Identity theft protection and prevention!

Early detection of identity theft is one of the most important factors in helping to reduce the financial and legal burden that can result from identity theft.

The easiest way for thieves to steal from you is not by looking at your debit card pin numbers but to simply take your ID. Which is the main reason that everyone should sign up for identity theft protection for personal and business purposes.

These criminals known as identity thieves aren't taking the risk of robbing a bank or store to get cash. Its much easier and more lucrative to steal your identity. These people are much smarter and more sophisticated and organized than the average thief.

Thieves can easily take your identity and gain access to lines of credit or even tap into your existing accounts from a debit or credit card transaction at any store at any time. Gaining access to your credit history is far more damaging than loosing a few dollars from your purse or wallet.

• Identity theft victims typically don't discover their information has been stolen until 12 months after.
• Identity theft victims who detected the crime by monitoring their accounts online had average loses of 500 dollars. Identity theft victims who relied on themselves  monitoring statements had average loses of 4,500 dollars.
• How are people protecting themselves and their credit. By signing up with a identity theft protection service, it is the only way you can take an active role in prevention.

Preventing identity theft step one of our worksheet – contact your bank

Make sure you contact all lenders, which includes anywhere you have store charge accounts and to let them now that your identity has been stolen. Cancel all your credit cards, by phoning the number that is either on your monthly bill or the back of the credit card. Make sure you explain why you are doing this and that you have contacted the credit bureaus.

You should also immediately put a stop payment order on all checks that you have written.

Step two - Any time your identity is stolen or if you suspect it has been, you must file a police report

Call the police and file a report with them, you can be accused of crimes that thieves committed under your name.

ID thieves have your identity, when they get charged with a crime they are using your name. What can happen, is if you are pulled over for a simple traffic ticket you could find yourself in jail until the matter of your identity is cleared up. Besides if you have fraudulent store charges in the same city you live in how do they know it wasn't you. Believe me this can and has happened to more than a few people.

Identity theft protection step three - contact the credit bureaus

Contact the three major credit bureaus immediately and have a fraud alert placed on your credit file. This would be Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.

When you call the bureaus ask to speak with the people in charge of fraud and write down a record of everything that is said and done. You should try and get names of the people you are talking to. Sometimes for their own security this is not possible, if this is the case ask to speak with the manager or office supervisor.

Identity theft through stolen home delivery mail

Go to your local post office and explain what is happening. If you live in a rural area you can do this online at USPS.com. Thieves normally strike again if it was easy the first time so I would strongly recommend you purchase a lockable mailbox from www,decormailboxes.com for added security.

When your personal identity is hijacked and someone opens an unauthorized account in your name or uses your credit card information it is an incredibly stressful.

Carefully go through the process of how to protect yourself and put the measures you need to keep in place to ensure your identity is secure.

Because of just how good identity thieves have become is why I recommend having some form of identity protection in place. The identity protection company that impresses me most is LifeLock, if you don’t have a credit and identity monitoring service in place I strongly urge you to register right now for your own peace of mind.

Fraudulent Cell Phone and Long Distance Calls

Report to your state Public Utility Commission. Report misuse of your phone services here: 1-888-225-5322 OR 1-888-CALL FCC

• identity theft awareness
• debt card theft