Did you know that nearly 20,000 people each day become victims of identity theft? Are you one of them? Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the United States.
Most identity theft victims are not aware that their personal information has been stolen until they try to get a loan, insurance or job, and find out that they have a bad credit report. Even worse is to get a call from a collection agency trying to collect on a debt that you know nothing about, or being arrested due to mistaken identity!
Your credit history can be ruined very quickly by identity theives. You can be denied credit, a job, or face higher rates for insurance due to bad credit that you did not cause. It is essential that you protect your personal information to the best of your ability to avoid this crime.
Here are 5 things you can do to prevent identity theft:
- Shred all junk mail, and any other correspondence that contains your name, address, account numbers, or other personal information. (Often identity theives need only your name and address to start stealing your identity.)
- Do not give your personal information to anyone that calls you looking for information
- Avoid applying for loans or credit cards and such over the Internet
- Check your credit report frequently for signs of fraud or identity theft
- Subscribe to a proactive identity theft protection services such as LifeLock. They are the only service of this type to offer a $1 million guarantee against ID theft.
Everyday we hear about another way that identity thefts are hurting consumers. You can avoid this crime with a small amount of effort on your part.
P.S. You only have 5 days left to file your federal income taxes.....
Tags: identity theft statistics, avoid identity theft protect your credit report,
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