By now, every adult should know that identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America. It has become an epidemic, leaving everyone at risk, including children, adults, the elderly, those with good credit, bad credit, or no credit. And, to make matters worse, most people do not know if their identity has been stolen. The biggest misconception is that identity theft only affects or involves your credit. If you, too, believe that identity theft only affects or involves your credit, then you might want to keep reading.
The best advice for prevention is always keeping safety pointers in mind wherever you go. You may opt to create a wall for privacy and protection by filtering what information to share, when to share it and to whom it can be trusted to. The fact is, you must not trust anyone with fragile information since thieves of identity theft can be anyone close to you.
One of the most effective ways to stop the loss of personal information is to shred all documents with your name or other identifying information on it. Documents you must shred include bank and credit card statements, pre-approved credit offers, receipts, utility bills, phone bills, etc. A good rule of thumb is this: if it has your name on it, don't throw it in the trash - shred it.
Many finance professionals suggest review of credit history every month. This is not required unless you feel that some information is missing. Another decent option is to check every 6 months. This lets you keep the fraud information at bay and at the same time correct the wrong information provided by creditors.
Some of the things that can be warning signs include if you find that you are not getting your mail. Particularly if you are not getting your bills, as these are the best things a thief can use to steal your information. Remember that suspicious emails should not be read and that you should watch for other information that should not be shared.
Analyze your credit report at least once a year for accuracy. Your credit report contains information about present and prior employers, your Social Security Number, all of your current and past credit accounts including and your general credit score. Report any inaccuracies to the credit reporting agency immediately. - 32534
The best advice for prevention is always keeping safety pointers in mind wherever you go. You may opt to create a wall for privacy and protection by filtering what information to share, when to share it and to whom it can be trusted to. The fact is, you must not trust anyone with fragile information since thieves of identity theft can be anyone close to you.
One of the most effective ways to stop the loss of personal information is to shred all documents with your name or other identifying information on it. Documents you must shred include bank and credit card statements, pre-approved credit offers, receipts, utility bills, phone bills, etc. A good rule of thumb is this: if it has your name on it, don't throw it in the trash - shred it.
Many finance professionals suggest review of credit history every month. This is not required unless you feel that some information is missing. Another decent option is to check every 6 months. This lets you keep the fraud information at bay and at the same time correct the wrong information provided by creditors.
Some of the things that can be warning signs include if you find that you are not getting your mail. Particularly if you are not getting your bills, as these are the best things a thief can use to steal your information. Remember that suspicious emails should not be read and that you should watch for other information that should not be shared.
Analyze your credit report at least once a year for accuracy. Your credit report contains information about present and prior employers, your Social Security Number, all of your current and past credit accounts including and your general credit score. Report any inaccuracies to the credit reporting agency immediately. - 32534
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