dividend rarely made sense, especially for a growing company. The new tax treatment changes that. Paying a dividend is now a rational option. But there is one caveat to our intention to pay a quarterly dividend. If conditions are such that we can use internally generated cash and/or borrowed funds to produce greater long-term per share results by repurchasing shares versus paying a dividend, as your long-term partner we want the flexibility to do so.

This does not mean repurchasing shares and paying a dividend are mutually exclusive. We will do what we think best given the conditions. Our focus is to maximize the value of each share outstanding. Until now we have opted to reduce the number of shares outstanding through share repurchases. Incidentally, in that same vein we no longer grant options.

Business models are not just financial concepts. Something has to be produced. Something has to be sold. The primary driver of our business is the value of our product. Our product is both unique and has extraordinary value. We urge you to become a member. Tell your friends about it. Use the product. By using the product you will see why we believe our product is both valuable and unique.

Last year we received 3.2 million calls from our members. Our 50 provider law firms, with their 990 dedicated attorneys, handled 2.3 million requests for professional assistance. The value of our product comes from our ability not only to satisfy each member's request for legal assistance but to do so promptly. This is crucial. It is something we do not take for granted. We are somewhat comforted by the hundreds of letters we receive each month from our members thanking us for helping them with a problem they could not otherwise solve. It is not uncommon for members to tell us how impressed they were with how quickly their call was returned, their problems solved. We will soon have these letters available on our website so you can see why we are enthusiastic about our product and about our future.

The importance of our ability to deliver a high-quality product and yet produce free cash cannot be overstated. That after purchasing $210 million of our own stock, building a new corporate headquarters, having more than $40 million cash and investments and but $45 million in debt and now declaring a dividend speaks clearly to the soundness of our financial model. We have a business model that allows us to grow and produce excess cash. We will continue, as we have these past five and a half years, to utilize excess cash to leverage operational results so as to produce maximum long-term per share results for our shareholder/partners through share repurchases and now paying a dividend. All of us at Pre-Paid appreciate your continued confidence. We do not take it for granted.

Posted by George Schmidt

Identity Theft Article--CNN Money Magazine--Anatomy of an ID Theft

2004-11-30T19:27:00.000-08:00

Anatomy of an ID theft

After Heather Harding's identity was stolen, she worked full time to reclaim her good name.

November 18, 2004: 3:24 PM EST By Joan Caplin, MONEY Magazine

NEW YORK (MONEY Magazine) - The first warning sign came last December, although at the time Heather Harding didn't recognize it as such. Instead, when the letter arrived from Capital One asking if she'd requested a credit application, Harding assumed a simple mistake had been made.

Five months rolled by without incident, but then the red flags popped up in rapid succession. A call from her bank, Wells Fargo, inquiring about her application for a line of credit. The same question from Chase, where she had no accounts. Then a message from a local Ford dealer, who said he hoped to see her later that day with the additional paperwork they had discussed.
Harding knew nothing about these transactions. Instead, she realized, she had become a victim of one of the fastest-growing crimes in the U.S.: identity theft.

The credit inquiries, it turned out, were just the beginning. As Harding would find out over the following months, the thief had also rented a luxury apartment with a pool, a fitness center and views of the Pacific Ocean. She signed up for utilities, cell phones, Internet service and cable. She opened multiple financial accounts and ran up nearly $10,000 in bills.

Yet, though the police are virtually certain they know the thief's true identity, she has not been arrested and probably never will be.

This nightmare, unfortunately, is all too common. Harding, 34, is one of 7 million people who were victims of identity theft in 2003, an increase of 80 percent from the previous 12 months.
At the Federal Trade Commission, identity theft is now the No. 1 consumer complaint. Only a tiny fraction of the perpetrators are prosecuted -- often, as in the case of Harding's alleged thief, because there are no witnesses who actually see the suspect filling out the credit application.
No one knows for sure how the criminal gained access to Harding's Social Security number, which opened the door to the thievery that followed.

What is more important, though, is the decisive action that Harding took afterward on her own behalf -- steps that ultimately restored her good name and absolved her of any financial responsibility.

Stage 1: Damage control.
Harding took the first crucial steps in wresting back her identity even before she understood properly that she'd been the victim of a crime. At the suggestion of a representative from Capital One, the first lender to contact her last December, Harding notified the police and the three major credit reporting agencies (CRAs) that a false credit application had been made in her name.

She also asked the agencies to place a fraud alert on her credit reports. That would supposedly prompt lenders to inform her of any new requests for credit in her name. In practice, however, it often doesn't work.

In this case, though, Harding received a flurry of unsolicited calls from lenders in May, enough to make her realize that someone was using her identity.

