ID Theft Protection
Most people have realize the serious threat of identity theft. They are conscious that they have to protect their personal information from preying eyes.
The majority of the people think that they have to protect their identity information to avoid others from illegally or unauthorized access to their bank accounts or credit card frauds.
But identity theft goes far beyond financial matters. There are unscrupulous individuals out there that want to access confidential data of others for other more serious matters than financial.
Con artists, scammers, rip off professionals, criminals in general can do all kinds of illegal acts to really destroy a person’s not only financial life, but their physical and emotional lives, too!
Identity verification documents if accessed can be used for a great diversity of legal and illegal acts.
Illegal entry to a country, loans, mortgages, child kidnapping, prostitution, carjackings, murders, robberies, change of identity, avoiding tax payments, social security benefits, retirement benefits, bankruptcy, damage to reputation, and many other life threatening acts.
If you have to give personal information ask how that information is protected against unauthorized personnel.
Request verification of any credit source.
As you can see, protecting your identity verification documents and confidentiality goes far more away than avoiding an unauthorized bank loan or financial theft or credit card usage. That’s the easier part.
The worst part is that the law can do little for you. And, the institutions that keep your confidential details are constantly at risk. And, they won’t help you much, if they do anything for you.
An identity theft issue can put you in jail, even if the “help agents” know that you are an innocent victim.
Your reputation could be damaged forever. You could be financially ruined.
The cost to work through an identity theft case could be exaggeratingly high. And, even with the money, you are not guaranteed satisfactory results.
What are your options?
Prevention to the extreme!
You have to avoid, or, at least, reduce to the minimum the opportunities that give identity theft criminals to access your confidential information.
Carry the least documents that you need with you. Destroy all documents, letters, bills, slips that you don’t need or don’t want. Don’t throw in any trash can documents or papers that have any confidential information.
Some states have regulations against companies that request that you give them your personal information if that isn’t essential for whatever services they will be giving you. Don’t give it!
If you have to give personal information ask how the information is protected against unauthorized personnel.
Request verification of any credit score and loan requests to the three major credit reporting agencies (in the USA). If there is a credit score or loan request, these agencies have to inform you that the request is being made before they send the credit report or fund the loan. This will, of course, make any of these requests more lengthy if you personally are asking for the report or loan. The agency will have to verify with you if that request is legitimate or not. But this “bothering” process will reduce the risks or probability of you being a victim of identity theft con artists and professional criminals.
You can specify that you be called to a specific phone number for the above requests. This can be arranged with any other agency or company that you have business with. No changes of address or personal information changes requests are allowed until the request has been verified through that phone number you indicated.
This could be bothering but you could be saving your life or that of a loved one.
Identity theft is so dangerous that even newborns (babies) are at risk. Dead people, too!
The problem with baby identity theft is that it could pass unnoticed and be discovered when the child gets to his/her majority or legal age and starts asking for student financial aid, loans, university admissions, jobs or employment, and the theft is discovered when she/he is denied or rejected because of the identity reports.
With dead people, you or family members could be denied or even accused of false representation when you ask for post mortem documents or even inheritance processes of a deceased family member. Can you imagine you being denied your grandparent’s house, that they always said was yours, because now it appears, legally, that you don’t have any relationship with your grandparents? Or, that somebody else is the owner of the house?
There are a diversity of companies that provide information and some even legal and financial protection services to help you avoid or reduce identity theft. Most provide information on the financial aspects. You must be aware that most are scams, rip offs, and frauds. Yes, there are advertisements of identity theft protection services providers that in reality what they want is to rob your identity or empty your pockets!
Do your research and call your local citizens’ or consumer affair agency for details.
Depending on the coverage of the real service providers will depend the fees charged. The best offer for you will be complete protection. This could be by retaining the services of a legal company or adquiring the information on how to do-it-yourself. Do-it-yourself could be time consuming, and retaining a service provider have a retention fee. If you can’t afford the complete package, do get up to where you can afford. At least, do have financial protection.
We don’t list any companies that offer these services because this is a very sensitive area. We don’t want to recommend a company because of some kind of misunderstanding. Always do your own verification. Call your local Better Business Bureau. They have an online business verification division.
Some of the companies have free trial offers. You can signup and get a test drive of their services. And you will receive plenty of additional or complementary details on how to protect your possessions, family and yourself.
Do request details from them. And read the “Terms of Service”. You will be highly grateful you did!
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