Protect Yourself Against Identity Theft

Identity theft is when someone uses, without permission, your personal information in order to commit any frauds or crimes. Identity theft is a felony that is becoming more and more common. That is because some of us are not very careful with personal information, making the job easier for those trying to steel our identity. We should always be careful with information like Social Security number, credit card number, birth date, employment information, driver's license number, etc., because if they enter into the wrong hands the consequences can be very serious. People that have experienced identity theft spend months trying to repair what others have damaged, and in the meantime they cannot get a loan or lose a job opportunity or, sometimes, they can get arrested for something they didn't do.

If you have the slightest suspicion that someone has gained access to your personal information, acting quickly is a must. First of all, you should get in touch with the fraud department of the credit bureau where you have your accounts and request them to initiate a credit alert on your accounts. This way the creditors are obligated to contact you before taking any actions regarding your accounts. At the same time you should close the accounts you believe that are corrupted. The second step would be filing a police report and keeping a copy of it so to have a proof of the crime.

It is difficult dealing with an identity theft and most of all is difficult to repair what others have messed up for you. We cannot completely prevent identity theft, but we can take some simple precautions to minimize the risks. The most important thing to do is to pay attention to your bank statements: they should arrive in time and you should check them very carefully. Your bank statement should always arrive almost at the same date every month. If you don't get your statement one month this could mean that someone has changed your billing address to prevent you from discovering any unauthorized activity in your account. Also, you must check every statement as you get it and be sure that you have made all the purchases recorded on it.

Another simple precaution for preventing identity theft is to be careful with your personal papers. Never carry all of them with you as it is not safe. If you don't need your Social Security card, birth certificate, passport, etc., leave them home in a secured place and carry them with you only when you need them for some reason. Also, you should be careful with your mail as it often contains personal information. Either put a lock on your mailbox or have your mail delivered to a post office box.

Nowadays, purchases made over the internet are very common and some thieves have turned their attention to this domain. The way to protect your personal information when shopping online is to never release them unless you are using a secure browser. If you don't have a secured browser or the website you're visiting is not secured, place your order by phone or email. Also, for the websites that require a password or a personal identification number (PIN) don't use common names or dates as anyone can guess them, but create your own password or PIN made of numbers and letters.

These precautions do not really guaranty that you'll not be an identity theft victim but they will surely minimize the chances that you'll become one. Being careful with your personal information should not be a hustle but a routine. This way you can be sure you'll not spend months or years and lots of money to restore your credit record and your name after thieves have messed it up. Precaution is the name of the game.

This article has been provided courtesy of CreditorWeb. CreditorWeb offers great credit card articles available for reprint and other tools to help you find the right credit card. You can also use our credit card comparison tool to easily compare credit card offers from multiple issuers.

This and other fine credit card articles are provided by Creditor Web.

---

Credit Cards And Loans - So Many Options - So Little Time

Credit Cards and Loans sounds like just two things, but... Read More

Credit Report ? How to Improve Your Credit Score

One of the great mysteries of life is how the... Read More

4 Steps You Can Take If Your Online Credit Card Application Has Been Refused

Help! I've Been Turned DownYou received an envelope in the... Read More

SuperCharged Secret 3, Credit Card Utopia

TURBO-CHARGED KILLER RATE SAVING INFORMATION!Let's just take a brief moment... Read More

Low Interest Credit Cards Have Many Advantages

When credit cards are used wisely they can be very... Read More

A Cure for an Ailing Credit

Credit has become a much-used word, thanks to the various... Read More

Like It Or Not, You Have A Score To Settle!

Like It Or Not, You Have A Score To Settle!... Read More

Why Should You Use Credit Cards

Believe it or not, the way society, especially the commercial... Read More

ChexSystems: Who They Are and How it Affects You

ChexSystems is a company that maintains a subscriber membership service... Read More

Various Types of Credit Cards - Part 2

Several different types of credit cards offer several different options,... Read More

Low Interest Credit Cards: A Thing of the Past?

With interest rates rising, low or zero percent credit cards... Read More

Tired Of Being Broke?...Learn How To Force Banks To Give You Money!

Imagine...obtaining credit that's incredibly easy...opening doors of opportunity you never... Read More

7 Surefire Ways To Repair Bad Credit

Do you have a poor credit rating? If so, you... Read More

How Businesss Mess Up Their Credit Policies

In "Become the Squeaky Wheel" a book recently published, Michelle... Read More

Two Things You Need To Know About Prepaid Debit Cards

According to the September 2004 issue of the Nilson Report,... Read More

Lower Your Credit Card Interest Rate Now!

With today's credit card companies, there are many opportunities to... Read More

Commercial Collections And Credit Granting

It is estimated that billions of dollars in delinquent commercial... Read More

Credit Card Security Advice

Which of the following is the biggest threat to your... Read More

Taking Control of Your Credit History

Your credit history is important; in fact, in this day... Read More

Learn The Truth About Identity Theft

Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America, according... Read More

7 Ways To Squash Identity Theft

It is the scourge of our age: identity theft. Thieves... Read More

Repairing Your Credit Score and Clearing Derogatory Marks on Your Credit Report

Raising your credit score can be a fairly simple and... Read More

What Are the Most Common Ways to Commit Identity Theft or Fraud?

It's the number one source of consumer complaints at the... Read More

SuperCharged Secret 4, Credit Card Utopia

YOU SCRATCH MY BACK, AND I'LL BUY SOME MORE BEER!Let's... Read More

Identity Theft ? Who Would Want Mine?

With all my bills who would possibly want my credit?... Read More

Credit Scores and Loan Applications

Keep Your Credit History Clean - Remove A Negative Credit... Read More

What You Need to Know About Credit Reports

You hear people talk about credit reports all the time... Read More

Which Business Credit Cards with Reward are the Best?

Thinking of applying for a credit card with a reward... Read More

Five Credit Card Billing Problems and How to Fix Them

It goes without saying that your first and best defense... Read More

The Things That UK Lenders Like to See on Your Credit File, (and? What They Don?t Like to See!)

Lenders are quite fussy about what they like to see... Read More

Credit Enhancements: Seven Tips For Enhancing Business Credit Transactions

What are the avenues available to businesses with weak credit... Read More

Fair Credit Reporting Act: What You Should Know About It?

The Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is designated to... Read More

Cutting Credit Card Costs

What are the APRs charged by the credit cards in... Read More