Comparison of Identity Theft Protection & Credit Protection
Identity theft is the largest consumer complaint in the United States. According to the Federal Trade Commission, in 2007, 32 percent of consumers filed a complaint involving identity theft. Protecting your identity and credit scores involves knowing where your money is going and where you have used any credit cards.
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Read Your Credit Card Statements
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Check your credit card statement regularly for any errors and false charges. Check your credit card statement for any charges that don’t make sense to you. Identity thieves will often charge very small amounts in order to verify that the card works. Ask your credit card company to alert you to any strange activity on your card.
Card Protections
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Take advantage of credit-card protection programs. When shopping online, take advantage of card protections your company may offer, such as PIN numbers known only to you. MasterCard offers SecureCode, in which the user inputs a code in order to complete the purchase.
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Shop Protected Sites
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Shop only secured sites for your protection. For online shopping use only secured sites. Check that the URL shows "HTTPS," meaning a secured site. This will protect you from potential hackers.
Use a Shredder
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Shred any financial or identifying information once finished with it. Shred all your important financial documents once you finish with them. Shred anything with your name, address, telephone number and birthdate on it. This includes credit card applications.
Check Your Credit Report
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Check your credit report to see if there are errors. Check your credit report at least once a year. Look for any errors in the report and clear them up right away.
Don’t Give Out Identifying Information
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Don't give out identifying information over the phone to a telemarketer. Do not give out your credit card number, Social Security number or bank number to telemarketers, especially if it’s their first call.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit thinking person image by amlet from Fotolia.com credit card and hand image by Warren Millar from Fotolia.com credit card image by jimcox40 from Fotolia.com computer image by blaine stiger from Fotolia.com Paper shredder image by patrimonio designs from Fotolia.com triple credit card image by Nicemonkey from Fotolia.com telephone image by Marek Kosmal from Fotolia.com
