How to Protect Yourself Against Identity Theft
Identity theft and credit fraud are the most rapidly growing crimes in the United States and identity thieves are becoming increasingly more creative in the way that they steal the identities of innocent victims. While individuals may take measures on their own to treat sensitive materials with care such as using locked file cabinets and shredding personal materials that they do not need, there is little the consumer can do to control a data breach at a financial institution or to stop a thief from using a "skimmer" on an ATM.
Identity thieves often steal identities to open up credit cards or take out loans in another person's name. A credit report is essentially a listing of a person's financial status so any new accounts are reflected in the report. Luckily, if the consumer is unaware that their personal information has been compromised and an identity thief has used it to open up credit cards in their name, those accounts will soon show up on their credit report and alert the consumer to the issue. Therefore, identity theft and credit reports go hand-in-hand as the changes on your credit report are often early indicators that your identity has been compromised. Those seeking to actively invest in identity and theft protection are advised to participate in a credit monitoring service which monitors changes in your credit report.
Investing in a credit monitoring service is a very simple and cost effective way to provide yourself with identity theft protection. Credit monitoring services monitor your credit report [http://www.nationalcreditreport.com/index.cfm/AboutUs] for any changes and alert you via e-mail when those changes occur. If you see an unauthorized change, such as the opening of a new credit card, you can quickly move to have the account closed and the situation resolved. An added benefit is that credit monitoring services also allow you know when accounts that you opened yourself are reflected in your credit report.
If you suspect that you've become a victim of identity theft and your credit report is reflecting an unauthorized account, you are advised to call that financial institution immediately to verify the account being open in your name. They will likely connect you with their fraud department. You also need to contact one of the three major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion) to put freezes on your credit report and to initiate a fraud alert. The credit bureau you call will notify the other two. Finally, alert local law enforcement to the identity theft and provide them with as much information as possible.
By paying closer attention to the possibility theft, your credit reports will thank you.
Identity thieves often steal identities to open up credit cards or take out loans in another person's name. A credit report is essentially a listing of a person's financial status so any new accounts are reflected in the report. Luckily, if the consumer is unaware that their personal information has been compromised and an identity thief has used it to open up credit cards in their name, those accounts will soon show up on their credit report and alert the consumer to the issue. Therefore, identity theft and credit reports go hand-in-hand as the changes on your credit report are often early indicators that your identity has been compromised. Those seeking to actively invest in identity and theft protection are advised to participate in a credit monitoring service which monitors changes in your credit report.
Investing in a credit monitoring service is a very simple and cost effective way to provide yourself with identity theft protection. Credit monitoring services monitor your credit report [http://www.nationalcreditreport.com/index.cfm/AboutUs] for any changes and alert you via e-mail when those changes occur. If you see an unauthorized change, such as the opening of a new credit card, you can quickly move to have the account closed and the situation resolved. An added benefit is that credit monitoring services also allow you know when accounts that you opened yourself are reflected in your credit report.
If you suspect that you've become a victim of identity theft and your credit report is reflecting an unauthorized account, you are advised to call that financial institution immediately to verify the account being open in your name. They will likely connect you with their fraud department. You also need to contact one of the three major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion) to put freezes on your credit report and to initiate a fraud alert. The credit bureau you call will notify the other two. Finally, alert local law enforcement to the identity theft and provide them with as much information as possible.
By paying closer attention to the possibility theft, your credit reports will thank you.
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