Identity Theft Prevention – Protect Your Good Name- as You Are Your Own Most Imperative Investment
Identity Theft Prevention – Protect Your Good Name- as You Are Your Own Most Imperative Investment
Identity Theft refers to a situation where in a person makes use of your personal details such as your social security number and name for their personal gains. There are numerous kinds of identity theft. A recent study by FTC revealed that identities of more than 9 million Americans are stolen every year.
Hi tech hackers have made Identity Theft Prevention measures a necessity for everyone with monetary assets and excellent records of paying bills on time. One spends years for establishing a good credit record and obviously one cannot afford to see it annihilated in a moment’s time due to credit card fraud or identity theft. However, because of proliferation of personal information hackers are increasingly targeting innocent consumers to steal identities and rob them of their valuable assets. Professional educators, college students, young working adults or a child that works at a corner medical store, no one is exempted from this sinister white-collar crime.
Identity theft prevention is a growing concern. The best prevention measure is to be prepared before it actually happens:
Deter: The first and the foremost identity theft prevention measure is to deter identity thieves by protecting your personal information.
1.Shred Your Financial Documents as well as paperwork with personal and private details before you dispose them off.
2.Never use an obvious password such as your mom’s maiden name, last 4 digits of your Social Security Number or your birth date
3.Never click on the links sent in an unsolicited e-mail. Rather type in a web-address you are familiar with Make use of firewalls, anti-virus and anti-spyware software in order to protect your personal computer and also keep them up-dated.
4.Never give out your personal or private information on phone or over the Internet or via mail unless you know the person, who you are dealing with.
5.Safeguard Your Social Security Number: Never write your social security number on a cheque or carry your social security card in your wallet. Get it out with you only and only if it is gigantically needed.
6.Keep your personal info in a secure place at home, particularly in case you have roommates or having some work done in your home.
Detect: Another Identity Theft Prevention measure is to Detect. Detect any suspicious activity by regularly monitoring your billing statements and financial accounts. Be wary to signs that entail immediate attention like:
1.Unexpected account statements 2.Bills that do to arrive as anticipated 3.Letters or calls regarding purchases you did not make 4.Rejections of credit for no evident reason Note: Routinely examine your credit reports: Credit reports comprises of information about you, including your bill paying record and what types of accounts you possess. The law requires each of the 3-chief nationwide consumers reporting agencies- Expersion, TransUnion and Equifax-to provide you with a free copy of your credit report every annum. However, you need to ask for it.
Defend: The last but not the least identity theft Protection services measure is to Defend. In case you suspect that you may become or have been a prey of identity theft, you can file a “fraud alert” on your credit report. This alert in turn tells the bankers or creditors to follow certain criterion before they open up new accounts in your name or make any kind of alterations to your existing account.
Close the accounts that have been opened fraudulently or tampered with: Call fraud departments and security of each company where changes were made to your account or account was opened without your permission. Follow up in black and white, with copies of the supporting documents. Make use of ID Theft Affidavit in order to support your written statement.
The above mentioned steps to Stop identity theft prove to be extremely helpful to protect your identity and monetary assets in case you suspect that you have become a victim of identity theft.