Shielding your Accounts from Identity Theft and Fraud

With the birth of internet commerce, identity theft has been on the rise. While electronic business has made transactions more convenient for consumers, it has also paved the way for those with fraudulent intentions to gain access to your personal information and commit crimes against you. Fortunately there are steps you can take to shield yourself from identity theft and protect your financial and personal information from those with unscrupulous intentions. With a little extra care, you can greatly minimize the risk of becoming a victim. Keep an Eye on your Mail One way to shield yourself from identity theft is to guard your mailbox from potential thieves. Always try to pick up your mail from your box as soon as possible after it is delivered. If you are going to be out of town for a few days, you can place a stop on your mail so that it does not get delivered while you are gone. Never place bills or other outgoing mail in your home mailbox to be picked up. Protect your Documents Documents like your driver’s license, social security card, credit cards and bank account information should especially be shielded from identity theft. Never leave these documents where they can easily be grabbed by a stranger, and always tear up or shred any papers containing this type of information before throwing them away. Be defensive about personal information over the phone or via email correspondence. Always ask if it is absolutely necessary before giving sensitive information to businesses and companies. Always collect your receipts from ATM’s and gas stations so that the person in line after you does not have access to your accounts. Finally, if you pay with a credit card, always keep an eye on your card when it is out of your possession. This can shield you from identity theft involving credit card skimming. Monitor your Credit Report You are allowed to receive one free copy of your credit report every year. This is a service that is worth taking advantage of if you are really interested in shielding yourself from identity theft. A credit report can let you know if any unauthorized inquiries have been made to your credit history. If a thief is trying to obtain a fraudulent credit card in your name, this may be the first place that you will see evidence of the attempted crime. No one likes to be the victim of a crime. Fortunately, there are many simple steps that you can follow to shield yourself from identity theft and protect yourself from becoming a victim.

Ways to Enhance Your Identity Theft Security

A few ways to remember identity theft security is to think of it as your life. If you allow someone else to live off of your information, you will be repaying the debts for the rest of your life. Y. . .

June 21, 2005: Stolen Credit Card information used in fraudulent Gift Cards
A ring of criminals who encoded stolen credit card information onto gift cards have been arrested.

April 18, 2005: DSW data theft larger than thought
1.4 million credit card numbers and names and checking account information have been stolen from 108 DSW stores in 25 states. The stolen information does not include home addresses.

CONSUMER ALERT 2

Identity Theft News at 01-31-2010, 10:05

August 11, 2005: Truck drops thousands of checks with personal information on highway
A truck dropped thousands of cashed federal reserve checks with personal information on a highway in Dallas.