It’s Time to Become Aware of Identity Theft
October is designated as ‘Crime Prevention Month’. Now that identity theft is the #1 crime, it seems natural to give tips on how to protect yourself from this. While it’s considered a non-violent crime, identity theft leaves it’s victims emotionally and financially devastated.
Here are some good things to do to get started and protect your identity.
1. Stop carrying your social security card. There’s no reason you need it in your wallet unless you’re going for a job interview. No one will ever ask you for it otherwise. Don’t leave it laying around, keep it locked away in a secure place at home.
2. Order your free annual credit reports from annualcreditreport.com. They truly are free although you’ll be asked to upgrade through the process. Just say ‘no’ and continue. Because you can get a report from all 3 credit bureaus, order one every 4 months. Carefully look it over for errors in addresses, work history and all the credit accounts.
Dispute any errors you find right away. If the address listed isn’t yours and you see some credit accounts that you never opened, you can be sure your identity has been stolen. Step into high gear and get it corrected right now.
3. Request a fraud alert on your credit files. It’s free and will last for 90 days. Just place it at one of the credit bureaus and they will notify the other 2. This alert requests that a new lender to call you at the phone number you provide before any accounts can be opened. Renew it every 3 months.
4. Opt-out of pre-approved credit offers by calling 1-888-567-8688. This will stop a lot of junk mail and especially all those credit card offers that you should be shredding. It’s free and will last for 5 years.
5. Speaking of shredding – shred all mail or papers that have sensitive personal information on them before throwing into the trash.
6. Be sure your PIN number isn’t on your ATM card or anywhere in your wallet. Memorize it. Don’t make it your birthday either. If someone steals your wallet, they have your driver’s license with your DOB. Let’s not make it too easy for an identity thief.
7. Don’t put your driver’s license or social security number on your checks. There’s never any reason you need to do that.
8. Consider getting identity theft protection. For a small monthly fee, you’ll have the services of professionals to help protect you and, most importantly, to help you recover should your identity be stolen. Some companies offer help and advice but the best identity protection companies, like LifeLock, will do the recovery for you.
An identity theft comparison can help you see which one is the best to protect yourself from identity theft. Identity protection reviews are a big help by saving you from having to figure out identity protection by yourself.
Posted: October 19th, 2008 under worldwide.