Identity theft is on the rise (
read our blog entry about this). Reports indicate that identity theft has risen by 200% in the first 2 months of 2007.
While banks have been aware of this problem and have been taking several security measures to protect their customers,
you are still at risk, and it is ultimately up to you to protect yourself from identity theft. There are several tools that you can use to prevent identity theft:
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LifeLock | Identity Theft Protection (Highly Recommended)
Lifelock offers incredible protective benefits that include a Free Credit Report and
Identity theft protection up to $1 million. In addition,
LifeLock will stop your junk mail and credit card offers.
LifeLock is one of the premier identity theft protection services available on the internet. To demonstrate their level of belief in their services, the CEO of LifeLock has published his social security number both online and on a recent radio ad.
The first 30 days are
free. After the first 30 days, you have the option of subscribing to LifeLock monthly (for $10) or annually ($100). Whether you choose the monthly or the annual plan, your first 30 days are free and you will not pay anything up-front.
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Privacy Matters 1-2-3 membership provides you with a free online credit reports, scores, and monitoring from all three major credit bureaus. With the monitoring service, you can rest assured that you will be notified with any suspicious activity, and so your identity will be protected. Trial membership to Privacy Matters 1-2-3 is a refundable $1.00 processing fee. After your 7-day FREE trial period it's just $19.95 per month. If you call 877-993-6264 and cancel within the first 7 days, you will not be charged the monthly fee.
In addition here are some tips that you can practice on a daily basis to prevent identity theft:
>> Do not open any email attachment that you do not expect, especially when you do not know the sender.
>> Do not throw away credit card offers or any documents that contain personal information in the trash without shredding and destroying them.
>> Deposit outgoing mail in USPS collection boxes. Obtain your mail (if your mailbox is not locked) daily... do not leave your mail in the mailbox overnight or on weekends.
>> It's easy to accumulate items in your wallet, but keep it to a minimum. Make sure you keep inventory of all the items in your wallet, so you'll know what to cancel or replace if your wallet is lost or stolen.
>> Make a list of phone numbers to your credit card companies and keep it separately in your desk or at home, so you can promptly report lost or stolen credit cards.
>> Avoid returning items without a receipt. This may seem bizarre, but when you return at item without a receipt, the merchant takes down your name, number, address, and driver license (or official ID) number... which are all sensitive information that can be of aid to identity thieves (for example, read this article about
an incident with T. J. Maxx and Marshall's chains).
>> Make a habit of reviewing your credit card and bank account statements and make sure they are legitimate charges that you have made.
This list can go on and on. But, even though identity theft is on the rise, you can protect your identity by taking advantage of the recommended credit report monitoring services, by taking in consideration the tips we have listed above, and by exercising caution and reason before submitting or sharing your sensitive personal information.