She kicked her damage-control campaign into high gear. She visited the Ford dealer who had left the mysterious phone message about the need for additional paperwork. There, sales manager Othman Ghneim explained that the fraud alert on Harding's credit report had popped up when he ran a check on the young woman who had claimed to be Harding.

His suspicions grew when he perused the report. He says, "I saw some credit there that I didn't think this girl could have. It went back too far -- she would have been about 10 years old."
As she listened to Ghneim describe his encounter with her Doppelganger, Harding got chills.
"She knew everything about me," Harding says. "She knew I was married, where I lived, that I drove a Mercedes. And she had a story for everything."

When Ghneim found no record of Harding having owned the Ford Taurus that the imposter wanted to trade in, for instance, she explained that her husband got the Mercedes in their divorce. The real Harding has been happily married for six years.

But it wasn't until later in the day, when police paid a visit to the impersonator and found out that she lived only 20 minutes away, that Harding (whose home is in a gated community in Orange County, Calif.) got truly scared.

Until that moment, Harding says, she'd been in denial. Now she realized her security was threatened. "She could do something to my house, to my family."

Stage 2: Reality sets in.
Harding quickly put a number of safety measures in place.
She placed passwords on her legitimate financial accounts. She filed a complaint with the FTC, which provides law enforcement officials with information that will help stop perpetrators.
Harding also recontacted the police, and called the CRAs to reactivate her fraud alerts, which can expire in as little as 90 days. (For more ways to protect yourself, click here).

Filing a fraud alert with one CRA is supposed to automatically trigger all three agencies to send copies of your credit report so you can detect and fix errors.

Harding took no chances and made three separate requests for copies. She received them within a week. The one from Experian, however, was blank. It took several weeks and considerable hounding before the corrected report resurfaced.

Stage 3: Grunt work.
Victims of identity theft can spend anywhere from 30 to 600 hours recovering from the crime. Harding's experience was at the upper end of the spectrum. As is typical, most of Harding's time was spent on phone-hold or in repeated attempts to correct or make headway in matters she thought she'd already corrected or explained.

Overwhelmed by the task at hand, Harding began taking time off from her part-time job as the director of marketing for a special-events firm. A month into her ordeal, she decided to quit for good. Reclaiming her good name had turned into a full-time career.

To stay on top of the job, Harding began keeping a log of action she took to set her credit record straight.

"I've worked in the special-events industry for about 15 years," she explains, "and I know details are extremely important."

Harding's records cover 10 single-spaced pages and a spreadsheet with headings such as "date," "company contact," "time spent" and "response."

Harding sent all her correspondence by certified mail, return receipt requested. Credit agencies, she learned, are required by law to respond within 30 days. If she had her letters time-stamped, in effect, she'd improve her chance of a quick response.

"You need to try to control the situation as much as possible," explains Harding.
Under the circumstances, Harding's quest for control was certainly understandable. In a 2003 study by the Identity Theft Resource Center, 76 percent of the respondents said they experienced "a sense of powerlessness or helplessness." Even more universal was the feeling of rage: 89 percent said they had it, as did Harding.

She began to have trouble sleeping and felt constant anxiety, "One minute, I'd be extremely angry and the next I'd be crying." In time, she even stopped socializing. "People try to understand," she says, "but it's very difficult unless you've been through it."

Creditors began hounding her, demanding payment for goods and services she'd never ordered. Getting out of town with her husband Wes became one of her few pleasures because Harding knew that then she couldn't get any phone calls.

"I was afraid to go to the mailbox or answer the phone," she explains. "I didn't know who'd be threatening me next."

Stage 4: Righting the wrongs.
Over the next four months, Harding vigilantly contacted every company that wrongly appeared on her credit report. She'd call, e-mail or send certified letters -- repeatedly -- until the false information was dropped.

She always identified herself as a victim of identity theft, then supplied the company with a notarized ID Theft Affidavit of the crime (available at ftc.gov).

"I asked as many questions as I could, to try and piece together what [the thief] had done," she says. "I was a real reporter."

The most stressful moment: visiting the apartment complex where the suspect lived, after the manager insisted on a face-to-face meeting.

"I was terrified I'd bump into her," Harding recalls. "I was afraid [the manager] would call her down and confront her." Her worries, though, were unfounded. The imposter never appeared.

Stage 5: Recovery.
One year after Harding first became a victim of identity theft, she has finally managed to clear her name. The fraudulent accounts are closed, the black marks have been erased from her credit record, and some equilibrium has returned to her life.

Charles Juntikka, a New York attorney who specializes in credit report litigation, is impressed with what Harding has accomplished in a short time, but warns that negative data sometimes creep back into the credit reports.

Stay vigilant, Juntikka cautions, and "don't assume that once the problem is fixed, it's fixed for good."

Harding may be in a better position to prevent a recurrence than many other victims because of where she lives. California is one of just two states (Texas is the other) that allow identity-theft victims to put a freeze on their credit reports.

