| The first and most important thing you can do | | | | throwing away, even if the card has expired, |
| to become better prepared and protected | | | | and throw the tiny pieces into more than one |
| against identity theft is to lose the | | | | trash bag so even if one bag is found the |
| attitude that "it could never happen to you". | | | | card could not be put back together. |
| Identity theft is much more common than most | | | | |
| people believe, and the belief that it won't | | | | - Report any stolen or lost credit cards |
| happen to you leaves you much more vulnerable | | | | immediately. |
| than someone who actively takes steps to | | | | |
| protect themselves against the crime. | | | | - Destroy receipts, tax information, credit |
| Identity thieves are able to obtain | | | | card applications, mortgage information or |
| information they need to assume someone | | | | canceled checks before throwing away- and |
| else's identity- often with little effort. | | | | keep such documents in files in a locked file |
| | | | cabinet inside your home. Don't rule out the |
| Take Care to Protect Personal Information | | | | possibility of the babysitter or housekeeper |
| | | | or guests taking paperwork lying around your |
| Do you shred information before you throw it | | | | home. |
| away? The easiest way for identity thieves | | | | |
| to gather information to assume your identity | | | | - Keep a close eye on your credit reports and |
| is through the paperwork you throw in the | | | | credit card statements to watch for anything |
| trash. You may as well hand a thief your | | | | out of the ordinary, or transactions you know |
| credit card, social security card and | | | | you didn't make. Investigate anything |
| driver's license if you're throwing out | | | | suspicious immediately. |
| (without shredding) credit applications, | | | | |
| resumes, credit card and utility bill | | | | If You Are a Victim of Identity Theft |
| statements. | | | | |
| | | | Victims of identity theft often spend months |
| Sometimes thieves will intercept your | | | | or years trying to recover from the crime. |
| incoming or outgoing mail by taking items | | | | Not only may it cost victims money, but their |
| from your mailbox. With enough information, | | | | credit score is going to be ruined and will |
| perhaps gathered through various bank | | | | take work and time to repair. While the |
| statements or credit card applications, the | | | | three major credit bureaus do have policies |
| data can be pieced together by a thief to use | | | | for fixing credit scores and reports after |
| your name to apply for loans and credit in | | | | identity theft crimes have occurred, it does |
| your name. You may want to consider mailing | | | | take a long time for the errors to be |
| documents from a post office mailbox rather | | | | corrected and repaired. |
| than a personal mailbox- the little red flag | | | | |
| you put up on your box to signal your mail | | | | Before the report and score is corrected, the |
| carrier that you have mail waiting for pick | | | | victim is going to have a difficult time |
| up is also a signal for identity thieves of a | | | | obtaining any sort of financing (from credit |
| potential victim! | | | | cards to student loans to car loans or |
| | | | mortgages). In some extreme cases, identity |
| Preventing Identity Theft | | | | theft victims are even arrested for crimes |
| | | | they didn't commit. |
| Other than shredding paperwork prior to | | | | |
| throwing it away, there are a few other | | | | Being a victim of identity theft interrupts |
| methods you can use in order to protect | | | | your life. It is far easier to take |
| yourself against identity theft: | | | | appropriate steps to protect yourself than it |
| | | | is to repair your credit reports and credit |
| - Cut credit cards into tiny pieces before | | | | score after your identity has been stolen. |