Identity Theft Facts
Identity theft is no myth as nearly nine million people in the United States have their identity stolen each year. It costs fifty thousand dollars per year within the U.S. to resolve identity theft. It also takes forty hours to resolve the average case of identity theft and even longer to correct fraud activity on a credit report.
It was estimated that in the year 2007 alone, 8.4 million people were victims of identity theft. With the startling facts of identity theft available it is a shame people do not take precautions to protect themselves from this harsh possibility.
Simple steps such as purchasing a locking mailbox, shredding personal documents and maintaining one’s bank account knowledge can lower a person’s risk of identity theft rapidly. You may be surprised to know that 65% of identity theft was obtained offline. This is often through the trash, lost wallets or unsuspecting friends or family members.
Checking account fraud alone is the fastest rising area of fraud today. There are cases of identity theft across the nation though highest rates are in California and New York. In order to keep yourself from becoming another statistic of identity theft you should never throw out paper mail that has your personal information on it.
Keep your birth certificate and social security card under lock and key. When using passwords on websites use a mixture of letters, numbers and symbols. Do not use a familiar word or birthrate. Keeping yourself safe from identity theft is just as easy as it is for a criminal to dig through your trash for your phone bill. Be smart and keep your personal information safe.
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