Identity Theft Protection And Prevention

February 16, 2008 by idhelper

Identity theft protection services could help you being the victim of crime. The FTC estimates that 9 million Americans a year are a identity theft victim. It really never hits home to do anything about preventing it until it happens to you or someone you know. If you are not a victim you probably know someone who is!

Identity theft prevention actually starts at home. You know that many identity thief's are someone you may already know or be an acquaintance. Do you leave your wallet or purse laying around the house unsecured while you have friends over. By the time you have discovered you credit cards, social security card, ATM card missing the damage may have already been done, they may have already drained your bank account.

Most of these crimes are of opportunity. I had a box of checks go missing a few years ago. The bank had accidentally sent them to the mail box at the end of the road. I always pick up my checks at the bank. Well after a few weeks of no checks, stop payments were put on the series of numbers that the checks were issued in. Three months later I get a call from another bank asking why I have put stop payment on my checks. What had happened was those checks were now in circulation and being used fraudulently. After talking with a police detective on the case the womans name on my checks was a victim too! She had set her purse down at the grocery store and it was taken. The woman who stole it then went down and got a temporary drivers license with her own picture issued on the new drivers license. Now as an added precaution I use an identity theft protection service.

Many identity thefts occur when someone uses your personal information to acquire credit, cars, pay utility bills, get access to your bank account, even get medical in your name. You may not even notice problems until you get a call from a creditor, bank or go to make a major purchase or buy a home when a credit check is pulled. Then to find you have compromised or ruined credit.

Most identity thief's will get your personal information in the following ways, dumpster diving or ruffling through your garbage. It could be the waitress at a restaurant who is using a skimmer or skimming device to sell credit card numbers to a local group of identity thief's. It may be a disgruntled co-worker that has access to you personal information. It could be someone at your dentist or medical office that works behind the counters and had access to your personal information. It may even be an after hours janitorial service employee!

Identity thieves could use you information to obtain employment and and if they are committing crimes in your good name you may find a warrant out for your arrest while you spend a night in jail trying to figure out what went wrong. You may not even find out about the legal problems until you are fired from your job for failing to disclose previous convictions.

If your online surfing the Internet you may be familiar with phishing schemes or scams. This is an email you may receive that looks official of from your bank asking for additional information such as you social security or even account numbers to verify something. This is becoming a very active area for identity thief's.

So where to you start with identity theft protection? Well for one very home should have a shredder where all personal documents or pre-approved credit card offers are shredded.

Next buy a locking file cabinet. Keep all personal documents locked up. Always keep your wallet or purse on you or in sight. Ask your place of employment who has access to you personal information and how it is secured

Seriously consider not carrying your social security card and secure it in a safe box.

If you do get an email asking for additional information consider visiting your bank or the institution that generated the email. You may find that they never sent the email.

If you have an unsecured mail box or live out in the county. Pay to get a post office box and have all your statements and bills sent to that address.

With these suggestions an practicing identity theft prevention you may not completely stop the thief but you can make yourself less likely to be a victim.

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