Now the only way a bank or other creditor can run a check on Harding is if she gives her permission via a PIN. Under state law, Harding is also entitled to review her credit reports for free every month for a full year to make sure there is no improper activity.

In the coming year, all consumers will be the beneficiaries of greater protections against identity theft. A nationwide system of fraud detection and alerts that is supposed to take effect Dec. 1 creates procedural standards that CRAs must follow to ensure that future requests for credit are legitimate.

It also allows victims to report the crime with a single call. In addition, between now and September 2005, everyone will be able to begin checking their credit report once a year for free.
Harding will certainly be checking hers. She never wants to feel as out of control as she has this past year; she compares the emotional impact of identity theft to battered person syndrome.
While she hopes her nightmare has ended, she concedes, "Once you've been through an experience like this, I don't think you ever really know if it's over for good."

Find this article at: http://money.cnn.com/2004/11/18/pf/security_IDrecovery_0412/index.htm

Save yourself a lot of trouble and expense with the Identity Theft Shield:
http://www.prepaidlegal.com/idt/grschmidt

George Schmidt

US Chamber of Commerce and National Black Chamber Support PPL

2004-11-29T17:06:00.000-08:00

The following announcement was released by Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. announcing the support of these two prestigious organizations in their quest to recover attorney's fees and expenses from the plaintiffs counsel as a result of lawsuits dismissed in Mississippi:

Company Contact:Steve Williamson(580) 436-1234
Pre-Paid Garners Support of the United States Chamber of Commerce and the National Black Chamber of Commerce in Action Against Frivolous Lawsuits.ADA, OK, November 29, 2004 - Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. (NYSE:PPD) announces that the National Chamber Litigation Center, the public policy legal arm of the United States Chamber of Commerce, and the National Black Chamber of Commerce have joined Pre-Paid in seeking attorney's fees and expenses from plaintiffs' counsel following an earlier court victory in Mississippi.

On November 12, 2004, in the Circuit Court of Wilkinson County, Mississippi, Pre-Paid filed a Motion for Attorney's Fees and Expenses pursuant to the Mississippi Litigation Accountability Act of 1988 and Rule 11 of the Mississippi Rules of Civil Procedure. Pre-Paid argues that no effort was made by plaintiffs' counsel to determine the validity of their clients' action, claim or defense before the lawsuit was asserted against Pre-Paid.

In the brief filed with the court, Pre-Paid asserts that plaintiffs' counsel did not provide responses to discovery requests for more than two years after filing suit; that the responses actually provided were unverified and/or inaccurate and contrary to the plaintiffs' own testimony; that the majority of plaintiffs were either dismissed or moved to other cases prior to trial; and when the remaining two plaintiffs went to trial, the jury found that none of the claims had been proven and awarded no damages.

The National Chamber Litigation Center filed a request to file an Amicus Curiae brief in support of Pre-Paid's motion. According to the Chamber's brief, in the earlier lawsuit filed against Pre-Paid plaintiffs', counsel utterly failed to make any reasonable inquiry about the basic facts before filing the Complaint. The U.S. Chamber is the world's largest business federation representing more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector and region.

The National Black Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, nonsectarian organization dedicated to the economic empowerment of African American communities. The NBCC has 190 affiliated chapters throughout the United States and represents 95,000 African American owned businesses.

In a motion filed last week in the Circuit Court of Wilkinson County seeking leave to file an Amicus Curiae brief, the NBCC states frivolous lawsuits have a direct impact on the continued availability of affordable legal services in the African American community and "thereby affect substantial, legitimate, independent interests of the NBCC."

"We are pleased to see the support of the U.S. Chamber and the National Black Chamber of Commerce on this critical issue for Pre-Paid, businesses and the African American community," stated Pre-Paid Chairman and CEO Harland C. Stonecipher. "We believe it is time that plaintiffs' attorneys be held accountable for the damaging financial and business impact that frivolous lawsuits can have on a business, and a community."

About Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc.Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. develops, underwrites and markets legal service plans across North America. The plans provide for legal service benefits, including unlimited attorney consultation, letter writing, document preparation and review, will preparation, traffic violation defense, automobile-related criminal charges defense and a general trial defense. More information can be located at the Company's homepage on the worldwide web at http://www.prepaidlegal.com/.

