Identity Theft – “It Wasn’t Me!”

Have you been an identity theft victim?
Have you ever had to say, “It wasn’t me!”? Have you ever been surprised when you applied for credit and was told that you had all kinds of charges made in your name – charges you knew nothing about? That would be your first thought, wouldn’t it – it wasn’t me!

So if this has happened to you, you know only too well what identity theft is. And identity theft safety actually comes in hindsight for you. But identity theft is a very real threat these days – all around the world. And if you’ve been fortunate enough to have avoided this horrible crime, then consider that fact – you’ve been fortunate!

So count your blessings and start developing your identity theft safety program today! And then you won’t be one of the millions of people who’ve had to say, “It wasn’t me!”

And don’t ever be one of those people who say, “It’ll never happen to me.” If you really believe that, then you’re a prime target!

Identity theft statistics speak for themselves
Still not a believer? Ask one of the 27.3 million victims of identity theft in the U.S. in the last five years. They’ll tell you! They’ll tell you of the months of hassle and the thousands of dollars it cost them to re-claim their identities. And that’s not an exaggeration, by any means.

Want more evidence? Check out the numbers compiled by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC):

In 2000, there were 31,117 cases of identity theft.
In 2001, there were 86,198 cases of identity theft – up 177%.
In 2002, there were 161,891 cases of identity theft – up 87.7%

And those were just the ones reported to CRAs (credit reporting agencies). The FTC estimates there were actually 3.6 million cases of identity theft in 2002. And they figure that less than 7% of victims actually report the crime.

A couple of other independent studies conducted in 2003 reported that there were around 7 million cases of identity theft that year – and that’s just in the United States.

The statistics are backed up by the country’s leaders
Identity theft is not a minor issue. In fact, it’s such a major issue that the country’s top leaders are speaking out loud and clear, alerting people to be aware.

In May, 2003, the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Wayne Abernathy, said, “In a recent national survey of homeowners, 12% reported having been casualties of identity theft…It is hard to think of another crime that has touched such a large portion of Americans... A separate survey recently found that Americans are more concerned about becoming a victim of identity theft than they are of losing their job.”

With all the focus on job security these days, it may seem surprising that people are more worried about identity theft than losing their jobs. But that’s how scary this crime is!

And that 12% of homeowners? That’s one out of every eight! So look up and down your block. There’s at least one family close to you that’s been through the horror of identity theft.

And here’s what U.S. President, George W. Bush, had to say on the subject: “One of the most harmful abuses of personal information is identity theft. Victims usually find out about such frauds when collection agencies pursue them for payment on these illegally created accounts, or they are denied credit because of unpaid debts accrued by identity thieves.”

What can you do to protect yourself from identity theft?
Identity theft safety is something you need to be very aware of. You can call it identity theft protection, or you can call it identity theft prevention. But whatever you call it, it’s a very real necessity in your life if you want to avoid ending up as a victim.

There are a number of steps you can take, and a number of guidelines you can follow, to lessen the chance of becoming an identity theft victim. Take note that identity thieves don’t just target one area of your life. They come at you from all directions. So here are the areas where you need to be aware and protect yourself.

Your mail:

Pick up your mail from your mailbox as soon as possible. And never leave outgoing mail in your mailbox for the mailman to pick up. That’s an easy target for identity thieves.
Never have your checks mailed to your home. Always have them mailed to the bank, where you can pick them up.
If you’re going on holidays, have the Post Office hold your mail for you.
Be aware of your mailing cycles. Know when your bills come. If you don’t get one when expected, phone the creditor and see if it’s been mailed. As much as we don’t want to get bills in the mail, it would be a lot worse if an identity thief got to them first.

Your computer:

Keep your virus protection up-to-date. Some viruses gather your personal information and email it to identity thieves.
Keep your critical updates up-to-date. They provide extra security , protecting you from identity theft.
Never open an email unless you know who it’s from, no matter how friendly it appears. A lot of identity theft begins with an opened email.
When you’re giving out personal information on the Internet, be very sure to look at your status bar to see if the site you’re on is secure. If it is, there’ll be a closed lock icon there. If there’s no lock icon, then it may not be secure, and you need to find another way to complete your transaction.
Never leave a laptop unattended. And always use passwords. It’s very easy for a thief to tuck your laptop under his arm and run off with it.
If you’re upgrading or changing your computer, get a software program that completely wipes out your hard drive. When you delete files, they’re still there in your computer, if you know how to find them – and identity thieves do!

Your records:

Make use of a shredder or a shredding service. Shred all documents that have any kind of personal information on them.
Protect your wallet/purse at all times. They’re a prime target for identity thieves. You know how devastated you are if you lose your wallet. It has a whole lot of personal information in it – enough for someone to create a whole new identity – your identity!
Find out who has access to your personal records at your place of employment. Identity thieves can bribe employees to give them your information.
Check your credit report regularly. That’s usually the first place you find evidence that you’re a victim of identity theft.

Make identity theft safety an important part of your life
There are a number of things you can do to create a continual identity theft protection program. You can buy identity theft insurance. You can also buy identity fraud protection. You can make use of a credit monitoring service.

There are many ways you can protect yourself from identity theft. You need to be aware of them all, and you need to make use of as many of them as you can.

Think of the alternative – a victim of identity theft. Living for months, trying to get your identify back. Trying to prove to creditors that it wasn’t you that made all those charges. Trying to prove to the police that it wasn’t you that committed that crime. Trying to prove that you’re a victim of identity theft.

So don’t be one of those eight families on your block. Don’t be one of those 7 million victims. Treat identity theft seriously. And if you follow all the guidelines, and take all the steps to protect yourself, hopefully, you’ll be safe!