Protect Yourself with Identity Theft Resources

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Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the United States. There are millions of victims reported every single year with billions of dollars on the line. Fraud has always been a crime, but never so rampant than in today's information age. Thanks to the Internet, it's easier than ever for criminals to discover personal information and use it to their advantage. Luckily, there are a wide variety of identity theft resources available to help you prevent this crime from happening and protect you if it does occur.

Information is key in the prevention of identity theft. First, it's important to know the different ways your identity can be stolen and what it can be used for. Many people fall victim to identity theft when their handbag or wallet is stolen. Some criminals obtain the personal information they need simply by rummaging through the trash. Other criminals pose as legitimate bankers or professionals and request account information or personal details over the phone or via email. This is referred to as phishing, and is becoming a very common type of fraud these days.

There are ways to prevent identity theft, and some of them are simple common sense. Always keep track of your purse or wallet at all times. When disposing of personal and financial documents, use a paper shredder. Recognizing phishers is a bit more tricky, but still possible. Many times, these emails will appear to be from a bank or creditor and ask you for your account password or credit card number for identity verification purposes. They may claim that your account is in danger. Some of the most common phishing emails these days arrive in the guise of PayPal or Ebay emails and look just like the real thing. The difference is that a real company is never going to ask you for such sensitive information via email or telephone. If you get a suspicious email, don't reply to it and notify the company it's pretending to be from immediately of the incident.

Other helpful identity theft resources are available from banks and credit card companies. There are free programs that come with certain accounts, as well as programs you have to pay for. The majority of these protection programs offer counseling, information, and insurance against identity theft. These types of programs can be highly effective when combined with other resources such as preventative measures and education.

Copyright 2006-2009 Jim Sterling - All Rights Reserved

So there you have it, hope you found this article informative.





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Today's Tip On Identity Theft

Another possible identity theft scam involving credit cards is carried out when the person calling says he or she needs to verify your card information at an online merchant or pay service. You can be a smart consumer and practice theft prevention by not giving out your credit card number to anyone soliciting information. Identity theft and fraud are all around in our modern world, but consumers can learn how to avoid a large percentage of the crime simply by being educated.



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