Forward-Looking StatementsStatements in this press release, other than purely historical information, regarding the Company's future plans and objectives and expected operating results, and statements of the assumptions underlying such statements, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The forward-looking statements contained herein are based on certain assumptions that may not be correct. They are subject to risks and uncertainties incident to the Company's business that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties are described in the reports and statements filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including (among others) those listed in the Company's Form 10-K and Form 10-Q, and include the risks that the Company's membership persistency or renewal rates may decline, that the Company may not be able to continueto grow its memberships and earnings, that the Company is dependent on the continued active participation of its principal executive officer, that pending or future litigation may have a material adverse effect on the Company if resolved unfavorably to the Company, that the Company could be adversely affected by regulatory developments, that competition could adversely affect the Company, that the Company is substantially dependent on its marketing force, that the Company's stock price may be affected by short sellers and that the Company has been unable to increase significantly its employee group membership sales. Please refer to pages 39 and 40 of the Company's 2003 Form 10-K and pages 8 through 10 of the Company's September 30, 2004 Form 10-Q for a more complete description of these risks. The Company undertakes no duty to update any of the forward-looking statements in this release.

(This is the entire content of the announcement released to the press.)

George Schmidt

Excel Representatives Get Opportunity From Pre-Paid Legal

2004-11-11T18:51:00.000-08:00

Pre-Paid Legal Services announced last week that they are coming to the rescue of the Excel representatives who have literally been dumped by Excel. When the parent company Vartec filed for bankruptcy, part of the filing called for cancellation of all of the Excel agreements with their representatives--loss of income and loss of the organizations that some of these representatives have worked years to build up.

Recently, I saw a notice that one of the orginal founders of Excel is creating a new company--with the expectation that these loyal reps would gladly join him in another venture. Why would anyone want to get burned again?

The company then sold the list of representatives to Shaklee that markets health foods and household items. Shaklee apparently thought these reps would be so desperate as to jump into any new venture that the "company" opened up for them. Why would anyone do that? This is not even in the same industry!

Pre-Paid Legal is a 32 year old NYSE Corporation with 1.65 Million members in the US and Canada. These Excel reps now have the opportunity to join a financially solid, well managed firm that will be there for them long term!

Pre-Paid Legal Services has offered the reps the opportunity to move over to Pre-Paid Legal at a substantially lower rate than normal, only $49 and stay at their Excel promotional level for the next six months--earning advance commissions from day one, at a level as high as Executive Director, without even meeting the requirements that all other PPL Associates must meet in order to qualify every month for the Executive Director Level and above. This means that an Excel ED can earn $182.50 commission for a $26 per month membership from day one of their enrollment as a Pre-Paid Legal Associate.

When the Identity Theft Shield is added to that $26 membership, the commission can increase another $69.85.

Any Excel rep that wants to investigate this further can contact me---and I will provide you with the necessary enrollment forms.

Proof of Excel rank will be required. The Excel rank will be changed at the end of six months to the level that the new associate has actually earned. That should not be a problem for most Excel reps because they already have some very loyal sales teams that they can bring with them--on the same basis.

Make your move quickly before your team is scattered to the winds, or quit entirely. Keep your Excel family together--bring them with you to PPL.

George Schmidt
Independent Sales Associate
Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc.
925-676-1926
http://www.prepaidlegal.com/go/grschmidt_associates

Ada Evening News Report on Pre-Paid Legal Court Victory

2004-11-11T18:42:00.000-08:00

An Editorial by Lone Beasley of the Ada, Oklahoma Evening News reports on the recent court victories by Pre-Paid Legal Services in Mississippi. For the original article, go to:

http://www.adaeveningnews.com/adanewspages/editorial/htm

Posted 11/9/2004
Pre-paid Legal pitches a courtroom battle shut out

It is a given that if losers in frivolous lawsuits had to pay the winners’ court costs, frivolous lawsuits would become a thing of the past. Making losers pay is a chief tenet of tort reform, and rightly so.

Prepaid Legal Services, Inc., of Ada, who has suffered more than its share of frivolous legal hassles, is a great proponent of tort reform.

Most residents know that among other services, Pre-Paid Legal provides a low cost means of protecting ordinary folks from the potential ravages of being sued in law-suit-happy America (and Canada).

It also provides for legal service benefits, including unlimited attorney consultation, will preparation, traffic violation defense, automobile-related criminal charges defense, letter writing document preparation and reviews, and a general trial defense benefit.

But recently the firm found itself threatened by a lawsuit that might have intimidated many companies into simply settling out of court in an attempt to make it go away quickly.
Besides, the geographical location in which the case was to be tried was hardly reassuring. Wilkinson County, Mississippi has a reputation for being a good place to file lawsuits against large corporations. The juries there, history proves, have been particularly friendly to even the most frivolous plaintiffs’ complaints. Despite this, Prepaid Legal refused to be intimidated, fought the good fight and came up with a well-deserved victory.

In fact, it was a shut out. As the jury announced its verdict it became clear that the count was 12 jurors to 0 in favor of dismissing the suit.

Lately, the case had been awaiting a ruling from the court on whether it should be certified as a class action suit. In September the court issued its ruling denying class certification on multiple grounds.

