6 Ways To Prevent Identity Theft

By: Gary Gresham

These six ways to prevent identity theft offer you valuable tips
against the fastest growing crime in America today. In 2004,
more than 9.9 million Americans fell victim to many types of
identity theft scams, costing them nearly $5 billion. Their
finances were severely hurt because they never thought it would
happen to them. Hopefully, this article will help many of you so
you won't become a new victim of this terrible crime. Here are
six ways to prevent identity theft. 1. Shred any documents you
receive that contain any personal information. This includes
credit card receipts and pre-approved credit applications. This
important tip alone can offer you more protection against
identity theft than any other suggestion here. 2. Never give
personal information to people over the phone, on the Internet
or through the mail. Identity thieves will claim to be from the
government, your bank or even law enforcement. Keeping your
personal information private is one of the best ways to prevent
identity theft. 3. Check your credit reports from all three
major credit bureaus at least once a year and look to see that
everything is accurate. If you find an error, dispute it
immediately for protection against identity theft. 4. Be aware
when your bills usually arrive every month and check them over
carefully. Thieves can steal your credit card statements and
this popular type of identity theft has been around for decades.
5. Don't use common numbers like your birthdate or the last four
digits of your Social Security number for your ATM password. If
you have done this change it immediately. This is a common
mistake people make and one of the quickest ways to prevent
Identity theft. 6. Never give out your Social Security number
unless it is absolutely necessary. Your employer, financial
institution and doctor need it for identification and tax
reporting. But if someone else asks for your Social Security
number, always question why they need it and be cautious when
giving it to anyone. For maximum protection against identity
theft keep any personal information about you as private as
possible. Use these 6 ways to prevent identity theft and you
will have a much better chance of avoiding this nightmare.

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