True Confessions of an Identity Thief
Want to protect your identity like the law officials do? You've come to the right place! You'll find out just how these identity theft criminals plot their scams.
There were nearly 12 million events of identity theft in the United States in 2006, according to the U.S. Postal Service; which cost consumers about $6.3 billion! Consumers certainly raised their awareness after hearing this dreadful statistic; however, there are still consumers who are unaware of the distinctive techniques these identity thieves use. One renowned identity theft revealed, in an extensive interview, the 4 common mistakes she used to take your money!
Mistake #1: All Identity Thieves are Men
This is a common misconception that our identity thief says makes her job so much easier. The problem is that most of the major media outlets portray identity thieves as men. The reality is that many of these criminals are well dressed attractive women. To avoid falling into a trap, watch your personal information with both men and women. Studies have shown that both men and women let their guards down around women more so than they do around men. Everyone is a potential identity thief. This does not mean you should be paranoid rather you should simply be very careful.
Myth #2: Placing Trust in Your Neighborhood Store Clerk or Restaurant Waiter
We understand this is probably one of the most difficult things to avoid, because we usually have to give our personal information at checkout or when the bill comes at the restaurant. Shockingly, some of the people who wait may have two jobs. During the day, they may work in the department store, and in the evening they take on a side job. This "side" job is sometimes a way to easily steal credit card numbers from their customers. It works like magic, because they have access to your credit card number in hand. If you really want to stay on top of this, you have to check your account statements. Keeping a journal of your expenses may be a good thing to help you monitor.
An example would be $50 this way when your statement comes in the mail, you will quickly notice any anomalies. Think about this. How long does a person have to work at a store or restaurant before theyd have access to hundreds of customers personal data? Hint: Not long at all. According to our identity thief, most people like her take these jobs for a few months and after they have your data, they take an early retirement."
Misconception # 3 Tossing Out That Junk Mail Unopened
Whether you have good credit, great credit or terrible credit, it really does not matter. You will receive in a given month between 12 and 50 plus new offers each month to open new banking, credit accounts. The problem with this is that most of us are lazy. We fall in one of two categories. The first is a person who does not own a personal shredding machine and simply tosses the multiple credit offers in the trash or simply tears them in half and then tosses them. The second is the person who does own a personal shredder but has become too lazy to shred each and every piece of documentation sent to them.
Please note that all these thieves have to do is get a hold of one item of your personal information from your trash can and you're now a victim! Don't believe us? Ask yourself, "What am I doing at 3 a.m.?" Then ask what our trusty identity thief is doing at 3 am. Unfortunately our neighborhood identity thief is going through your "junk" mail sifting and preparing to sort your information later. A nice suggestion: After you shred your personal documents, add a little bit of water to the trash and then seal and throw it away. Now your information has been shredded and even wet and soggy, leaving it completely unusable.
Mistake #4: Mailing or Receiving items from Your Home
Hopefully you're starting to understand the intensity of this issue. Identity thieves can commit crimes all sorts of ways. Your outgoing credit card payments now become their personal piggy bank. Experts say that some identity thieves are bold enough to fill out a change of address form in the victim's name, simply to gain complete access to financial and personal information. Here's a tip: Be sure to drop all outgoing mail at your local United States Postal Service mailbox. You may also think about opening a P.O. Box. Although it may seem like a hassle, you'll be less stressed than losing your life's savings; and these are the preventative steps to follow if you want to beat identity theft.
One of the main issues is that there are various ways to become a victim; you really do need 24 hour a day protection. Don't be afraid to get help!
Listen, very few people can successfully protect themselves and their families without help. The major problem is that you have been trying to do it alone and it is just NOT effective. How much difference would it make in your life if you had a proven guide who has been in the trenches? There are many companies like Lifelock.com that provide identity theft solutions for people like you and me.
When finding an identity theft protection service provider, make certain it has been recommended by law officials, and that the service will actually work in a real-life situation.
Identity Theft Prevention and Identity Theft Protection are nothing to joke about. STOP Identity Theft with LifeLock. LifeLock guarantees identity theft will NEVER happen to you. Please visit lifelock.com to learn more about how to protect you and your loved ones from identity theft.
