Legal Credit Manipulation Secrets

Identity theft is a crime that can affect anyone and has no end in sight. It is commonly said that “it’s not IF you become a victim, but WHEN”. You might even know of someone in your family or a friend, who has stolen your identity or that of someone you are close to or know personally. If you have become a victim yourself, how can you warn others? How can you protect yourself if you have not become a victim?

If you know that the identity thief might have targeted others, let them know to obtain a copy of their credit report as soon as possible. If it is not, the problem can be handled, with a lot of work and patience. It is very important to report any theft to the police. Even though you might know the thief and do not want them to go to jail, you will need a police report to have your credit “theft” verified. You will need a copy of the report in order to get creditors to remove anything not belonging to you.

Many have not yet become a victim of this crime. You may be wondering whether you can protect yourself before becoming a victim? Simply put, use caution by taking the following steps:

1) Use a locked file cabinet or safe to store your important documents and checkbook.

2) If you need to leave your home for a period of time, have your mail held instead of asking someone to get it for you. If you know the thief, you could be giving them enough information to steal your identity! If possible, have your mail delivered to a locked box (like a PO Box) rather than just a mail box

3) Keep your credit cards to yourself. Keep your credit card numbers safe and do not share them with anyone who is not a card holder.

4) Do not reveal your credit card PIN numbers or bank account to anyone else.

5) Carefully check bank accounts and statements on a regular basis. Question anything suspicious.

6) As often as possible, check your credit report for any errors.

7) It is very important to shred any receipts or old documents before you throw them out.

It won’t be easy to protect ourselves from identity theft. The 7 steps listed above will help, but our personal information is still stored on computers where anyone can access it.

Identity theft is a frequent and serious crime. This has prompted several companies to introduce identity theft protection services. Are the services being offered worth looking into? Individuals will decide differently, however, it would certainly be helpful to be alerted whenever new credit is issued or the mailing address is changed. This way, there is a chance of preventing the theft from happening by alerting the proper credit agencies and authorities. Having a service that alerts you when your personal information has just been used to open a new account can prove to save hours of work and can provide peace of mind, when used correctly.

These services do not cost more than a cup of coffee a day, so it is well worth looking into signing up for one. Many of these services offer a discount. On the internet you can find a discount code by searching for LifeLock promotional code or something similar to help you save even more money.

To learn more about recent data breaches and how to protect yourself from identity theft, you can visit this LifeLock partner website where you can read more identity theft prevention tips, LifeLock reviews and more.

Author: Michele Parker
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Tags: credit repair information, legal credit repair, self credit repair