Identity Theft Prevention Tactics You Can Use Today

By: Jay Anderson

Every year more than 10 million people find that they have become the victim of identity theft. With a statistic like that, it is way past time for you to start taking identity theft prevention seriously so that it does not happen to you. Like anything else, an ounce of preventive measures is worth several pounds of cure.

One of the reasons to be concerned is because if you become a victim, you should plan to spend at least $500 or more to get the problem straightened out. And this does not include the countless hours of personal time you will spend on the phone, sending letters and faxes to skeptical creditors to explain that it was not you who charged several thousand dollars on an account that appears to belong to you, complete with a significant amount of your personal information.

Most people have probably heard that one of the best prevention measures is to shred all mail that comes in. Shredders are readily available at most office supply stores and make sure that the one you get cross-cuts the paper which makes it nearly impossible for a thief to put it back together. Don't forget to also look carefully at magazines and other periodicals that come in, since many of them have an address label with much of your information on it, as well as pre-printed order forms inside, which should all be shredded before you discard them.

The federal government has also realized how prevalent this crime is becoming and has implemented a few identity theft prevention measures that you can use. The first is a free annual credit report. This gives you the ability to check your report every year so you can detect any changes. You will receive a free report from all three major credit bureaus.

The credit reporting companies have also gotten into the act to help you prevent this crime. One way is to send them an "opt-out" which means that you no longer want any banks or financial institutions to mail you offers, even if you qualify. This is a great idea, especially because you may be tempted to sign up for what may appear to be great offers and then find yourself with financial problems due to over-extending yourself.

The credit bureaus also allow you to request a "credit freeze" on your account which will completely freeze your report. What this means is that nobody can run a credit report on you without your express permission. To get permission, it is a somewhat difficult process, and most identity thieves will not bother with this since there are so many targets that are much easier.

You may also wish to consider identity theft protection services. These companies provide various levels of service, usually including a constant monitoring of your credit reports and notifying you whenever there are any changes. Such companies charge a monthly fee, but for the peace of mind and sometimes a very solid guarantee, it is much cheaper than the consequences if you are a victim.

With the amount of identity theft victims increasing every year, it is time that you really took identity theft prevention more seriously. Having your identity stolen will rob you of your good credit rating, cost you hundreds of dollars and take weeks and in most cases even months to repair the damage done.

Article Source: http://www.retirementlivingarticledirectory.com

For more insights and additional information about Identity Theft Prevention as well as getting free copies of your credit reports from the credit bureaus, please visit our web site at www.idtheftprotectiontips.com

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