Every day, nearly 1,400 Americans are victims of identity theft.
It can take anywhere from two to four years to straighten out
the nightmare, and the average victim will invest approximately
175 hours and over $800 of their own money trying to get their
situation resolved. Here are five steps you can take to protect
yourself, safeguard your identity, and ensure that your credit
remains sound.
1.Guard your Social Security number. If you have the number
printed on your checks, cross it off manually and reorder new
checks without it. If you have your SSN as your driver?s license
number, request a new one with a different number.
2.Check your bank and credit card statements every month for
unusual activity. You only have sixty days to report identity
theft, or you become liable for the damages yourself.
3.Mail your bills from the Post Office or a public mailbox to
deter thieves from stealing your outgoing checks and erasing the
ink to use them later.
4.Shred any receipts and documents containing account numbers,
policy numbers, or other personal information that could aid a
thief in taking your identity. Trash diggers are known to target
dumpsters for personal financial information.
5.Opt out of pre-approved credit card offers. You can opt out of
receiving these annoying and potentially dangerous offers simply
by calling toll-free at 1-888-5-OPT-OUT (1-888-567-8688). You
will be mailed a form asking for your Social Security Number,
however, in this case, it?s safe to give it to them so they can
remove you from their database.
Don't let someone else live a life of leisure at your expense.
Taking these simple steps to protect your identity will pay off
for you long term by saving you countless hours of time and
aggravation trying to restore your credit and your good name.
About the author:
Monica Ricci has been an organizing specialist since 1999, and
her motivational presentations teach effective organizing and
simplifying techniques for home and work. She also offers free
email tips and ideas on how to make life simpler and more
organized. Her topics include clutter control, paper management,
time management, organizing space and procrastination.Contact
Monica at 770-569-2642 or Monica@CatalystOrganizing.com.
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