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Protect Yourself From Identity Theft



By April Claeyssens

Identity theft is a big growing business in our world. Someone's identity is stolen every 2 seconds. No one knows how many criminals are hard at work to destroy your life. This article is meant as a guide to protect you from identity theft by giving you some current tips.

It's to the point where everyone needs protection from identity theft. If you were born today or taking your last breath today, statistics prove you're always at risk. And, there is a high percentage chance that it could be years before you find out who stole your personal information and how much you've lost.

As of November 2008, here are the latest identity theft scams:

The latest information involves using your credit/debit card at the store. Before and after you slide any card through the machine, push the yellow 'clear' button until it beeps. If you don't, the next person using that machine can retrieve the last information stored.

Most people don't consider the possibility that their child's personal information could be stolen and misused.

More than 34,000 reports of I.D. theft have been reported to the Federal Trade Commission from 2005-2007 concerning children under 18.

Jury duty scams. Please don't fall for this scam. Someone may call to say you missed jury duty. That person will ask you for personal information so he can stop the arrest warrant being issued against you.

This guide to identity theft protection was written for two reasons: To protect you from identity theft scams and, to let you know what it feels like to be a victim. My identity was stolen in 2005, so I thought. It was really in 2002. It took 3 years before I received a Notice of Collections from a company I've never done business with. I got busy immediately calling the police and the company. I took it upon myself to find out who it was and where it happened. Next, I purchased protection which guarantees my personal information.

When you have a lot to lose (like assets) or again a lot to lose (like your good name) identity theft can be distressing.

In order to protect yourself, please use the following guidelines:

Make sure you only carry necessary information.
Protect your passwords and PINs.
Never give personal information over the phone.
Check your bank balance often.
When ordering new checks, always pick them up at the bank

By reading this guide to protect yourself from identity theft you may be just one step ahead of these thieves. Maybe they'll just run out of ideas as we prove ourselves to be a bit smarter. Staying informed is our biggest line of defense.


About the author

Hi, my name is April. I've written this article, a guide to prevent identity theft to illustrate how thieves can easily scam you and how you can fight back. Please visit my website at www.savemoneysavetimenow.com
This article was found at WellWisher.org.

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