Identity Theft and Fraud

Identity theft is not a NEW crime; it is as old as civilization itself. As man has evolved so to has the criminal's ability to present themselves as someone they are not. In today's high tec. world it has become much more complicated for a criminal to assume someone else's identity IF proper precautions are taken.

Identity theft occurs when someone, you know or may not know, uses your personal information to commit fraud or other crimes. Depending on the complexity of the crime the thief may only need your name, but they may also use your Social Security number, credit card number, bank account number or other identifying information to perpetuate their crime. The economic devastation on an individual can be staggering; costing them thousands of dollars and taking years to correct. The impact to corporations has resulted in higher costs that are consequently passed on to the consumer.

If you believe that you have become a victim of Identity Theft or Fraud and that someone has accessed your personal information and may have used it already, you can click on AnnualCreditReport.com below under Services and get a free report from each of the three credit reporting agencies. It is paramount that you do this as soon as possible after you suspect someone has obtained your information. You may also consider putting a fraud alert or credit freeze on your account. These alerts require a banking institution or other finance sources to make contact with you before issuing credit in your name or under your social security number and date of birth.

Take precautions, do not give out personal information to anyone unless you are confident that they are who they represent themselves to be. When ordering products from the internet read the security and privacy policy and look for valid VeriSign and Better Business OnLine Reliability Program logo. There are other organizations that provide security and privacy verification, so check out that organizations website and verify their program.

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