Chalk one up for the good guys. Perhaps tort reform will one day render such defenses unnecessary.

Loné Beasley
Ada Evening News Home Page

Fake Companies, Real Money. Article on MSNBC.com

2004-10-26T10:21:00.000-07:00

MSNBC.com published an article on October 7, 2004 titled "Fake companies, real money"
The article was written by Bob Sullivan, Technology correspondent.

If you run a business and accept credit cards, or are even thinking about using credit cards for business sales, you MUST read this article.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6175738/

This kind of fraud against business was alluded to in the NewYorkTimes.com article "Identity Theft is Epidemic. Can It Be Stopped?". (I posted that on Sunday when the article appeared.)

I hadn't realized how many ways this is being worked by these thieves. In the NYTimes article, the thieves were using stolen credit cards to go into Home Depot and purchase expensive tools, then selling them off at half price to convert their purchases into cash quickly. Anybody need some cheap tools?

Our Identity Theft Shield does not cover Identity Theft against businesses (it is only available to individuals--including the member and spouse), but our Small Business Plan will help businesses get the creditors off their back when there are fraudulent charges against the business.

A quote from the article: "The bad news is, some of the providers are still trying to make him pay the bill for the charges. He figures he has spent about $5,000 in legal fees trying to clean up the mess."

Our Pre-Paid Legal Small Business Plans will provide access to attorneys who can help you clear these charges from your accounts--and get the creditors off your back. This may not come entirely without cost (an initial letter will come at no cost over the monthly membership fee), but you will have qualified, experienced attorneys working with you, and you will at the very least pay a discounted rate for the services.

If any of these creditors actually sue you, you will have 75 hours of attorney time already paid for. That could be worth $20 to $30,000 in attorney fees that you will not have to pay.

Get back to me for more information or just go to:
http://www.prepaidlegal.com/biz/grschmidt

George Schmidt
http://www.prepaidlegal.com/hub/grschmidt
pplconcord@yahoo.com

New York Times Article "Identity Theft Is Epidemic. Can It Be Stopped?"

2004-10-25T10:26:00.000-07:00

The New York Times has just published an extensive article at: http://www.NewYorkTimes.com
You can find the article under the "Most Emailed Articles" or simply go to:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/24/business/yourmoney/24theft.html?ex=1099721511&ei=1&en=d752c2aece8a1579

This article details the successful investigation of a ring of Identity Thieves who victimized 30,000 people nationwide and illicitly netted more than $50 Million. This ring was only caught because the principal character had left a link to his home phone! Typically, people like this are only caught when they make a dumb mistake, like this one.

The victims spend sleepless nights and months repairing their credit history. The task is beyond what most people can actually do on their own. Our Identity Theft Shield and Kroll Background Investigations take most of that work and expense off your hands--as long as you become a member before you have reason to know that you have become a victim. The clock is ticking! You may already be a victim and not know it--yet!

"Analysts say several factors have combined to make identity theft a particularly intractable crime: the growth of the internet and digital finance, decades of expanding consumer credit worldwide, the hodgepodge nature of local and federal law enforcement, and the changing but often still inadequate regulations governing the credit industry."

"Everyone is fair game. Thieves recently snatched the identity of a three-week-old infant in Bothell, Washington. And authorities say that the dead have been favorite targets of identity thieves for years......"

"In a report prepared by its consumer portection bureau, the F.T.C. said 27.3 million Americans had their identities stolen from April 1998 to April 2003--with more than a third of them, or 9.9 million, victimized the the last 12 months of that period alone...."

"Many of the most vicious cases, say analysts, involve corporate insiders who hijack sensitive personal information from corporate databases in order to begin picking people's pockets."
You have almost certainly given all of your most critical personal information out on a legitimate basis to lenders, refinance companies, employers, car dealers, insurance companies--you name it. If they have it, and they do, you are vulnerable and need to protect yourself.

The insider on the case described in the article was an employee of Equifax. Whoops! Can you trust any company with your personal data? The obvious answer is "NO". You need a means of protecting yourself.

In this case, the data providers were paid $60 for each identity. "Both Mastercard and Visa monitor Websites that broker stolen credit card numbers and other personal information. 'One of the things we have discovered is that your identity is worth about $10 on the Internet', said Linda Locke, a MasterCard spokeswoman."

I personally was hit by an identity thief in Ontario, Canada on a recent vacation trip. Someone at our hotel, the car rental agency, or a restaurant, copied down my name and credit card number. They proceeded to use that information to order $419 worth of athletic apparel from a catalog company for shipment to Ontario. Fortunately for us, American Express personnel thought this was a bit fishy, since my wife's name is not "Helen" and shipping the purchases off to Ontario didn't ring true, since we clearly don't live there.

Noone can prevent you from becoming a victim of Identity Theft. You cannot avoid it, no matter how careful you are, even though there are many things you should do to minimize the risk.

