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Checking Your Credit Report To Prevent Identity Theft Identity thieves are taking theft to a new level and if you never check your Equifax credit report, you might not find out that you have been a victim. It takes identity thieves only a couple of seconds to steal your identity and completely destroy your credit. Government reports indicate that identity theft is the fastest rising white-collar crime in America. It's important to keep tabs on your credit report because identity thieves work quickly and disrupt your everyday transactions. They steal your personal information including bank and credit card account numbers; your income; your Social Security number (SSN); or your name, address and phone numbers. An identity thief uses your information to commit fraud. You should keep an eye on your credit rating. Identity theft is a very serious crime and can cost the victim thousands of dollars in damages. People whose identities have been stolen can spend months or years - and their hard-earned money - cleaning up the mess the thieves have made of their good name and credit record. Some victims have lost job opportunities, been refused loans for education, housing or cars, or even been arrested for crimes they didn't commit. A credit report can alert you to credit fraud before it's too late. Not everyone may be able to prevent identity theft, but you can take great measures to minimize your risk by managing your personal information cautiously and with heightened sensitivity and by checking your free online credit report. You should also be alerted anytime your mail appears to have been tampered with. Get your free credit score. Ways Identity Thieves Work And Destroy Your Credit Report Information Identity thieves use various methods to steal your identity. Make sure you do everything possible to prevent this happening to you. o They get information from businesses or other institutions by: o stealing records from their employer, o bribing an employee who has access to these records, or o hacking into the organization's computers. o They rummage through your trash, the trash of businesses, or dumps in a practice known as "dumpster diving." o They obtain credit reports by abusing their employer's authorized access to credit reports or by posing as a landlord, employer, or someone else who may have a legal right to the information. o They steal credit and debit card numbers as your card is processed by using a special information storage device in a practice known as "skimming." Are You The Victim Of Identity Theft? You can find out if you've been the victim of identity theft by checking your credit report and sometimes also is as blatant as simply checking your credit card bills. If there are some charges that you do not recognize, then it might be that your identity has been stolen and someone has committed fraud. Here's what you should do if your credit has been stolen: 1. Contact each of the 3 major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, Trans Union 2. Cancel any account that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently 3. File a report with your local police or where the theft took place It is essential that you keep a watchful eye on your credit. Check your credit report and always make sure you know who you are giving your information to. You can get a free credit check online. You can also get a free fico score on the internet to help check your credit worthiness. Basically you can get the same information that companies that run credit checks can get. So, one of the first things to do is to check your online credit report to make sure there are no bogus issues that need to be removed. 
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