Protect Yourself Against Identity Theft
Identity theft is when someone uses, without permission, your personal information in order to commit any frauds or crimes. Identity theft is a felony that is becoming more and more common. That is because some of us are not very careful with personal information, making the job easier for those trying to steel our identity. We should always be careful with information like Social Security number, credit card number, birth date, employment information, driver's license number, etc., because if they enter into the wrong hands the consequences can be very serious. People that have experienced identity theft spend months trying to repair what others have damaged, and in the meantime they cannot get a loan or lose a job opportunity or, sometimes, they can get arrested for something they didn't do. If you have the slightest suspicion that someone has gained access to your personal information, acting quickly is a must. First of all, you should get in touch with the fraud department of the credit bureau where you have your accounts and request them to initiate a credit alert on your accounts. This way the creditors are obligated to contact you before taking any actions regarding your accounts. At the same time you should close the accounts you believe that are corrupted. The second step would be filing a police report and keeping a copy of it so to have a proof of the crime. It is difficult dealing with an identity theft and most of all is difficult to repair what others have messed up for you. We cannot completely prevent identity theft, but we can take some simple precautions to minimize the risks. The most important thing to do is to pay attention to your bank statements: they should arrive in time and you should check them very carefully. Your bank statement should always arrive almost at the same date every month. If you don't get your statement one month this could mean that someone has changed your billing address to prevent you from discovering any unauthorized activity in your account. Also, you must check every statement as you get it and be sure that you have made all the purchases recorded on it. Another simple precaution for preventing identity theft is to be careful with your personal papers. Never carry all of them with you as it is not safe. If you don't need your Social Security card, birth certificate, passport, etc., leave them home in a secured place and carry them with you only when you need them for some reason. Also, you should be careful with your mail as it often contains personal information. Either put a lock on your mailbox or have your mail delivered to a post office box. Nowadays, purchases made over the internet are very common and some thieves have turned their attention to this domain. The way to protect your personal information when shopping online is to never release them unless you are using a secure browser. If you don't have a secured browser or the website you're visiting is not secured, place your order by phone or email. Also, for the websites that require a password or a personal identification number (PIN) don't use common names or dates as anyone can guess them, but create your own password or PIN made of numbers and letters. These precautions do not really guaranty that you'll not be an identity theft victim but they will surely minimize the chances that you'll become one. Being careful with your personal information should not be a hustle but a routine. This way you can be sure you'll not spend months or years and lots of money to restore your credit record and your name after thieves have messed it up. Precaution is the name of the game. This article has been provided courtesy of CreditorWeb. CreditorWeb offers great credit card articles available for reprint and other tools to help you find the right credit card. You can also use our credit card comparison tool to easily compare credit card offers from multiple issuers. This and other fine credit card articles are provided by Creditor Web.
Related News
Improved credit score could mean big savings - Chicago Tribune
Using credit wisely - Hindu
Using credit wiselyHindu, India -4 hours agoDespite the high risk of debt trap posed by credit cards, I am an optimist who believes that access to credit in a convenient, card-based form is probably ... |
Home values fed spiraling card debt - Indianapolis Star
Credit Card Overhauls Seem Likely - New York Times
Credit crunch: UBS piles $7.5bn on to its write-down bill - guardian.co.uk
When Credit Gets Tight, a 401(k) Loan Becomes Tempting - New York Times
CGFS calls for credit ratings change - Financial News
Pawn shops booming in the credit crunch - Sunday Herald
Pawn shops booming in the credit crunchSunday Herald, UK -3 hours agoHaving fallen from 5000 in the early 20th century to around 800 thanks to improved credit terms and job security, Milligan said that there has been a 10% ... |
Crisp snares the ball, but doesn't get credit - Boston Globe
Aryty explores phone credit service in India - The Statesman
Aryty explores phone credit service in IndiaThe Statesman, India -3 hours agoA US-based overseas pre-paid phone credit service, Aryty, is exploring the Indian market to facilitate calls and SMS chat to the USA and Canada. ... |
|
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How to Order the Right Credit Reports to Repair Your Own Credit
In this week's article, I am going to offer some tips and insight regarding how to order the right credit reports needed to repair your credit.
Like It Or Not, You Have A Score To Settle! Part 1
Just when most people finish with school and can stop worrying about test scores, there's a new kind of scoring that enters the picture. It's called credit scoring. And, its impact on your financial future can mean more to you than a college degree.
Consumer Credit Reports
A consumer credit report is a factual record of an individual's credit payment history. It is provided for a purpose permitted by law: to help a credit grantor or lender quickly and objectively decide whether to grant you credit. Most of the information in consumer credit reports comes directly from the companies a person does business with, but some information also comes from public records.
Credit Cards: How To Use Them
Credit cards can be a very quick way of getting into even more debt if you do not know how to use them properly. UK debt is now at an all time high and, excluding mortgages, Credit Cards are one of the main contributors.
