Identity Theft

We seem to never realize the destruction of identity theft until it hits home. You wind up with countless hours missed at work; tons of unpaid loans you never took out; end up in jail for warrants of crimes you never committed; your credit score plummets to the ground for unsettled accounts you didn't open. The list goes on and on. There are several precautions you can start taking right now that will minimize the risk of identity theft.

A List Of Precautions That Aid In The Prevention Of Identity Theft:

1. The most important precaution that every person needs to begin doing is to monitor your credit report. You can actually ask for a free credit report once a year. If you notice there is anything suspicious or even if you just aren't sure of something on your report, under the F.C.R.A., you have the right to dispute your information. They also have to correct any errors that you can prove was not you. It does take a long time to resolve these issues. Almost 2-4 years to be exact.

2. As ridiculous as this may sound, you need to do a criminal background check at least once a year. Identity criminals can create false documents of your information such as D.L or Identification cards, passports, and birth certificates. They use your personal information during criminal activities and pass your information on as their own to law enforcement, to avoid using their true identity from having a record or adding to it if they already have one.

3. Even though most credit card, bank, phone, and online accounts ask you to create a security pin or password for your account. Most people fail to realize a few things to creating personal passwords. Don't use something obvious such as your birth-date, wife/husband name, address, or pet name. Try creating a unique set of characters like (these are just examples) on1289me, or zalph34que. Try staying away from repeating digits or letters because identity thieves can figure out repeating keystrokes.

4. Where ever you must have to give any of your personal details out, by law, you have the right to know what type of security is issued when handling your personal information or to know who will have access to your confidential records. Do not be afraid to ask these types of questions. Regardless of whether it is an employer, school, or government organization. These institutions have been attacked by identity criminals themselves through hackers and crooked employees.

5. Invest in some type of Identity Theft protection plan that offers 24/7 credit monitoring, credit alerts, and more importantly restores your credit. If you have children, there are very select protection plans that offer child monitoring. But there a few that do offer it. If you have kids it's the best investment as it is reported that 1 in every 5 children are victims of Identity Theft. These protection plans can alert you if any new or suspicious accounts are opened. This will eliminate the thief from doing any more damage. It also gives a chance for investigators so pursue the perpetrator if your plan offers it.

In Conclusion...

Taking precautions to avoid Identity Theft is not easy. These criminals are clever and find different ways every day to steal your personal information, and destroy what you have worked so hard for. These criminals have even stooped to the level of stealing the information of young children and teenagers. As long as you can keep yourself informed and take precautions, you can minimize the risk of becoming a victim of Identity Theft.

Julius Rocha is a professional Identity Theft Resource Advisor and has assisted families across America practice awareness in the Fight Against Identity Theft. To learn more on Julius, See Helping Others Today.

To find out how you can protect the identity of you and your family or to learn more on how to minimize the risk of becoming a victim of Identity Theft, check out Safety For Your Identity.

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