Identity theft and fraud happen far too often in this country. It’s also a growing problem around the world. Our modern era has many conveniences our ancestors didn’t have, such as air conditioning, television, automobiles, antibiotics, and electricity. However, we have some very modern problems they didn’t have to deal with, at least not to the extent we do, and identity theft is one of them.

The age of computers and easy access to information has made it exceedingly easy for thieves to get a hold of our most sensitive documents. These documents contain our Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, birth dates, driver’s license numbers and more. Thieves can then use this information to assume our identities and ruin our credit.

Here are some identity theft and fraud statistics that may surprise you:

The Better Business Bureau states that identity theft has been the top consumer complaint for 5 years in a row.

Over 9 million people became the victims of identity theft last year, and the number continues to rise.

The average victim of this crime spends over 600 hours recovering from it, and this recovery period is often spread out over a period of years.

The amount of time victims spend dealing with identity theft equals about $16,000 in lost income per person!

Over 50% of identity theft victims experience credit card fraud, in which the thief opens new credit accounts in the victim’s name and runs up huge balances on those cards.

Over 85% of victims discover the crime when they’re denied credit, sent a collection notice, or notified by the police.

Around 20% of victims report misuse of one of their existing credit cards due to that card’s loss or theft.

As you can see, identity theft causes a lot of inconvenience for the victims. Unfortunately, as criminals discover how easy it is to steal someone’s identity, more and more of them are doing it. The chances of you becoming a victim of this are quite high, unless you take measures to protect yourself. Fortunately, there are plenty of things you can do to lessen the chance that you’ll ever have your identity stolen.

First, you should always safeguard your personal information. Never write down your account or PIN numbers anywhere where they can be easily taken, such as on a piece of paper in your wallet. Never give out your Social Security number over the phone or write it down on any document unless legally required to do so. Cover keypads with your hand when entering your PIN number at the store or ATM, so other people can’t see you punching it in. Ask your bank to hold new checks for you at your local branch for pick-up, since checks can easily be stolen from your mailbox.

Once you’ve taken these precautions, identity theft and fraud shouldn’t be as much of a concern for you. However, no one is ever entirely immune from this crime. If you think you’ve been the victim of it, report it to your creditors, bank, and the police immediately. The sooner they know about the crime, the less hassle you’ll have to go through in the future straightening everything out again.

This is the fifth installment in our identity theft series. Be sure to check back for updates…

What do you do after identity theft occurs? Having your identity stolen is one of the most traumatic events that can happen to your financial life. Once someone assumes your identity and starts using it to ruin your credit, it can take months, or even years, to straighten everything out again. You’ll likely spend hours on the phone each day with credit companies and law enforcement agencies trying to get it all worked out. That’s valuable time taken away from your family and other activities you enjoy, and you’ll never get that back. Still, when your identity is stolen, you have to deal with it, like it or not. Here’s what to do:

Call all of your credit card companies immediately and cancel your cards. The sooner you get your cards cancelled, the less likelihood there is of you getting saddled with a lot of fraudulent charges. Most credit cards only make you responsible for the first $50 of fraudulent charges, but that’s still money you have to pay for something you didn’t do.

Call your bank and let them know your identity has been stolen. They can then be on the lookout for fraudulent activity on your account. If your bank account number was compromised in the theft, you may need to actually close your account and open a new one with a different account number.

Call the police. You’ll definitely want law enforcement to be involved with this. The police will take every measure to track down the person who stole your identity and will keep you abreast of developments in your case. It also helps to get the police involved immediately after identity theft occurs, because they’ll be aware that someone else is using your name, which will go in your favor if you’re ever arrested for something the thief did while pretending to be you (it’s happened to other people!).

Get credit monitoring. Signing up for a credit monitoring service will keep you up to date on anything that’s happening with your credit report. You’ll be alerted immediately if there is a change to your report, which will give you the opportunity to check out the change to see if it’s legitimate or not. If you find something questionable, you can jump right on it by investigating it and taking care of it before it becomes a big problem. Credit monitoring services are available for a reasonable monthly fee, and the small cost is well worth it for the benefits such services offer.

Knowing what to do after identity theft occurs can be difficult and confusing, especially at such an upsetting time. However, by being aware of what identity theft can do to you, and having a plan of action in mind, you can help yourself avoid much stress down the road as you work to clear your name. The people who know what to do and do it usually come out ahead when their identities are stolen. Don’t you want to be one of those people, if the worst should ever happen to you?

This is the fourth installment in our identity theft series. Be sure to check back for updates…

Knowing how to report identity theft is important, as this is a serious problem facing everyone today. Identity theft is an increasingly common problem, with literally thousands of new victims each day. The sad fact is, there are people out there who are eager to assume the identities of others. The reasons for this are many and varied. One of the most common reasons is that the thief has a poor credit rating and is not able to gain access to loans, credit cards, and rental properties on his own, so he steals the identity of someone with good credit. Then, he proceeds to apply for loans in the victim’s name, and in most cases, will not repay those loans, thus ruining the victim’s own credit. Once he’s ruined his victim’s credit, he moves on to new victims, using them up and throwing them out as needed. It’s a dastardly crime.

