Identity theft crimes are not new, but they have become more pervasive in the past decade. One of the most insidious forms of white-collar crime, identity theft is a federal offense under the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act. It occurs when someone deliberately assumes your personal identity to impersonate you in a legal sense. There are people out there who are malicious and want to mess your life simply because they can. Businesses and financial institutions that lose $52.6 billion each year are under tremendous pressure from consumers to tackle this problem.

Last year, identity fraud crimes topped the list of complaints reported to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the leading governmental agency offering identity theft help, for the fourth consecutive year. The FTC collects complaints about identity theft from consumers who have been victimized. Although the FTC does not have the authority to bring criminal cases, it can offer identity theft help by providing information to assist the victims in resolving the financial and other problems that can result from this crime. As additional identity theft help, the FTC also refers victims complaints to other appropriate government agencies and private organizations for further action. The support of these knowledgeable resources expedites recovery, while enhancing your peace-of-mind.

Accurate and up-to-date information is the most critical element to minimize risk. For this reason, Federal Trade Commission recently launched an identity theft help web site annualcreditreport.com where all consumers are eligible for a free copy of their credit reports. In order to effectively respond to suspected ID fraud you should place an identity theft alert in one of the three consumer reporting agencies and that agency will notify the other remaining two. These agencies are: Equifax at 1-800-525-6285, TransUnion at 1-800-397-3742 and Experian at 1-800-680-7289. These credit reporting agencies can also be found online.

The ID Theft Clearinghouse managed by the FTC is a tool designed to coordinate law enforcement efforts in the United States. But, in the end, local law enforcement agencies like the police and district attorney end up dealing with most identity fraud cases. If you have been a victim of identity fraud, it’s these local agencies that will mostly likely offer identity theft help.

It would also be a good idea to study some of the different methods of identity theft so that you can effectively combat them. Do things like shredding your important documents with any account information or identifying information.

Keith Londrie II is a well known author. For more information on Identity Theft, please visit Identity Theft for a wealth of information. You may also want to visit keith’s own web site at http://keithlondrie.com/

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Most of us get credit card offers through traditional snail 0 U.S. Postal Service - mail, and we know how those offers work. Many credit card offers in the mail claim that you are already approved, though you may not be, and you still have to wait a few weeks before you hear anything back, after you apply. Those days are history since the Internet has made applying for credit cards easier. On the Internet, you can apply for a credit card and receive a response in minutes instead of waiting weeks for a response.
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The first and most important thing you can do to become better prepared and protected against identity theft is to lose the attitude that 0it could never happen to you0. Identity theft is much more common than most people believe, and the belief that it won0t happen to you leaves you much more vulnerable than someone who actively takes steps to protect themselves against the crime. Identity thieves are able to obtain information they need to assume someone else0s identity- often with little effort.
Take Care to Protect Personal Information
Do you shred information before you throw it away? The easiest way for identity thieves to gather information to assume your identity is through the paperwork you throw in the trash. You may as well hand a thief your credit card, social security card and driver0s license if you0re throwing out (without shredding) credit applications, resumes, credit card and utility bill statements.
Sometimes thieves will intercept your incoming or outgoing mail by taking items from your mailbox. With enough information, perhaps gathered through various bank statements or credit card applications, the data can be pieced together by a thief to use your name to apply for loans and credit in your name. You […]

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