Protect Yourself From Becoming An Identity Theft Statistic
It is stomach wrenching to know that in the year 2007 alone there were 8.4 million victims of identity theft. Within the United States it is estimated that each year there is a heart stopping 9 million people to have their identity stolen.
With statistics like these it is hard to understand why we are not more protective of our personal information. Not only are the rates of theft victims high but the cost and time to correct these fraud actions is not to be laughed at either. It costs an average identity theft victim $6,000 dollars. It takes fifty billion dollars per year in the U.S. to correct frauds matters.
An average identity theft account takes 40 hours to resolve and an even greater time to correct a fraudulently blemished credit report. It is sad to report that many cases of identity theft are due to a friend or family member’s betrayal. Other causes can include lost wallets, stolen purses, paper mail theft and Internet fraud.
A shocking 65% of identity theft occurs offline through methods like a criminal scavenging through your trash. In order to protect ourselves we must become cautious of where and how we display our personal information.
Do not provide personal details in emails or phone calls. Shred mail and keep documents in a locking file cabinet. Purchase a locking mailbox and stop mail when you are out of town. Simple steps can keep you from becoming a staggering number in an identity theft statistic.
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