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Avoiding ID Theft and Credit Fraud
AVOIDING ID THEFT AND CREDIT FRAUD
Article excerpted from the new book, “How to Do Space Age Work with a
Stone Age Brain” TM copyright 2004, all rights reserved, by Eve Abbott,
the Organizer Extraordinaire
Each year billions of dollars in credit fraud is perpetrated on
unsuspecting citizens. With so much personal information publicly
available (or easily available to someone with medium computing skills)
it is essential to develop good habits to prevent your information from
falling into criminal hands. It is possible for someone to create an
entire identity (get driver's license, etc.) based on just a few pieces
of information.
I know of an employee who sustained an on-the-job injury then applied
for disability. He was shocked when they turned him down. According to
Workmen's Compensation records he had been collecting disability for the
last year and a half. Someone had gotten their hands on enough
information to drain his account!
It can take years and thousands of dollars to correct an identity theft,
credit fraud or a simple key entry error by a clerk at a Credit Bureau.
It takes minutes for you to do these simple tips:
Destroy all pre-approved credit offers you get in the mail before you
discard them. Otherwise, someone can fill out a new address and get
credit in your name. Use a paper-shredder for all documents with your
financial or legal information included. Sign all your credit cards with
'Please ask for photo ID' instead of your signature.
Never give out your SSN or credit card information on the phone unless
you initiate the call and you know to whom you are talking. Never carry
your social security number in your wallet.
You don't have to give your SSN to businesses that request it, although
they do have the right to refuse service. Only government agency, and
employment or tax related inquiries must be answered.
Reduce the number of pre-approved offers you get by requesting these
credit bureaus remove your name from their lists: TRW (800) 353-0809,
Equifax (800) 219-1251 and TransUnion (800) 241-2858.
Once a year carefully check out your free credit report from Experian
(800) 682-7654 and free Social Security file (800) 772-1213. If you are
denied credit based on your report, the issuing credit bureau must
provide you with a free copy upon request - even if they usually charge
for it.
Do not give out confidential information on e-mail or do financial
transactions on the Internet unless it's secure and encoded. (Look for
the SSL reference)
Check guarantee and check verification agencies must provide the same
protection as credit bureaus, such as access to your report and
correction of errors. If your check is refused, get the agency name.
This article is the property of
www.bestcreditcardsonline.com,
which has been offering credit cards services since 2002.
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