Ways To Prevent Identity Theft

The three steps in protecting your personal information are to Deter, Detect and Defend. The Federal Trade Commission has designed these three steps in order to prevent identity theft from happening to innocent and unsuspecting individuals, like you!

Identity theft is an illegal crime that is committed against hundreds of American citizens each day. A victim of identity theft suffers from the countless negative repercussions.

The victim may not be able to obtain a loan for an automobile or a home. The victim may be turned down for an apartment rental because of a harmful credit report. An identity theft victim may find out that their bank accounts have been emptied and that their credit card limits have been maxed out. Identity thieves take your personal information to obtain loans, credit cards and other services. This is a crime that is of a grave nature.

It is illegal for anyone to steal your personal information and commit fraudulent acts. Parts of your life can utterly be destroyed but the good news is that there are three important steps in protecting yourself against the atrocities and cruelties of identity theft.

Ways To Prevent Identity Theft - Deter

You deter an identity thief when you safeguard your personal information . Here are the precautions everyone needs to take:

It is critical that you protect your social security number. Do not give your social security number out over the phone or over the internet to a company that you our unfamiliar with.

If you are establishing a new account you should check the company's rating with the Better Business Bureau. This can let you know how the company has handled cases of identity theft in the past.

If it is an online business, you are dealing with, make sure that their site has specific security features in order to protect the information that you give them.

It is important to shred any mail containing personal information before you throw it in the trash. Identity thieves have been known to sort through people's trash in order to obtain what they need to steal your identity.

Another way to deter identity thieves is to select tricky passwords. Do not pick a password that is common knowledge or easily attained information. This means that people should not use their birth dates, phone numbers, social security numbers or names of family members when choosing a password. This will aid in the protection of your bank account and credit/debit account.

Ways To Prevent Identity Theft - Detect

Always verify the sources you are sharing your personal information with. This is an important step that is essential in making sure that an identity thief is not stealing your information.

While you are checking your financial statements you should review them to make sure that there are not purchases on them that you did not make.

Check the company names and make sure that you were the one that shopped there. Also, check your bank statement for any suspicious withdrawals.

Make sure that you are not getting any strange mail such as other credit card or bank accounts that are open in your name but you were not the one to open them. If you receive loan information or utility bills in the mail that you did not open, call the company's fraud department immediately.

You should review your credit report at least twice a year, or use a protection service . If you notice any suspicious activity contact your local police department to report identity theft. Always keep a close eye on your financial records this is the best way to ensure that you have not become a victim of identity theft.

Always be on the look out for the occurrence of identity theft. Make sure that your accounts are accurate.

Also, if you stop receiving your billing statements or other mail notify your creditors immediately. Identity thieves have activated change of address forms in the past to obtain someone's personal information.

Question the receipt of credit cards in the mail that you did not order.

If you are rejected for a loan but believe your credit is in good standing be wary of fraudulent charges made.

If you happen to receive debt collection calls from a business you have never used before stay alert for the possibility that identity theft could have occurred.

Remember, if you know the signs of identity theft, you can stop the theft as soon as it starts.

Ways To Prevent Identity Theft - Defend

The third and final step against identity theft is to defend yourself as soon as you suspect a problem. This entails contacting the police, filing a report, notifying your financial institutions, placing a fraud alert through the three consumer reporting agencies and filing a compliant with the Federal Trade Commission. If you follow all of these steps it will assist in the capture and tracking down of the identity thief.

There is no fool-proof plan to protect yourself against identity theft but if you follow these three steps you can lessen your chances of becoming a victim. Remember to deter, detect and defend against identity theft! This is not a victimless crime as it affects millions of Americans each year.