Finding Out About Identity Theft
By Larry Goldberg
Finding out that someone has stolen your identity (and your money!) is a horrible feeling – you feel used, violated, and very vulnerable.
Thankfully, most of these situations can be resolved with minimal hassle, but of course it’s best to stop them before they start. There are several identity theft prevention tips that everyone should incorporate into their lives that could potentially save them from becoming a victim. One of the easiest things that people can do is to properly destroy their personal documents, such as statements that contain account numbers or their social security number (identity thieves love this information!).
Credit card offers that come in the mail should also be destroyed as thieves can easily open fraudulent accounts using these mailers. It’s also a good idea to watch what is going OUT in your mail box. Don’t put bills containing your personal checks or account numbers in the box where just anybody can grab them.
Checking out your credit report every so often is also a good idea so that you can monitor the activity on your credit accounts. This report will detail all your accounts and any accounts that have been applied for.
Click on Privacy Matters to find out more tips that you can use to aid in identity theft prevention.
