Wildred Dolgner asked:




Everybody knows that identity theft is increasing but few of us were aware of this statistic: Every 10 seconds another U.S. citizen becomes a victim of identity theft.

This disturbing news was reported by the Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau. It may also surprise you to learn that 90% of those crimes occurred offline.

Have you or anyone you know been faced with one of these serious situations?
Denied credit because of debts you never made Increasing insurance rates from traffic violations you did not commit Denied health insurance from pre-existing conditions you don’t have Defaulting on student loans and you haven’t started college yet

These are just a few of the many problems that can happen when your identity is stolen.

It can be an exhausting and time consuming process to correct these errors. Will you choose identity theft “protection or prevention”?

A plan for prevention can also provide protection. Here is a good analogy: locking your doors and turning on the security system when leaving your home. These simple steps are helpful in preventing burglary and protecting your treasured possessions. The same principle can be applied when dealing with identity theft.

One of the best defenses against identity theft is to limit access to your personal information. Don’t take every credit card you own and check book when you leave home. If your wallet or purse is lost or stolen, you have fewer accounts to worry about.

Sometimes we become victims because of circumstances beyond our control. For instance, you can’t control how your health care provider stores your records. Your identity could become compromised if their security is inadequate.

When your identity is compromised restoration is needed! A plan of prevention is not enough.

The most effective plan includes measures of prevention and protection for you and your family.

Ray

William Harty asked:




If you’re paranoid by thought of your identity being stolen then you have very good reason to. It is more needed then ever these days to know how to prevent identity theft from the millions of lurking criminals who steal identities every single day. Did you know that 1 in 25 people just in America will have their identity stolen each and every year? If that hasn’t happened to you yet, you better consider yourself very lucky.

Here are 3 helpful tips to use that will prevent identity theft from happening to you.

1 – Never give your private information to people over the phone, especially if you do not currently have identity protection. It is extremely easy for anyone to tap into your phones these days and there countless individuals and businesses that make a living as pretending to be your local bank or energy company.

2 – Always use bank owned ATM machines. Did you know of how many erroneous ATM machines are out there? Their sole purpose is to get your credit card numbers and store them. Be extra cautious of this if you live in the big city especially.

3 – Shred all of your documents, especially the important legal ones. There are numerous cases of criminals easily stealing identities simply because its available in recycling bins. You do not want to toss your private information when anyone can easily pick it up.

I hope this has helped you understand how to prevent identity theft more so you can avoid being the next statistic. If you really want to feel secure it is best to have identity protection as well.

Laurie