21 Feb 2008 02:01:56 | Gary Gresham
These six ways to prevent identity theft offer you valuable tips
against the fastest growing crime in America today. In 2004,
more than 9.9 million Americans fell victim to many types of
identity theft scams, costing them nearly $5 billion.
Their finances were severely hurt because they never thought it
would happen to them. Hopefully, this article will help many of
you so you won't become a new victim of this terrible crime.
Here are six ways to prevent identity theft.
1. Shred any documents you receive that contain any
personal information. This includes credit card receipts and
pre-approved credit applications. This important tip alone can
offer you more protection against identity theft than any other
suggestion here.
2. Never give personal information to people over the
phone, on the Internet or through the mail. Identity thieves
will claim to be from the government, your bank or even law
enforcement. Keeping your personal information private is one of
the best ways to prevent identity theft.
3. Check your credit reports from all three major credit
bureaus at least once a year and look to see that everything is
accurate. If you find an error, dispute it immediately for
protection against identity theft.
4. Be aware when your bills usually arrive every month
and check them over carefully. Thieves can steal your credit
card statements and this popular type of identity theft has been
around for decades.
5. Don't use common numbers like your birthdate or the
last four digits of your Social Security number for your ATM
password. If you have done this change it immediately. This is a
common mistake people make and one of the quickest ways to
prevent Identity theft.
6. Never give out your Social Security number unless it
is absolutely necessary. Your employer, financial institution
and doctor need it for identification and tax reporting. But if
someone else asks for your Social Security number, always
question why they need it and be cautious when giving it to
anyone.
For maximum protection against identity theft keep any personal
information about you as private as possible. Use these 6 ways
to prevent identity theft and you will have a much better chance
of avoiding this nightmare.
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