A friend of mine had her identity stolen. One day she had some money in the bank, the next day she began to get bounced check notices. When reviewing her account she found that within a day’s time, someone had made several purchases for automobile sound systems using her checking account. She froze the account immediately, but damage had been done. Although her bank did not insist she pay for the fraudulent charges, she could not access her money for several weeks. The automotive stores from which the items were purchased reported several thousand dollars lost. How did this happen? Identity theft is rampant in today’s culture. SpamLaws’ article on Identity Theft Statistics state that as many as 10 million Americans are affected by identity theft each year, and that it takes anywhere from 3 to 5,840 hours (the average being 330) to repair the damage caused by identity theft. Information is currency. Social Security numbers, medical records, pins. All the information that comprises the foundation of your life can serve to destroy it.
Protect Your Identity
So what do you do? Here are some basic steps to help you protect yourself. Shred documents – If you have documents that you don’t need, i.e. old credit card bills, canceled checks, etc., shred them. Documents can be removed from the trash and numbers can be stolen. Also look at your receipts. Some companies only list the last four digits of the credit card used, but some still have the whole number present. Those receipts, once recorded, should go in the shredder as well. Keep passwords safe - Having a password written down in an environment where anyone can see it is dangerous. Likewise, leaving a computer open when you walk away from your work area in a public place can leave you open. Protect your screen by having a password protected screensaver pop up, or even better, log off before going to lunch. This will keep your information safe. Mail it at a post office - My friend wrote a check for an electric bill and put it in her mailbox on the street. Someone came along and took it out of her mailbox and used it to make counterfeit checks with her account number. The safest thing to do is drop your mail at the post office or mail it in a US Postal Service mailbox before the latest pick-up time. Check your credit report – Each year you are allowed one free credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus, TransUnion, Experian and Equifax. You can request one at the annual credit report website. Review the information these sites provides carefully and if there are problems, then write a letter to dispute these claims. It pays to be cautious with your information and to stay on top of your credit reports. Having your information stolen can greatly inconvenience you and may have lasting repercussions on your credit scores. Be safe and keep tabs on your information.