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Tuesday, 12 September 2006
ID Fraud Prevention
Even though Identity Fraud is the nations fastest growing crime, there is still hope. Fortunately, protecting yourself is fairly easy. Use these simple and commonsense steps to protect yourself from identity theft or identity fraud:
- Do not leave documents with your personal information on them lying around - place them in a safe or keep them in a secure area. This includes insurance policies, credit card statements, wills, and bank documents.
- Be sure to shred your personal papers when you must dispose of them and despose of the shreddings in different bags. That way, diligent imposters can't reconstruct anything.
- Do not give out personal information over the phone or via email to solicitors. Reputable companies will never call or email you asking for you to verify your account.
- Place a lock on your mailbox to prevent snoopers.
- Carry with you only the credit cards you
need. Make sure the PIN numbers associated with these cards aren't obvious
too (like your address or birthday).
What to do if your identity is stolen:
If you think find that you've fallen victim to ID theft or fraud, call one of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion) immediately so they can monitor your credit inquiries and charges. When you tell one, the others will automatically be notified and you will be issued a free credit report. Also, alert your bank, credit card companies, and other agencies about the incident. They can freeze your accounts until everything is cleared up. Your state FBI and Attorney General's office can also be of service in these kinds of matters.
Remember, the sooner you take action, the more likely you can minimize the damage done. in fact, many individuals are now enrolling in credit monitoring and alert programs to make sure they are immediately notified of changes to their credit file.