Having your identity stolen is a harrowing experience that can take you many years to correct. It is important to take steps to prevent identity theft in areas of your daily life to reduce the chances that you will become a victim and limit the damage that occurs if your information is compromised. There are a number of things that a person can do to prevent their personal information from being stolen and lessen the chances of becoming an identity theft victim. Each of these things are simple to do and will only take a few minutes of your time.
Know What You Are Facing
Many people neglect to keep their personal information secure because they are unaware of how severe the consequences of identity theft can be. Individuals that have become a victim of identity theft may find their bank accounts drained, credit cards taken out in their name and maxed out, real estate properties purchased in their name, or criminal records for things that other people have done. Victims of identity theft may find themselves arrested, receiving court summons for civil or criminal charges, or receiving calls from debt collectors for debts they were never aware of. Knowing the problems that can occur with identity theft will make many people much more conscious of keeping their personal information secure.
Check Your Credit Report
In many cases, the first indication that a person has that they have become a victim of identity theft is a strange entry on their credit report indicating that an account is open that the person does not remember opening. A big red flag is if a new credit account has been opened, maxed out quickly, and sent into default without the person knowing about it. Criminals that steal other’s identities are interested in securing as much money as they can as quickly as they can and disposing of the information before they can be caught with it.
Checking your credit report on a regular basis will give you a chance to look for errors and unauthorized accounts and allow you to get these matters corrected quickly before they become larger issues. It is much easier to dispute unauthorized charges and fraudulent accounts if the reports are made soon after the incident has occurred. In many cases, simply reporting the problems will be enough to get them corrected and removed from your credit report. If the account is still being used, it is important to close the account as quickly as possible to prevent further losses from occurring.