Identity Theft Protection: You Are Not Doing Enough
Unless you have been living under a rock or in a cave in recent years, you are probably aware that identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes of this century. That said, it is truly both amazing and alarming that more people are not using methods and practices that can provide them with identity theft protection these days.
Some of those people probably think that it cannot happen to them because they very rarely if ever shop online or purchase anything online. But here is a news alert for you: identity theft is not limited to people that shop or purchase online. In fact, recent studies show that online activity really does not have a lot to do with the instance of identity theft.
In other words, if you are not taking steps to prevent identity theft from happening to you and having YOU become the next victim of it, the question is not one of "if" you will be a victim, but rather a question of "when".
You need to understand how identity theft occurs so that you can protect yourself. You probably get offers in the mail several times a week, perhaps even daily. These offers are for low interest credit cards, specials on things where you have purchased from this company in the past, and virtually anything else. The US postal service is great for delivering these messages directly into your hands since there is not (yet) a spam filter for catching mail delivered by the postal system, so these companies know that at some point, you will at least have to TOUCH the junk mail they sent you, even if it is just to grab it and throw it away.
There is your first mistake. That piece of junk mail that you just threw in the trash could be the "keys to the kingdom" for some dumpster-diving identity thief. Think about it, that piece of junk mail has your name, your address and what else? Does it have your account number from the last purchase you made with this company? Does it display your driver license number? Maybe your social security number? If it is from your bank, does it display your account number?
Often times, this is more than enough information for someone to grab your identity, open some accounts in your name and start charging merchandise to the hilt. The credit industry is in tough shape these days, but at the same time it is still a very competitive industry, and adequate checks are frequently not performed to ensure that a new account really does belong to you, since these companies are so anxious to get new customers on board with them. And that lack of adequate checks translates into opportunities for people who are using inadequate identify theft protection measures.
Recently a study was performed in the midwest to go to the dump and go through some trash there. In less than two hours of trash-sifting, no less than two dozen papers were found with consumer names, addresses, and enough other information to have opened new accounts in the names of those people. If the results of that study do not open your eyes to the potential problems here, you are just not paying attention.
Identity theft protection is not just something that should be used by the rich and famous, but is something that everyone should use. Some say that it is a sad day when you cannot even safely throw something in the trash. Perhaps, but it is a much sadder day if you find out that you have been a victim of identity theft. For more insights and additional information about Identity Theft Protection as well as finding many resources available to help you stop and prevent identity theft from happening to you, please visit our web site at http: //www. idtheftprotectiontips. comTopics related articles：
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