Identity Theft

It was only a couple of months ago that the United State Government led by the Justice Department instituted a nationwide sweep in order to clamp down on identity fraud. It is no coincidence that it was timed to coincide with the beginning of tax season. This time of year has been a boon to fraudsters in years past.

While it may or may not put a damper on the amount of information stolen the move needs to be undertaken on a regular basis. Identity theft at the present time is not going anywhere. It remains the number one complaint by consumers. However it is not all gloom and doom. Statistics reveal that it's declining. People also feel that financial institutions are doing a better job of monitoring it than ever before.

The mistake too many folks make however is believing that these same institutions will automatically protect you against the threat as well as fix it instantly if anything should occur. It still unfortunately takes a great deal of time to work through the process of restoring your credit report. Factor in that in too many instances the identity thief never gets caught. You put out one fire and another one is waiting around the corner.

This is why it is crucial that you take a proactive process to guard against identity theft.

1. Be Aware Of Who Is Actually Around You

The majority of identity theft still happens offline. An overheard phone call where you are providing sensitive information or perhaps you are at one of those online cafe's and somebody is intently watching what you do. This does not mean you must be paranoid to the point you never venture out of the house. But you should have a strong sense of what is going on within your immediate environment.

2. Family Oriented

This may be the epitome of being mindful of who is around you. The vast majority of identity theft comes about when the victim knows the person who did it. Relatives head the list as the worst offenders followed by close friends, co workers and neighbors. For one they make a calculated guess that your suspicions will never point towards them and for another even if you do catch them they figure the chances are you will not press the issue. In other words you may get upset but there is no way you will call the police and have them arrested. On this they are counting on.

It is perfectly understandable that you would hesitate to go that route so make sure that the temptation is not there. Don't let anyone have access to your personal information. If someone comes to your house make sure anything of a sensitive nature is tucked away in a secure place.

To find out more about identity theft and fraud visit identity theft info

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