Stop Fraud in Five Easy Steps: Ultimate Identity Theft Protection Guide

The rampant identity theft and credit-related frauds have become increasingly alarming now that almost 10 million citizens have fallen victim to these crimes. Although the main idea behind the identity theft is to steal information, this illegal act can be used for a number of crimes worst than anyone can imagine with regards to records that have been leaked. This situation is usually aggravated by the fact that the owners of the credit accounts are themselves being careless about using and giving away necessary information. It is about time that these crimes must be ended through an effective identity theft protection.

Identity theft protection simply refers to the preventive measures that should be initiated by the owners of credit accounts in order to avoid the occurrence of identity fraud. While some might suggest it as comprehensive online security, it should be understood that fraud associated with credit accounts have long been around even before the cyber age; thus, this protection should cover all aspects concerning the use and safekeeping of the credit accounts. To help you put up a good defense against such crimes, here are some tips that you should consider:

1. Employ a Credit Monitoring Service - This service is often available through the three credit bureaus in charge of dispatching your annual credit reports. With regular access to your records, you can easily detect a fraudulent activity that has been made in your account. It alerts you whenever there are modifications and other credit transactions initiated. For a more guaranteed protection, it is best to obtain a service that grants you access to all three major credit bureaus whenever needed.

2. Shred All of the Pertinent Files that Contain Your Credit Account Information - As much as possible, you have to keep your records secured and inaccessible to anyone. This can be done by destroying the documents indicating your credit account and ID numbers.

3. Be Wary of Groups and Companies Demanding Too Much Information - An easy target of identity thieves is the person who is naïve enough to give out personal information to just anybody. If you are being asked about some matters that suggest high confidentiality, you must restrain yourself from giving further details until you have verified the credibility of the inquiring party.

4. Think About Getting a Credit Freeze - If you suspect that there is still someone who has access to your credit account, the best thing to do is to consider a credit freeze. This way, the issuer of your credit card will not grant any requested transactions and thereby preventing anyone from gaining access to it. Some states in the US allow free credit freezes for security purposes.

5. Never Allow the Computer to Remember Passwords - In order to make it easy for online users, most computers simply store the passwords to different sites. If you are not the only one who uses the computer, you should always make it a point to logout every time you're away. This is to prevent anyone, even those you share your home with, from gaining access to your credit accounts. Those who are regularly making online credit transactions should become extra careful with their passwords and credit account numbers.

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