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Identity Theft
By Reginald
Identity theft is becoming an increasingly frightening and realistic problem for people around the world. It is possible for a person in Africa to obtain the personal information of someone in Canada and use this information to damage credit steal money within minutes. Identity theft is a worldwide problem with the fastest growing occurrence happening in the United States. The basic definition of identity theft is co-option of another person's personal information (e.g., name, social security number, credit card number, and passport) without that person's knowledge and the fraudulent use of such knowledge. Someone else suddenly finds himself or herself in a position to pretend to be someone else and do whatever they want in that person's name.
People think that they don't have many options when it comes to preventing identity theft, but the best method of preventing identity theft is to simply make it more difficult for those attempting to find information. If someone is looking for a victim and they come across someone who has taken steps to make it more difficult to steal from or it is simply too much work to find out necessary information, they will simply move on to an easier target.
To help in preventing identity theft, the Federal Trade Commission has taken the time to provide the public with tips on steps to take when attempting to keep personal information private and safe. One of the most important things to remember in preventing identity theft is to never give out personal information of any kind through any means unless the person who requires that information is verified and trustworthy. This includes anyone whom calls asking for money of any kind, unsolicited sales calls and other suspicious contacts. There are a number of things a person can do to verify the authenticity of their business when preventing identity theft including customer service numbers and even web sites of companies who post alerts about thieves who are using their name to find victims.
Other steps that can be taken when preventing identity theft is to avoid carrying identifying personal information including a social security card whenever possible, keep all personal information such as account numbers and social security numbers in a locked sage and put a hold on mail service whenever leaving for more than a day. Many people use PO boxes as an effective tool in preventing identity theft because mail cannot be accessed without a key.
A person's garbage and recycling boxes are common targets for anyone considering identity theft. Individuals who place their trash and bins by the road should consider shredding their charge card statements, credit card receipts, insurance information, correspondence with doctor's offices and any other type of identifying information that might be used by a thief.
Other ideas that can be used in preventing identity theft include using passwords that are not easy to guess on all types of accounts that are held. Never use birth dates, parts of a social security number, phone numbers, names of loves ones or consecutive numbers, as they are commonly used and guessed numbers by identity thieves. The best advice when preventing identity theft is to use common sense. If something doesn't sound or even feel right, it is best to hang up or walk away without compromising the safety of personal and financial information.
About the Author
Reginald is the webmaster and owner of "Identity-Theft-Protection-Tips.com" and has been researching and reporting on Identity Thefts for years. Click Here ==> http://www.identity-theft-protection-tips.com/
Article Source: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/8806.html
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