Protection From Identity Theft

Getting protection from identity theft is on the lips of many Americans as they seek ways to keep from having not only their social security number and bank numbers stolen, but from their entire identities pulled out from under them by unscrupulous and very devious criminals. This is not a crime that can be stopped by a gun or bars over windows or five deadbolts on a security door. Rather, this crime can take place without the victim ever knowing about the crime until it is too late. The United States government estimates that up to nine million people each year have their identities stolen through various elementary and nefarious plans hatched in sometimes very creative ways. Each time this happens, lives can be turned upside down with often the outcome being the innocent victims arrested for various criminal acts brought on by the identity thieves themselves! Protection from identity theft is a new concept for most Americans to grasp, but is one that is extremely important to learn quickly.

More and more Americans are seeking help to get protection from identity theft because of the dire outcomes that can occur from such crime. At the least, recovering one's identity can take months to complete and cost hundreds of dollars in the process. At the worst, it may take years to recover a good credit report and get all of the credit violations off a person's credit history. In one notorious case of identity theft, the criminal, a convicted felon, not only incurred more than $100,000 of credit card debt, obtained a federal home loan, and bought homes, motorcycles, and handguns in the victim's name, but called his victim to taunt him -- saying that he could continue to pose as the victim for as long as he wanted because personal indentification theft was not a federal crime at that time -- before filing for bankruptcy, also in the victim's name. While the victim and his wife spent more than four years and more than $15,000 of their own money to restore their credit and reputation, the criminal served a brief sentence for making a false statement to procure a firearm, but made no restitution to his victim for any of the harm he had caused. After such violations like this one occurred, the government got serious about protection from identity theft and by 1999, it had become a federal offense to use someone else's identity for monetary gain.

Protection from identity theft really begins with all people understanding how the thefts take place and how each one can be proactive in combating the crime. For example, in public places criminals can watch over the shoulder of persons punching in passwords or account numbers at ATMs, telephones or kiosks. Criminals can listen in on conversations when credit card numbers are given out over the phone. The not so clever criminals can jump into dumpsters or go through trash looking for private information that can be used to access bank accounts or other financial records. Pre approved credit cards can be taken from mailboxes and the attempt is then made to activate them. If the criminal is bright enough to divert new bills and mail regarding new account activity to another address, the identity theft victim may not know the damage done against him for months or even a year. The damage by that time can be enormous.

Making oneself prepared for protection from identity theft is not difficult. It begins by not giving out any important information to anyone not known. If any person makes an inquiry about a person's social security number or other personal information over the phone, ask the person to send an application form by mail. Even the promise of winning a prize or other give-a-way should be dismissed unless the party is willing to send an application for information by mail. If there is still a doubt about where the inquiry has come from and protection from identity theft is a real concern, contact the Better Business Bureau for information on the company seeking said information. Jesus made it clear that anyone who tries to get into heaven by any means other than through him was the same as any identity thief. "Verily I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber." (John 10:1)

Make sure that all important papers that are being thrown away are shredded before disposing of them. Even go so far as to mix the shreds up before bagging them. When traveling, a person should have all mail held at the post office, and if the need arises to talk to a trusted friend about financial matters, do it in a telephone booth or wait until there is access to a private phone away from crowds. Protection form identity theft isn't difficult, but it takes the ability to think like a criminal to outwit them, at least at the most elementary levels. Making sure that there are no unexpected or suspicious activities on a person's checking or savings accounts as well as credit card accounts is a very important step to take at least every other month. Each of the three major credit reporting bureaus, Experian, Equifax and Trans Union have telephone numbers to report suspicious activity on a person's credit card account and these entities should be contacted immediately if fraud is suspected. In addition, protection from identity theft means that the Social Security Administration should be contacted if a person's social security number has been stolen or lost and the fraudulent use of that number is suspected

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