Identity Theft

Avoid becoming a victim of identity theft
By Virginia Franco, Freelance Writer The popularity of the Internet has led to a rise in identity theft. At the very least, this can be a nightmare to resolve and, if caught too late, can destroy personal or business credit.
 

You can take matters into your own hands and, with a little diligence, protect your identity. To get identity theft help and prevent yourself from becoming an identity theft victim consider taking the following steps:

1. Establish an account with an identity theft website.

2. Pull personal and business credit reports regularly to quickly spot potential identity theft.

3. Shred all documents containing personal information to avoid becoming a victim of an identity thief rummaging through the garbage.

Establish an account with an identity theft website

Identity theft websites can provide peace of mind at a cost. These services help protect your credit by conducting regular public data sweeps and, in some case,s providing you with identity theft insurance.
Try: IdentityTheft provides up to $25,000 in identity theft insurance, and conducts public data sweeps every two weeks. NextAdvisor's website provides an easy to read table with identity theft service comparisons as well as a detailed review of each service.

Pull credit reports regularly to spot potential identity theft quickly

Your personal and business credit scores are kept on file by the three major credit report agencies in the U.S. -- Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. These reports contain information about any line of credit or loan that has even been taken in your name. If you become a victim of stolen identity, any credit cards or loans taken out in your name will appear on these reports. It is also important to immediately notify these agencies should an identity thief target you.
Try: Equifax offers a 30-day free trial on their "Credit Watch Gold" program, which provides credit monitoring and alerts from all three agencies. FreeCreditReportsInstantly claims to provide credit monitoring and alerts from the three agencies as well, but also promises instant online information.

Use a shredder to destroy papers and protect your identity

Aside from cyber identity theft, an identity theft problem still exists with thieves stealing your identity by rummaging through dumpsters or garbage cans. Purchasing and using a document shredder to destroy credit card applications, statements and bills can eliminate this risk. If your business has a high volume of papers containing pertinent information that you do not want to get into the hands of an identity thief, consider purchasing a shredder or hiring a company that specializes in on site secure document and product destruction.
Try: Automated Shredding will come to your site, or your business can bring its documents to their site for Saturday shredding at a discount. ShredderWarehouse's website includes an extensive inventory of personal, office, high security and industrial shredders.

• Review privacy policies before signing up for anything online as this is where many identity thefts tend to occur. Companies will often list in the fine print whether they share your personal information with others.