8 Simple Steps You Can Take to Reduce Your Exposure to Identity Theft
There’s no foolproof way to avoid having your identity stolen, but there are a number of precautions you can take to minimize your odds of being a victim. Here are a few of them:
Many consumers don’t even realize their identity has been stolen until they are denied credit due to information provided on their credit file.
Before you give any personal information by mail, Internet or telephone, confirm you are dealing with a legitimate organization.
Don’t use an unsecured mailbox when mailing anything that contains financial information. Mail sensitive materials from a post office collection box or your local post office. Remove mail from your own mailbox promptly. And, if you’re planning to be away from home, be sure to put a hold on your mail until you return.
Identity thieves have been known to gather personal information from trash. Before throwing them away, be sure to tear or shred your charge receipts, copies of credit applications, insurance forms, bank statements, and the credit card offers you get in the mail.
There are legitimate reasons you will be asked for your Social Security number. Your employer and financial institution may need it for wage and tax reporting, and it’s usually necessary whenever a credit check is required. Before giving out your number, be sure to ask why it’s needed and how it will be used.
If your bills don’t arrive on time, follow up with creditors. A missing statement could mean an identity thief has taken over your account and changed your billing address.
Before making any purchase via your computer, look for the icon of a lock in the lower right-hand corner of your browser window. If it’s there, you’re dealing with a secure site. If not, you’ll be safer finding another merchant.
If you delete sensitive files by using your keyboard or mouse, the files may remain on your computer’s hard drive where they can be easily retrieved. To make sure your files are unrecoverable, use a “wipe” utility program to overwrite the entire hard drive.
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Frequently Asked Questions
ID TheftSmart provides comprehensive identity restoration in addition to continuous credit monitoring to safeguard your identity.
Identity thieves access your personal information in a number of ways such as stealing mail, rummaging through trash, and stealing a wallet or purse—or even getting it via email or phone by posing as legitimate company claiming there’s a problem with your account. Others access personal information you share on the Internet or steal private information directly from organizational and company databases.
In most cases, the goal of identity theft is financial gain. It’s common for an identity thief to call a credit card company and ask that the mailing address be changed. They run up charges on the account, and then have the bill sent to another address. Another tactic is to take out a loan or open a new credit card or bank account using your name, date of birth, and Social Security number. In all cases, creditors think they’re dealing with you.
Still others may use your identity to gain employment, file for fraudulent health benefits, or commit other types of criminal activity.
The truth is, without continuous monitoring and vigilance, it’s not always easy to tell. In many instances, it can be years before people realize their identity has been stolen. The best way to learn of identity theft is to monitor your financial records and make sure they’re accurate. Obtaining updated credit reports and credit scores is also important. Unfortunately, today’s hectic schedules mean most people don’t invest the time to do this on a regular basis.
In the past year alone, more than 9 million Americans were victims of identity theft. On average, each spent more than 175 hours and $1,800 to restore their name and financial standing. Attempting to resolve identity fraud issues on your own can be complicated and overwhelming, and it’s hard to know ALL the steps you need to take.
ID TheftSmart is the only identity theft service that provides full-service identity restoration in the event your identity is ever stolen. While others may hand you a do-it-yourself kit with phone numbers or information on how to issue a fraud alert, our licensed investigators do the bulk of the work for you, saving you countless hours of time and frustration — not to mention keeping your out-of-pocket costs to a minimum.
No identity theft program or service can guarantee you’ll never be a victim of identity theft. What ID TheftSmart can deliver is continuous credit monitoring that alerts you as soon as there is questionable credit activity in your name, such as applying for a new credit card or loan, a change of address, etc. The earlier you discover suspicious activity, the less damage the identity thief can do. You’ll also receive an up-to-date credit report and credit score with detailed analysis at no extra charge.
If your identity is ever stolen, the impact may be more far-reaching than you ever imagined — from unwelcome additions to your driving record to criminal activity conducted in your name. Most victims of identity theft have no idea these things are even occurring, let alone how to go about getting them corrected.
As part of our restoration services, ID TheftSmart searches applicable local and national databases, including sources known primarily to the investigative community, on your behalf. We then work with the affected agencies and institutions to help correct all credit and non-credit issues related to identity theft.
If you suspect you’ve become a victim of identity theft, simply call the toll-free number on your ID TheftSmart membership card. Our professional licensed investigators will do most of the difficult work needed to restore your name and credit to pre-theft status as accurately, completely, and quickly as possible.
You’ll be assigned a single licensed investigator for your entire case who will begin your identity theft restoration process. In order to receive the full benefit of enhanced identity theft restoration, you’ll be asked to sign and return a limited power of attorney that provides your investigator the legal rights to become your advocate and work on your behalf.
Identity restoration can take anywhere from a few months to a year or more, depending on how extensive the identity fraud is and how in-depth our investigators must go to get it corrected. Your case isn’t closed until your restoration is complete to your satisfaction and we receive verification that your issue is resolved.
No. Identity theft restoration services are available at no additional charge for all ID TheftSmart members in good standing.
If you are not currently an ID TheftSmart member and would like our assistance resolving your identity theft issue, our restoration services are available to you for a one-time $1,500 restoration fee.
Becoming an ID TheftSmart member is easy. Simply click on the “Enroll Now” link at the top-left
of this page and complete the online enrollment form. Your ID TheftSmart membership begins the date your online
application is processed. You'll receive a welcome letter which will include additional information about your program.
To activate your credit monitoring and credit report service you must visit the Web address provided on your welcome
letter.
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