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Protect Yourself Against Identity Theft
Identity theft is when someone uses, without permission, your
personal information in order to commit any frauds or crimes.
Identity theft is a felony that is becoming more and more common.
That is because some of us are not very careful with personal
information, making the job easier for those trying to steel our
identity. We should always be careful with information like
Social Security number, credit card number, birth date,
employment information, driver's license number, etc., because if
they enter into the wrong hands the consequences can be very
serious. People that have experienced identity theft spend months
trying to repair what others have damaged, and in the meantime
they cannot get a loan or lose a job opportunity or, sometimes,
they can get arrested for something they didn't do.
If you have the slightest suspicion that someone has gained
access to your personal information, acting quickly is a must.
First of all, you should get in touch with the fraud department
of the credit bureau where you have your accounts and request
them to initiate a credit alert on your accounts. This way the
creditors are obligated to contact you before taking any actions
regarding your accounts. At the same time you should close the
accounts you believe that are corrupted. The second step would be
filing a police report and keeping a copy of it so to have a
proof of the crime.
It is difficult dealing with an identity theft and most of all
is difficult to repair what others have messed up for you. We
cannot completely prevent identity theft, but we can take some
simple precautions to minimize the risks. The most important
thing to do is to pay attention to your bank statements: they
should arrive in time and you should check them very carefully.
Your bank statement should always arrive almost at the same date
every month. If you don't get your statement one month this could
mean that someone has changed your billing address to prevent you
from discovering any unauthorized activity in your account. Also,
you must check every statement as you get it and be sure that you
have made all the purchases recorded on it.
Another simple precaution for preventing identity theft is to
be careful with your personal papers. Never carry all of them
with you as it is not safe. If you don't need your Social
Security card, birth certificate, passport, etc., leave them home
in a secured place and carry them with you only when you need
them for some reason. Also, you should be careful with your mail
as it often contains personal information. Either put a lock on
your mailbox or have your mail delivered to a post office
box.
Nowadays, purchases made over the internet are very common and
some thieves have turned their attention to this domain. The way
to protect your personal information when shopping online is to
never release them unless you are using a secure browser. If you
don't have a secured browser or the website you're visiting is
not secured, place your order by phone or email. Also, for the
websites that require a password or a personal identification
number (PIN) don't use common names or dates as anyone can guess
them, but create your own password or PIN made of numbers and
letters.
These precautions do not really guaranty that you'll not be an
identity theft victim but they will surely minimize the chances
that you'll become one. Being careful with your personal
information should not be a hustle but a routine. This way you
can be sure you'll not spend months or years and lots of money to
restore your credit record and your name after thieves have
messed it up. Precaution is the name of the game.
This article has been provided courtesy of CreditorWeb. CreditorWeb
offers great credit card articles
available for reprint and other tools to help you find the right
credit card. You can also use our credit card comparison tool to
easily compare credit card offers from multiple issuers.
This and other fine credit card articles are
provided by Creditor Web.
MORE RESOURCES:
MORE COLLEGE CREDITChicago Sun-Times, United States - 11 hours agoDespite the current nationwide credit crunch, the State of Illinois secured $100 million for the student loans by tapping a new source -- credit unions. ... |
Credit Report Need Fixing? Take Action YourselfHartford Courant, United States - 9 hours agoMike Ferrara wants to buy a house in a few months and is worried that mistakes on his credit report will keep him from obtaining the loan he will need. ... |
Ask, and you might receive a lower credit-card rateSeattle Times, United States - 16 minutes agoPick up the phone, look at the latest credit-card offers and keep repeating this: The bank needs me more than I need it. By Susan Tompor Pick up the phone, ... |
Credit - Google News
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