Top 5 Steps to Prevent Identity Theft by Eden Paul
Identity theft is the fastest rising white-collar crime in the world. It occurs when someone gets some pieces of your personal information. Then they use this information about you to steal your money or commit fraud . The identity thief disguises himself as you. The money trail leads back to you…and it is a mess to clear up. These criminal can get your personal information from a variety of different sources: your mail box, your home or even at the dump. They could swipe your wallet or purse, or even trick you to provide them with information.
By understanding how these crimes occur, you can help to prevent them from ever happening to you. Here are the top five steps to keep your identity safe from these criminals.
1. Do a wallet check. Know what is in your wallet so if anyone tries to swipe it or a credit card or license from it, then you will know immediately.
2. Write all your important numbers in a safe place. Some people keep a copy of all account numbers, birth certificates and passports in safe deposit box or other location. This way if your home is ever broken into or these items are stolen, you can take steps to reclaiming them immediately.
3. Check your credit report. You can get a copy free once a year. Verify that all activity is yours and not initiated by someone else.
4. Shred all documents with important information. This includes all credit card offers, social security numbers, old tax forms….anything with information you did not want a thief to have. Some identity thieves get their information from trash bins…so nothing is safe.
5. Sign up for service like LifeLock. Unlike credit card monitoring services, LifeLock does not wait until the thief has acted to warn you. LifeLock “locks” down your credit so that even if a thief obtained your information, it is useless to them as long as you have the service.
Taking the right steps can stop identity thieves from not only using your identity, but also prevent it from ever happening to you at all.
About the author: Eden Paul is a CPA and small business owner who strongly suggests using resources like LifeLock to protect you and your family. For more information, visit http://www.safeidentityreview.com