There were nearly 12 million events of identity theft in the United States in 2006, according to the U.S. Postal Service; which cost consumers about $6.3 billion! Consumers certainly raised their awareness after hearing this dreadful statistic; however, there are still consumers who are unaware of the distinctive techniques these identity thieves use. One renowned identity theft revealed, in an extensive interview, the 4 common mistakes she used to take your money!
Mistake #1: All Identity Thieves are Men
This is a common misconception that our identity thief says makes her job so much easier. The problem is that most of the major media outlets portray identity thieves as men. The reality is that many of these criminals are well dressed attractive women. To avoid falling into a trap, watch your personal information with both men and women. Studies have shown that both men and women let their guards down around women more so than they do around men. Everyone is a potential identity thief. This does not mean you should be paranoid rather you should simply be very careful.
Myth #2: Placing Trust in Your Neighborhood Store Clerk or Restaurant Waiter
We understand this is probably one of the most difficult things to avoid, because we usually have to give our personal information at checkout or when the bill comes at the restaurant. Shockingly, some of the people who wait may have two jobs. During the day, they may work in the department store, and in the evening they take on a side job. This "side" job is sometimes a way to easily steal credit card numbers from their customers. It works like magic, because they have access to your credit card number in hand. If you really want to stay on top of this, you have to check your account statements. Keeping a journal of your expenses may be a good thing to help you monitor.
An example would be $50 this way when your statement comes in the mail, you will quickly notice any anomalies. Think about this. How long does a person have to work at a store or restaurant before theyd have access to hundreds of customers personal data? Hint: Not long at all. According to our identity thief, most people like her take these jobs for a few months and after they have your data, they take an early retirement."
Misconception # 3 Tossing Out That Junk Mail Unopened
Whether you have good credit, great credit or terrible credit, it really does not matter. You will receive in a given month between 12 and 50 plus new offers each month to open new banking, credit accounts. The problem with this is that most of us are lazy. We fall in one of two categories. The first is a person who does not own a personal shredding machine and simply tosses the multiple credit offers in the trash or simply tears them in half and then tosses them. The second is the person who does own a personal shredder but has become too lazy to shred each and every piece of documentation sent to them.
Please note that all these thieves have to do is get a hold of one item of your personal information from your trash can and you're now a victim! Don't believe us? Ask yourself, "What am I doing at 3 a.m.?" Then ask what our trusty identity thief is doing at 3 am. Unfortunately our neighborhood identity thief is going through your "junk" mail sifting and preparing to sort your information later. A nice suggestion: After you shred your personal documents, add a little bit of water to the trash and then seal and throw it away. Now your information has been shredded and even wet and soggy, leaving it completely unusable.
Mistake #4: Mailing or Receiving items from Your Home
Hopefully you're starting to understand the intensity of this issue. Identity thieves can commit crimes all sorts of ways. Your outgoing credit card payments now become their personal piggy bank. Experts say that some identity thieves are bold enough to fill out a change of address form in the victim's name, simply to gain complete access to financial and personal information. Here's a tip: Be sure to drop all outgoing mail at your local United States Postal Service mailbox. You may also think about opening a P.O. Box. Although it may seem like a hassle, you'll be less stressed than losing your life's savings; and these are the preventative steps to follow if you want to beat identity theft.
One of the main issues is that there are various ways to become a victim; you really do need 24 hour a day protection. Don't be afraid to get help!
Listen, very few people can successfully protect themselves and their families without help. The major problem is that you have been trying to do it alone and it is just NOT effective. How much difference would it make in your life if you had a proven guide who has been in the trenches? There are many companies like Lifelock.com that provide identity theft solutions for people like you and me.
When finding an identity theft protection service provider, make certain it has been recommended by law officials, and that the service will actually work in a real-life situation.
Identity Theft Prevention and Identity Theft Protection are nothing to joke about. STOP Identity Theft with LifeLock. LifeLock guarantees identity theft will NEVER happen to you. Please visit lifelock.com to learn more about how to protect you and your loved ones from identity theft.
About the Author:
Author Linda Seamore is a consumer advocate dedicated to teaching people how to protect their identity. After months of exhausting study, she learned about www.Lifelock.com the industry leader in ID theft protection. Life Lock is a proactive identity theft protection agency, specializing in prevention of identity theft rather than just the reporting of it.
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