Like It Or Not, You Have A Score To Settle!
Like It Or Not, You Have A Score To Settle!
(Part 1 of 2 on Credit Scoring)
Bankruptcy Myths Busted
The average American knows very little about bankruptcy. Most people probably are aware of bankruptcy's ability to dissolve debt and give the debtor a fresh start. Some of the information you might have heard is correct, but some is not. The purpose of this article is to dispel some of the most common bankruptcy myths.
Credit Scores and Loan Applications
Keep Your Credit History Clean - Remove A Negative Credit Record From Your Credit Report
How Your Credit History Can Affect Your Life
Your credit history is an important aspect of your life. Maintaining your credit rating is very important to your future and to your lifestyle. A poor credit history can mean denial of credit, high interest rates, and could possibly affect your ability to get a new job or apartment. If you are unsure of your credit score or credit history in general, it is a
good idea to find out the contents of your credit report and to monitor any changes in your credit report carefully.
Teaching Students To Keep Out Of Credit Card Debt - The Parents Role
Parents have the full responsibility for their children and their education. It is up to parents to teach their children what's right and what's wrong, how to conduct themselves as good citizens, how to cross the road safely and generally protect themselves from harm. In fact, up until the time that child is an adult, the parents have responsibilities in every part of that child's life, right up until the time they are a college student.
Improving Your Credit Report
Even if you think you have a wonderful credit report, be wary of the error factor. Just as you receive mail with your name and address misspelled, your credit report can have errors as well. Whether it's human error, out of date information or even mistaken identity, errors occur more easily than we'd all like to think.
Get Your Credit Score To Soar In The Twinkling of An Eye
Ever wonder how a creditor decides whether to
grant you credit? For years, creditors have been using credit scoring
systems to determine if you'd be a good risk for credit cards and auto
loans. More recently, credit scoring has been used to help creditors
evaluate your ability to repay home mortgage loans. Here's how credit
scoring works in helping decide who gets credit -- and why.
Good Credit is King, When Qualifying for Mortgage Programs
If you want to purchase a new home or refinance your current mortgage, be sure to check out the wide array of loan programs available. If you have less than excellent or even poor credit, you can still qualify for a loan. If you have outstanding credit, though, you are in the proverbial driver's seat, when it comes to selecting your loan program. Be sure to find a good mortgage consultant, and carefully explain exactly what you need. Here are just a couple of "outside-the-box" programs that come in handy for some people but require excellent credit ratings.
Top 7 Factors to Consider While Reviewing Credit Card Offers
Credit cards have migrated from being hip or convenience product into a must have entity for everybody. Shopping Online you need a credit card. Wanna book a weekend rental you need a valid card to pick one. In order to register as a valid seller in many online sites you need a card. Like this the credit cards have evolved from being just convenience items into something you got to have or you will be denied many services. There is a lot of money being made by the credit card industry. Everything you buy has a credit card fee attached to it. If you pay by cash you still paying those fees since the merchants don't offer a discount for cash or check payments. They are willing to pay the 2-3% charge to the credit card companies than give it back to you. If you are not using a credit card as your main payment method and enjoying the convenience it offers you are paying for nothing.
5 Ways To Raise Credit Score
It's not as hard as you think to raise credit score. It's a well known fact that lenders will give people with higher credit scores lower interest rates on mortgages, car loans and credit cards. If your credit score falls under 620 just getting loans and credit cards with reasonable terms is difficult.
Negotiating Rates with Your Credit Card Company
Ok, let's face it, everybody hates high credit card rates, and they drain hard earned money out of your wallet. As a valued consumer, it is apparent that you learn how to negotiate to get the absolute best rate that you possibly can. The good news however is that it doesn't have to be a difficult or time-consuming process. In fact, it can be very easy indeed if you know what you're doing. In this article we will discuss the ins and outs of credit card negotiating to ensure that you get the best possible rate with the least amount of effort.
Your Credit Rating and How To Check It
There is a lot of confusion surrounding UK credit ratings, credit scores, credit blacklists, credit reports, and credit files. This guide to your credit rating aims to give you the facts you need.
Collection Agencies: What Do They Do?
Collection agencies are businesses that collect past-due bills and accounts receivable for other persons or businesses in exchange for a fee. Collection agencies charge for their services one of three ways:
Stop Credit Card Offers
You can stop receiving credit card offers in the mail! It's really easy to do - just phone 1-888-567-8688 and follow the prompts and provide the requested information including Social Security number, date of birth, etc.
Making Sense of the Information in Your Credit Report
If you've ever applied for a credit card or loan, you've
probably had your credit report reviewed by the lender. Your
credit report has a huge impact on your financial future, so
it's well worth your time to be sure that you understand what
your credit report says about you.
Credit Cards - Why Prepay?
With prepaid credit cards, you get the practicality of plastic while choosing exactly how much debt to charge. By taking charge of your personal financing, you determine your own limits, to the penny, and change them any time you need to.
|
