ID Theft Prevention
Learn About Identity Theft
There are quite a few resources online for identity theft protection, including Lifelock and ID Watchdog, but there are also ways to safeguard your identity that don't involve creating multiple alerts with credit bureaus. Once thought of as a victimless crime, identity fraud has become a multibillion dollar problem. You can be victimized by people in your neighborhood who steal credit card statements from your trash can, or international gangs who steal millions of credit card numbers in the space of a few minutes. No matter how carefully you try to safeguard your own identity, it is only as safe as every single government official, customer service representative, or bank employee who has access to your personal information. On top of that, there are people who pay good money for social security numbers and birth certificates, so they can create new identities for illegal immigrants, criminals, and fugitives who can impersonate you for a number of reasons. You can even end up in jail until you prove you are not the person who has been impersonating you, so it is imperative for you to prevent identity theft using every resource at your disposal.
Notes and Special Information
Special note: Always ask a certiied credit counselor for information if your credit is damaged by ID fraud.