Identity Protection - Identity Theft Help » credit card report

10 Ways To Proctect Your Identity

Melissa — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 15:19:07 +0000

With the age of technology and the recent recession looming, protecting your identity is of crucial importance. Each year, more than half a million people find themselves victims of identity theft. Many people lose their life savings and it takes them years to build up that nest egg. The best protection is prevention. Here are 10 ways to protect your identity from would-be thieves.

10 Ways To Protect Yourself From Identity Theft

Limit the amount of credit cards you carry. The more credit cards you have in your wallet the harder it is to track them.
Purchase a cross shredder to shred all important documents and credit cards.
At ATM’s, phone booths, and check-out kiosks be watchful for people watching you input your pin or phone number. Make sure you shield your pin number from outsides views.
If shopping online, only buy products that have a private policy.
Do not give out your SSN, bank account number or credit card number to solicitors over the phone. Make sure they tell YOU that information.
Never carry your SSN around with you. Keep it in a safe spot and memorize the number.
If you applied for a credit card and it hasn’t arrived in the suggested time frame, call the credit card company right away.
When mailing bill payments, take them to the post office and don’t leave them in your mail box. This is only inviting thieves to steel these payments.
Make sure to get a credit report at least once a year. By doing this you can clean
Monitor your credit card bills carefully. Note any missed payments or double billing.

Fraud Alert – When You Become A Victim Of Credit Card Theft

Melissa — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 17:36:14 +0000

It’s one of the worst things that can happen to anyone: you find out that your credit card number has been stolen and is being used to purchase items or open accounts. It can be a scary thing but knowing the steps to take will ensure a quicker outcome.

Once you become aware of someone using your credit card, the first thing you should do is put a fraud alert on your credit file. This is a precautionary thing to do in case you feel that identity theft could be a problem. Putting out a fraud alert will not be the only thing to do. Some creditors simply ignore a fraud alert so it’s best to also consider a credit freeze which is a stronger precaution than a fraud alert.

What a fraud alert does is add an extra step to ensure safety. If you or someone who has stolen your card wants to open an account in order to get a cell phone or a new credit card, the lender will contact you by phone to verify that you really want to open an account. If they are unable to reach you, the account won’t be opened. Note that once a fraud alert is issued it is attached to your credit report.

Become safe in today’s world.

How To Prevent Identity Theft

Melissa — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:05:52 +0000

What can we do to prevent identity theft or lessen the opportunity for would-be theives? There a few basic and iron clad things people can do today to dramatically lower the incidence of any sort of criminals using your information.

Get and Check Your Credit Report
Now that we have the FACT ACT (“Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act”) which was signed by President Bush in 2003, consumers today can now obtain one free credit report once a year from each of the three credit report companies. By obtaining this crucial information, consumers can see and track all the purchases they have used on their credit card.

Don’t Carry Your SSN or PIN In Your Wallet
This is a no brainer but must be stated otherwise. Do not carry your SSN (social security number) around in your wallet or purse. As well, don’t carry your PIN number to your ATM card around. Tangible items such as a wallet or purse can be easily forgotten, misplaced or stolen.

Don’t Make Stealing Your Identity Easy!
Nowadays we have many passwords and PIN codes to remember. It is often easy enough to use your birth date, wedding date or home address for many of your passwords or PIN codes and then re-use them for other passwords or PIN codes. Things like this will make the would-be thief’s job much easier to solve. Instead, pick passwords or PIN codes with no rhyme or reason and change your passwords and PIN codes every few months.

Work Alongside Your Bank Or Credit Union
Most of us, if not all of us, have a bank account and a credit card. Banks and credit unions have measures in place to prevent identity theft but they still need your help. If you notice something is wrong like you never received your statement, contact the bank or credit union. It’s better to be safe and cautious with such crucial information.

Don’t Leave Important Papers Lying Around
Your work and your home are two of the places you may think wouldn’t matter if you left your credit card statement on the fridge or your receipts on your desk at work. No matter where you are, secure important papers in a locked filing cabinet and dispose of important paper with a cross shredder.

We can’t totally prevent identity theft but we can sure decrease the chances of it happening. Take these tips to heart and implement them today.