Identity Theft Prevention Tips

Follow these tips to protect yourself from being a victim

Did you ever meet someone and realize, startled, that she resembles you? Its an uncanny feeling to meet someone with whom you seem to share a possible identity, feeling like a twin separated at birth. Although a striking physical appearance may seem odd or even alarming, a financial twin doing business with your personal data is downright horrific. Think of all the things they can do with your informationopen charge accounts, buy property, and run up unpaid balances.

Use a Safe Deposit Box

To prevent these things from happening, take a little bit of extra time to check out your personal information and to check in your valuables at a bank vault or safety deposit box, or perhaps in your own home safe, to keep others from borrowing, stealing, or copying them for wrongful use.

5 Steps To Protection

1. Get Your Credit Report

Obtain copies of your credit report each year from the three credit history reporting agencies, TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax. Check it over for possible mistakes or intentional fraud. Report inaccuracies to the agency for investigation and correction. Some states provide free monthly credit reports to victims of identity theft for a year, but check yours before you become a victim.

2. Pay Attention to Statements And Receipts

Check your monthly credit card statements to be sure they accurately reflect any activity youve conducted since the last statement. Save your charge slips to compare amounts and dates for correlation. Report discrepancies to the company right away so they can be checked, and your account can be adjusted if necessary.

3. Reconcile Your Checkbook and Credit Accounts

Review monthly bank statements, and reconcile deposits as well as outstanding checks. This will help you to quickly see whether the balance is what it should be. Let the bank promptly know if you find discrepancies, and offer your full cooperation in tracking down the source of any problems. This may entail the completion of reports or even testifying in a court case if the thief is caught.

4. Lock Away Valuable Documents

Keep all valuable documents that others might want to steal under lock and key. This could be in a neighbors vault, in your own safe, or in a public place such as a safe deposit box. Dont open more than one or possibly two credit accounts, and dont carry your card around with you unless you plan to use it. Keep a close watch on essential documents like your passport, social security number, and others, so they dont get lost or misplaced and fall into the hands of unscrupulous predators.

5. Be Careful Doing Business Online

Be careful about the type of Internet transactions you conduct. Some servers are not secure, and it may be easy for someone to steal your information when you visit Internet sites where this is the case. Use your credit card or other personal information at sites that you trust. Otherwise, inquire about paying by SafePay or PayPal, or about mailing a check.

All of the intimate details of your life are imprinted on key documents that others will try to gain control of for illegal purposes. Take steps now to guard against this terrible crime.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Identity Theft
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Information on how to get back your identity and your life.

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Food for Thought...

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-Ben Franklin.