ID Theft – Tips To Avoid The Most Popular Crime Of Our Time

ID theft is the most popular crime of our time. That’s quite a statement. Why do we say it? Simply because 15 million Americans have their identities stolen every year with losses approximating $50 billion a year. That translates to 7% of the adult population being ripped off an average of $3,500.

If you are one of the tens of millions of Americans who have your personal information in any database, especially government databases or credit card company databases, you are at risk.

Various government agencies rank it as the fastest growing crime in the country. Part of the reason for that is because most Americans are very trusting and very na�ve when it comes to their personal information. On the flip side of that, no special skill is required to do this crime.

In this article we will discuss some tips that you can employ to avoid ID theft and protect your most valuable asset-your personal identity information.

There are so many different ways that your personal identity can be stolen. There are the old tried-and-true methods of dumpster diving and mail theft, theft of a wallet, and various scams perpetrated particularly on elderly people to gather personal information.

ID thieves are trying new ways to steal your personal information, such as using change of address cards to divert credit card statements to another address. And of course the Internet presents a plethora of opportunities for ID thieves.

1. Our first tip would be to start with the basics. Check your credit report from all three major credit bureaus every year.

2., Review your credit card statements and bank statements right away and close any unused accounts. You can lower your footprint that way.

3. If you ever get an unsolicited phone call from anyone relating to financial information, whether they claim to be from a charity, fundraiser for natural disaster, your bank or any number of various phishing scams that are currently making the rounds, just hang up.

4. If an offer sounds too good to be true, don’t fall victim to it. There is no such thing as a free lunch.

5. Remove your name from lists for pre-approved credit card offers. It is easy enough to do and you don’t need the mail.

6. Only use secured websites for online ordering. If there is an HTTPS in the URL you are okay.

7. Don’t leave any personal information in your car for example, registration or insurance information, carry it with you. That way if your car is broken into, your personal identity will remain safe.

Those are just some tips you can use to keep your identity private.

The ID Theft Stamp blocks out personal data on any document.

Our Stainless Steel Wallet prevents RFID scanning from a distance.

Our BLOG is updated daily and is a wealth of information covering tips and info you can use with over 700 posts. Check it out to see what you might be missing.

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