Identity theft: Dangerous Crime

Identity theft is a dangerous crime which occurs when a fraud misuses your identity with the help of your personal information for his purposes. Personal information might include social security number, credit card, driver’s license number and much such information like that. The fraud might use this information for many illegal activities.

The victim is left with bad credit and long term recovery procedure of retrieving financial health. Victim will not only suffer through financial loss but also his social reputation would be highly damaged. Finance can be recovered easily but the reputation is hard to earn and hardest to recover back.

Identity theft has ruined many people’s lives before this law was made. In many cases the criminal misused the credit card of the victim to get many loans, cars, and guns and had the courage to call the helpless victim to tease him. Prey could not help this situation because there was no such law or agencies to take action on that.

Today, laws and agencies try their best to help but even now there is no complete security for your information. You have to be extra vigilant while handling your personal data. You personal data may be leaked out due to following carelessness on your side:

• If you throw away your important information into dustbin without properly shredding the paper.
• If you loose your wallet or your mail.
• If you put your personal data on the web unnecessarily.
• If you keep giving away your information out in public on a phone.
• If you are in habit of using your credit card or ATM card most often.
• Even if you are not that careless, they may steal your information from a loan or credit application form which you filled in a public organization like banks and hospitals.
• They may hack in to your systems to steal away your files.
• They may be your close relatives to deceive you.

Of course no one can make sure above situations never happen; but you may minimize the damage. Here are some tips which may help you in this regard:

• Keep a regular check on your credit reports to make sure you are the only user.
• Never carry your social security number along with you.
• Never give away your social security number to anyone unless you are sure about their authenticity.
• Do not put your socials security number or driver’s license number on your checks.
• Carefully destroy your papers with secured information with the help of a paper shredder.
• Do not reply to any suspicious mail.
• Make sure the mail box at your home is properly locked.
• Make an effort to reduce the number of preapproved credit card offers that you receive.

These ordinary sounding tips will help your soul at the end. Remember it is better to prevent the disease than to cure.