What you can do is check immediately to see if you may already be a victim, and find out faster when anyone is using your identity for unauthorized purposes. You can also get the help of Kroll Background Investigations to help clear up your accounts and your credit after you become a victim of identity theft. Kroll will furnish you with a fresh credit report, do a background investigation to see if your identity is being used, then continuously monitor ALL of your accounts--not just a credit card or bank account--anything that could affect your credit. They will let you know immediately if there is ANY activity that could affect your credit.

If you become a victim, Kroll will assign an experienced investigator to work with you to clean up your credit and rid yourself of the black marks on your credit. You probably could not do this yourself, and even if you could, it could take you months or years while your credit is ruined.

Don't wait! if you have reason to know that you have become a victim, items related to that theft will NOT be covered. BUT--if you have already become a victim, you need this service even more, because your identity is already out there to be used again.

Get yourself protected today for as little as $9.95 per month if added to a Legal Plan, or $12.95 per month as a stand-alone service, covering both your accounts and those of your spouse--two accounts for one membership fee. There is a one-time $10 enrollment fee. Existing or previous Pre-Paid Legal members will need a paper application rather than enrolling on-line. Just send me your mailing address, and I will get a package off to you right away!

http://www.prepaidlegal.com/idt/grschmidt
Watch the video at the website

If you want to order both the Family Plan (legal protection for yourself and covered family members) and the Identity Theft Shield, you will get the discounted rate on the Identity Theft Shield and have access to our top-ranked attorneys nation-wide. For both, go to:

http://www.prepaidlegal.com/info/grschmidt
Site has a video on our Family Plan

George Schmidt
925-676-1926 or
888-559-2135 (Toll Free For Messages Only)
http://www.prepaidlegal.com/hub/grschmidt

Identity Theft Quotes

2004-10-15T11:48:00.000-07:00

Here are a few quotes that we think adequately relay the pervasiveness of identity theft in our society today:

Seven million Americans were the victim of identity theft in 2002, an increase of 81% over 2001 levels. Incidents reported in 2003 suggest another major rise.2

"These results document that ID theft and fraud are now both an organized and a freelance criminal activity of major proportions.2- Dr. Alan Westin - Professor Emeritus of Public Law and Government at Columbia University - Privacy & American Business

Although 34 million U.S. consumers spent $2.5 billion on privacy protection products in 2002, 98 million adults do not know how to protect themselves against identity theft.2
Americans are extremely pessimistic on ID theft with 91% expecting further increases in the incidence of ID theft in the near future.2

"One of the most harmful abuses of personal information is identity theft.consumer education is the first line of defense against this kind of fraud and deception."- George W. Bush - President of the United States - February 4, 2002

"...to get a prison term of 1 year for.[ID theft].in Pennsylvania, a defendant would have to steal approximately $100,000.a felony drug.conviction involving 2 grams of cocaine.street value $200.has a mandatory minimum.of 1 year of imprisonment..."4

"In a recent national survey of homeowners, 12% reported having been casualties of identity theft.it is hard to think of another crime that has touched such a large portion of Americans. A separate survey recently found that Americans are more concerned about becoming a victim of identity theft than they are of losing their job."- Wayne A. Abernathy - Assistant Secretary of the Treasury - May 8, 2003

"Financial Insights, a market-research firm, estimates that losses related to identity theft among U.S. financial institutions will rise to $8.8 billion by 2006 from $4.4 billion this year."5

2 Westin, Dr. Alan. Privacy & American Business Survey. July 30, 2003. Survey Finds 33.4 Million Americans Victims of ID Theft; Consumer Out-of-Pocket Expenses Total $1.5 Billion a Year.
4 GAO. Identity Theft: Greater Awareness and Use of Existing Data Are Needed. June 2002.
5 Clark, Dan. .Software Helps Spot Fraud in Fake Credit Applications.. The Wall Street Journal OnLine. May 14, 2003.
For more information on how to protect your IDENTITY from THEFT, please contact me. Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc has now teamed up with the #1 Company in that industry.

http://www.prepaidlegal.com/idt/grschmidt

A Group Legal Plan Makes Good Sense

2004-10-11T16:15:00.000-07:00

An article published by the Benefits Selling Magazine in their October 2004 edition address the subject of "Group Legal Plans". The article is written byMike Solomon with illustrations by Bryan Peterson. The title of the article is: "A Primer on Group Legal Plans".
You can enroll for the newsletter at: http://www.BenefitsSellingMag.com

In the article, Mike Solomon states: "What is a group legal plan?
Much like a dental or health plan provides coverage for dentist and doctor visits, group legal plans offer employees and families paid-in-full and discounted rates for legal services."