Unless you’re very careful, it will be easy for a thief to steal your identity. These types of thieves know all the tricks to gaining access to someone’s personal information. They’ll rifle through your garbage to find credit card statements with your account number on them. They’ll look over your shoulder at the ATM while you punch in your PIN. They’ll even steal checks out of your mailbox and use them, forging your signature. There’s no end to the lengths to which they’ll go to get what they want from you.

You can protect yourself in the following ways:

*Shred all your personal documents before putting them in the trash.

*Cover the keypad with your hand whenever you type in your PIN code at the ATM, grocery store, or other location where it’s needed.

*Have your checks sent to the bank, and pick them up there, rather than having them mailed to your house.

If your identity IS stolen, you need to report identity theft right away. The longer you wait to do it, the more opportunity the thief will have to run up a lot of debt using your name. The more activity the thief is able to generate using your credit, the harder it will be to undo the damage later. Time is of the essence, so don’t wait.

The best way to report identity theft is to call your bank and credit card companies first, to let them know. That way, they can be on the lookout for any suspicious activity on your account. Next, you should report the theft to the police. Identity theft is a serious crime, and getting the police involved will help you in undoing the damage with your creditors. Then, sign up for a credit monitoring service, so that you’ll always know right away if something strange is going on with your credit. The more you know, the more you can protect yourself.

This is the third installment in our identity theft series. Be sure to check back for updates…

Credit identity theft is a growing problem in the USA and around the world. It’s so easy for a criminal to steal your identity through and use your credit to fund their lavish lifestyles. Unfortunately for you, you’re the one who ends up with ruined credit and saddled with outrageous debt over the whole thing.

Of course, credit identity theft doesn’t just result in ruined credit for the victim. People have also been arrested for crimes they didn’t commit, thanks to the actions of identity thieves. These thieves commit crimes while using your stolen identification, so when they’re arrested, they have your Social Security number, driver’s license number, and other identifying documents that can make the police believe they’re you. Once out on bail, they’re free to commit more crimes, and a warrant is usually put out on them in your name. If you’re unfortunate enough to get pulled over by a police officer for speeding or a broken tail light, you’ll be going to jail, and it may be quite a while before you can straighten out the situation. It’s happened to other people, and it could happen to you.

Fortunately, there are things you can do to protect yourself from identity theft. Here are some of the most important things you can do:
 
 Never give out your Social Security number over the phone and never put it on any documents unless legally required to do so. Once a thief gets hold of your Social Security number, there’s virtually no end to the havoc he can wreak on your life.

 Shred all papers containing private data about you, such as your Social Security number, credit card numbers, driver’s license number, etc. Invest in an inexpensive shredder for this. The small investment is worth it for your peace of mind.

 Don’t have checks delivered to your house. They can easily be stolen out of your mailbox. Instead, pick up new checks at the bank, and have new credit cards delivered with signature required, so you don’t have to worry about theft of your identity through the mail.

 Check your credit report every six months to be sure there are no unauthorized accounts there. If so, report it to the credit reporting agency and dispute it if you have to. Also dispute the ownership of fraudulent accounts with the listed creditor. You’ll have to supply proof the account isn’t yours, but if it really isn’t your account, this proof won’t be hard to obtain.

 If you do all of these things, you’ll be taking a proactive approach to protecting yourself against credit identity theft. If you don’t take steps to protect yourself, you’ll wish you had, in the event your identity is stolen. Identity theft is one of the most difficult problems to clear up, because once your good name is tarnished, it’s a long-uphill battle to reclaim it. Start now and avoid problems in the future. You’ll be glad you did.

This is the second installment in our identity theft series. Be sure to check back for updates…

When it comes to identity theft protection, it’s better to prevent it from happening entirely than to clean it up afterward. Identity theft is a quickly growing crime in the world, and thousands of people become the victims of it every day. These people are often victimized due to their own carelessness—carelessness that could have been easily prevented.

Identity theft occurs when a person’s private data is stolen for nefarious purposes. The thief then uses that data to assume the identity of the victim to apply for loans, credit cards, and other financial services. When these loans aren’t paid back, as is usually the case, the victim’s credit record suffers, making it difficult for him to get additional credit in the future. This can prevent the victim from getting a house, a car, or even a job, if the job application involves a credit check.

Fortunately, some simple precautions will offer you some solid identity theft protection. First, never give out your private data, such as Social Security information or credit card numbers, to anyone if you’re not absolutely sure of who they are and what they represent. Keep your PIN number blocked from view when you’re typing it into an ATM machine by holding your hand over it. Shred all important documents about you that have your personal data on them. If your purse or wallet is stolen, report any credit cards that were in it stolen right away, so you won’t be held responsible for any unauthorized charges.

One of the most powerful things you can do to provide yourself with identity theft protection is to monitor your credit report. Your credit report will change based on credit activity in your name, and it’s usually updated pretty quickly. The cheapest way to monitor your report is to sign up for a credit monitoring service. Most of these charge just a small monthly fee, and will alert you to any changes on your report as soon as they’re posted. By keeping an eye on your credit report, you’ll be able to see instantly if something isn’t right. If you do find something suspicious, you can report it and start an investigation. Most identity theft victims eventually get their lives back and their credit straightened out, and most thieves are eventually caught. However, it’s better to not go through any of this in the first place. Protect yourself and your credit rating by practicing common sense techniques to keep your personal data secure.

This is the first installment in our identity theft series. Be sure to check back for updates…