Protecting Your Identity

Few things are scarier in this modern age than having your identity stolen. Your very identity being stolen, used, and abused. It is a crime where the thief is faceless, unknown, and seldom caught. This veil of secrecy is part of what is so scary; the thief could be anyone, anywhere.

This frightening crime can happen t almost anyone without notice and often can takes months or even years to detect. Someone can be living off of your identity for years, even worse, someone may even be committing crimes in your name.

Is there anything you can do? How can you protect yourself?

The best defense against identity theft is to be proactive about monitoring your credit report. By keeping a close eye on your credit you can detect if there is anything happening with your identity. Fortunately there are a couple ways to do this.

The FACT act allows you to obtain a copy of your credit report from each of the three main credit reporting bureaus every 12 months for free. This allows you to check your report for inaccuracies every year. If there is anything incorrect on your credit report contact the bureau directly.

Several web sites will offer these reports, but many will charge you for the privilege. The Federal Trade Commission established a web site where you can access the free reports every year. Do not be fooled into paying for the right to see your report.

Credit monitoring services can also help protect you from identity theft. Again, with identity theft becoming such a major problem an entire industry has arisen around offering identity theft protection. Some services are reliable and helpful, others not so much.

Deal with a reputable service to ensure that you are getting what you pay for. Ask for referrals from friends and family, or just go with one of the big three bureaus- Equifax. They offer a comprehensive plan on there site that includes another free copy of the credit report.

Another excellent way to protect yourself from falling victim to identity theft is to limit the amount of information that may be stolen. Never, ever, provide sensitive information in E-mails or respond to requests for account numbers, passwords, social security numbers, or any other personal information.
All personal documents that you are discarding should be shred. Dumpster diving can compromise your personal information and allow it to fall into the hands of potential thieves.

Identity theft is scary and dangerous. It can lead to years of damage to your good name. Take action to protect yourself and monitor your credit. Simple steps now can save you a lot of trouble later.