"Why offer a group legal plan?
From a broker'sperspective, adding a group legal plan to your menu of offerings allows you to accomplish many of your organizations goals: it keeps you competitive by adding value to your existing clients, increases your potential revenue stream through commissions, and serves as a great door opener for new business."

"At Westchester Benefits, Bob Loeb uses the programs as a door opener."

"I have my account executives positioning their prospecting calls by introducing legal plans as a new and important benefit instead of the same old lines ... you can't rely on just offering to analyze a prospects current health plan anymore, you have to remain current and creative, he says."

"From the employers persective, a group legal plan allows them to accomplish many of their benefit goals as well. It serves as a great recruitment and retention tool; it fills an important and necessary employee need; and, most importantly, it saves employers and employees valuable time and money.

Research shows that employees with legal or financial problems are five times more likely than average to be absent; incur sick leave twice as much; and use medical benefits up to four times more than the average employee. According to the American Bar Association, one half of all consumers will require the services of a lawyer within the next 12 months."

"We just installed our first few group legal plans last year as a test and were surprised with the overwhelming interest and positive response, adds Vince Truong of Waldman Insurance Services."

"A group legal plan makes good sense.
A group legal plan provides employees with affordable and necessary access to legal, and in some cases, financial assistance. Whether you offer a plan to increase revenues, enhance your existing offerings or provide more value to your clients and prospets, a group legal plan just makes good sense."

Shouldn't you be offering your clients a legal plan? If you don't, someone else will.

Visit my Group Website: http://www.prepaidlegal.com/group/grschmidt
Visit my site for Insurance Agents and Financial Planners: http://www.prepaidlegal.com/plan/grschmidt

Contact me with any questions, or for more information.

We have a special promotion on now, but for a very short period that will save you $100 in getting started offering Pre-Paid Legal benefits to your clients.

George Schmidt
Independent Sales Associate
Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc.
925-676-1926
http://www.prepaidlegal.com/hub/grschmidt

Las Vegas Ranked Number Two In Identity Theft

2004-10-05T10:42:00.000-07:00

"Las Vegas ranks number two in the nation for identity theft.

Victims often spend several years and several thousand dollars to recover. Now identity theft insurance can provide an additional level of protection." (Quote from Eyewitness News--Channel 8 in Las Vegas)

The article tells the story of a Las Vegas woman who spent three days in jail after her purse was stolen. A thief used her identity to rip off others in a credit card scam.

Her nightmare also cost her $15,000 and two years of her life to straighten it out.

Identity Theft can really mess up your life!
It can happen to you!

75 new reports of Identity Theft in Las Vegas every week! (Many other cases are not reported)

Check out this link to view the TV news clip:
http://klas-tv.com/Global/story.asp?S=2372496&nav=168XRVgG

You can protect yourself from the Fastest Growing Crime in America.
With the Identity Theft Shield, you will save a lot of time and pain cleaning up your accounts if you become a victim--and its only a matter of time!
You will receive a fresh credit report to review for existing problems
You will have all of your accounts continuously monitored for problems
You will receive notice if there is possible fraudulent activity--even if YOU open a new account
You will be assigned an experienced investigator to do most of the work for you in clearing up your credit

Both you and your spouse will be covered with one membership.
Watch the new video at: http://www.prepaidlegal.com/idt/grschmidt
You can enroll right on-line.

If You Don't Think You Are Vulnerable, Think Again!

Only the Identity Theft Shield provides for restoration of your credit!
A bargain at: $9.95 per month with a Legal Plan
Just $12.95 per month as a stand-alone service (One time $10 enrollment fee applies)

George Schmidt
Independent Sales Associate
Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc
http://www.prepaidlegal.com/hub/grschmidt

Pre-Paid Legal Plans Are Fastest Growing Employee Benefit

2004-10-03T19:12:00.000-07:00

Did you know that Pre-Paid Legal Plans are the fastest growing employee benefit? Employees are asking their companies to provide the Pre-Paid Legal memberships in increasing numbers because they realize that "It just makes sense!" and this is a service that they need! and can't afford to be without.

Employees shop benefits when they are comparing job situations. Don't you want the very best employees available? You want to make sure that the benefits package you are offering is the most complete available, and includes Pre-Paid Legal Family Plans and our Identity Theft Shield.

