Lessen Your Chances Of Becoming An Identity Theft Victim
According to the Federal Trade Commission, “Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personally identifying information, like your name, Social Security number or credit card number, without your permission, to commit fraud or other crimes.” The agency estimates that nine million Americans are victims of some sort of identity theft each year and recovering from identity theft can be frustrating and time-consuming. Taking some preventative steps now to protect your identity can help prevent major problems later.
Review Your Account Statements
It can take years to repair your credit history after a case of identity theft if action is not taken quickly. In order to spot errors early, you should review your monthly statements from your checking and other financial accounts carefully and note any questionable items that appear. You may want to consider signing up for online accounts, as it is faster and easier to review financial accounts online.
Check Your Credit Report
Each of the three major credit agencies, Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian, are required by law to provide every individual with a credit history with one free credit report per year. Be careful of the website that you use to obtain your credit report, as some websites may try to charge you a fee for the credit report or get you to sign up for a monthly service. AnnualCreditReport.com is the only place to get these credit reports for free.
Secure Your Personal Information
Make sure that your personal information is secure online and offline. Keep your Social Security card and other important identifying documents at home in a secure location instead of carrying them around with you. Shred old bank statements, credit card applications, and other documents that have your personal information included on them. Online passwords to financial accounts should be changed often and personal information should never be shared online unless you are certain that the website you are dealing with is a legitimate one.
Taking these actions will significantly reduce your risk of becoming a victim of identity theft and ensure that any attempts at identity theft are identified quickly. Anyone can become a victim of identity theft, regardless of income level, so it is best for everyone to be vigilant and keep all personal information secure.
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