Identity Theft - The Fastest Growing Crime Wave In America!
You heard right. Identity Theft is THE fastest growing crime wave in America. Why? Because it’s easy and doesn’t require someone to break into your home to make off with the goods. They can get them right out of your trash!
According to the U.S. Postal Service, one reason for this, is the carelessness of how many of us handle sensitive documents. One of the best investments you can make for your home or office is a paper shredder. There are people who think it’s their good fortune to find a copy of someone’s un-shredded bank statement, credit card bill, tax return or any number of documents with sensitive account numbers!
This article is an attempt to educate you of those dangers and give you some genuine facts and a solution or two. If you have ever known someone who had their identity stolen then you know what we are about to tell you is true.
Last year alone, more than 9.9 million Americans were victims of identity theft, a five billion dollar crime wave!
The number of id theft victims and their total losses are probably much higher. It's hard to pin down, because law enforcement agencies may classify id theft differently - it can involve credit card fraud, Internet fraud, or mail theft, among other crimes. It can even involve your credit report because when you order a copy of yours unless you request that only the last 4 digits be listed, the entire number is there just waiting to be stolen! I know this myself because I recently ordered my credit report be mailed to me and there was my entire social security number on EVERY page for all to see!
The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) reported that only four percent of victims cited stolen mail as the source of personal information. Even so, U.S. Postal Inspectors, charged with protecting the nation’s mail system from criminal misuse, are leaders in the fight against identity theft.
What Should I Do If I Am A Victim of Identity Theft?
According to the FTC, if you are a victim of identity theft there are four steps you should take as soon as possible, and keep a record with the details of your conversations and copies of all correspondence.
Place a fraud alert on your credit reports, and review your credit reports.
Fraud alerts can help prevent an identity thief from opening any more accounts in your name.
One of the best favors you can do for yourself is order Lifelock the guaranteed Identity Theft program. Here is what Lifelock says about themselves:
Stop Identity Theft. Guaranteed.
By now you've heard the stories about individuals whose identities have been stolen by identity thieves. They're not pretty stories . . . people working for hundreds of hours over many years to get their lives back in order, even innocent individuals ending up in jail! We can protect against this ever happening to you. Guaranteed. Up to $1 million.
Lifelock doesn't just report unauthorized use of your credit information, we prevent it by working with the credit bureaus to make sure you're contacted to approve any credit transaction before it takes place. We also remove your name from pre-approved credit card offers and junk-mail lists, where identity theft often gets started.
We're the leaders in proactive identity theft protection as you've probably seen in coverage in The Wall Street Journal and Chicago Tribune, and on MSNBC, CNN, and many other national news outlets. We're so sure of our system our CEO confidently publishes his own Social Security number in all our ads.
You can also contact one of the credit bureaus directly and have them place a fraud alert on your credit reports.
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You only need to contact one of the three companies to place an alert. The company you call is required to contact the other two, who will then place a fraud alert on their reports. You can do this directly through Experian (FreeCreditReport.com).
If you've already become the victim of id theft you can contact Lexington Law for help on cleaning up your credit and getting your good name back!
Finally, invest in a good paper shredder and use it on all your bills, credit card offers, bank statements, and anything else that has your personal information on it! Identity thieves are not above “dumpster diving” through your stuff looking for that one golden nugget they can use to steal your identity and cheat you out of your good name!
Don’t put it off – act now! The best gift you can give yourself in 2008 is a membership to LifeLock to protect your identity and your good name, and Lexington Law to clean up those old credit errors. You can improve your credit score and get the credit you deserve. Act Now!
Resources:
www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/consumers/defend.htm
www.usps.com/postalinspectors/idthft_ncpw.htm
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