Check out the websites listed on this page, and go to:
http://www.prepaidlegal.com/group/grschmidt

The following article was published in the Employee Benefit News. Go to BenefitNews.com for the complete article.
George Schmidt

From A to Z: Voluntary benefits meet a wide range of employee needs
Employee Benefit News • September 15, 2004

Voluntary benefits are gaining extra luster in the eyes of employers who continue to look for ways to reduce their benefit costs, experts say.
"We're seeing companies of all sizes continuing to advance the number of voluntary benefits that they provide to their employees," says Garry Sullivan, senior vice president at Aon Consulting. "It's a very active and fluid field right now."
"Voluntary continues to show strong sales growth," Gil Lowerre, president of Eastbridge Consulting, notes. "As employers struggle to control the costs of employee benefits, more products are moving from mostly employer-paid to more employee-paid or even 100% employee-paid. One way we see this emerging is in the increase in the sales of group platform products. Additionally, traditional employee benefit brokers have increased their dominance in terms of the sale of voluntary/worksite products, accounting for roughly 34% of all new sales in 2003."
The advantages of voluntary benefits include convenience, tax savings and discounts for employees, and increased worker loyalty and cost-containment for the employer.

Identity Theft is the fastest growing crime in America

2004-09-30T13:06:00.000-07:00

You may already be a victim of Identity Theft and not know it!

Wouldn't you like to know if someone is using your personal information to open credit cards, open bank accounts, cash checks, get a job, get medical services, etc. It happens thousands of times every day. If you have even poor credit, you can still be victimized. If you have good credit, it could be ruined very quickly.

I talked to a person in a shopping mall parking lot, who had stopped to speak with me because he saw my sign on the back of my pickup advertising our Identity Theft Shield. He told me that the IRS was after him to pay taxes on an income that he had never received. Someone in Florida had taken a job, earned income, and paid no taxes--because he had used this person's social security number.

Articles are published every day in newspapers, magazines and on the TV news about victims of Identity Theft. There is a front page article in this week's Forbes Magazine in fact.

There is virtually no way to completely prevent your becoming a victim of Identity Theft, but you can minimize the cost and the time required to clear up your records if you do become a victim. We offer a unique service that will not only let you know early when you become a victim, so that you can minimize the damage, but we will assign an experienced investigator to do most of the work for you in clearing up your accounts.

First, you will receive a fresh credit report, one for you and one for your spouse.
Then, you will be notified each month if there is any activity that would affect your credit
Our investigators will search for any activity that would involved use of your identity for any illegal use. (Is someone using your social security number, or your driver's license number?)

Other programs will cover a credit card, or bank account, and let you know that you have a problem--but we will cover all of your accounts, and we are the only ones that will do the restoration work--using the top financial investigation firm in the world--KROLL.

You can have this protection for as little as $9.95 per month, if you also enroll for our Family Plan for attorney services. If you only want the Identity Theft Shield, you can have that for only $12.95 per month. This is like two memberships in one--an account for you and for your spouse with one membership!

Check this out, and watch the new Identity Theft video at:
http://www.prepaidlegal.com/idt/grschmidt

George Schmidt
Independent Sales Associate
Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc.
http://www.prepaidlegal.com/hub/grschmidt

Help us fix the legal system--make justice for all a reality

2004-09-30T11:44:00.000-07:00

If you have ever walked past the courthouse in your community, you have seen the words "Equal Justice For All" engraved high over the entrance, proclaiming that everyone has equal access to the legal system and the justice that we proclaim to the world is available to everyone in the United States. Unfortunately, it just is NOT true.

You can help make that a reality, both for yourself and for others. You can make that your mission in life, helping ensure that everyone has access to attorneys at a price that they can afford.
http://www.prepaidlegal.com/go/grschmidt_associates

The color of justice is GREEN! You get just the amount of justice that you can afford--and for most of us, that is not much, and to be sure, it is not enough! How much justice could you afford, if you were dragged into court with a lawsuit, or arrested in the middle of the night?

What would you do if you or a member of your family is arrested, detained, or searched in the middle of the night? Who would you call? Who would answer your call?
With our Legal Shield, you will have access to a top-rated attorney within 15 minutes for any of these situations--within the limitations of your local law enforcement regulations. There are exceptions--see the website information.

If you or a member of your family were involved in a tragic accident--where someone either in your vehicle or the other one involved is killed, the driver would be charged with a criminal offense--Vehicular Homicide, Negligent Homicide, or similar charge. How would you defend yourself? Would you mortgage your home (if there is anything left not already mortgaged) or just take the kind of help you would get from a public defender? You can have protection from that, and have access to top-rated attorneys with a Family Plan from Pre-Paid Legal Services.

If you are sued in Civil Court, how would you defend yourself--try to do it yourself without an attorney, or do you want one of the best in your area defending you in court? You can have at least 60 hours or more attorney time already paid for as a member of Pre-Paid Legal Services. Your coverage increases each year that you keep your membership active--for less than a dollar a day--less that a cup of cheap coffee each day.

Can you afford that to protect your family and your assets? Can you afford NOT to have this protection?

How about just being able to ask an attorney a question or to get advice? You can do that without any cost over the monthly membership fee.

Contact me for more information, or just go to my website: http://www.prepaidlegal.com/info/grschmidt

George Schmidt
Independent Sales Associate
Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc.