Protect Yourself From Identity Theft

By Rex Simpleton

Being a victim of identity theft is one of the worst things that could ever happen to someone. However there are certain steps that you can take in order to minimize your risk of becoming a victim of identity theft and here are some of them:

1. If you suspect that someone is using your identity to commit fraud crimes you must contact as soon as possible the fraud departments of the consumer reporting companies in order for them to place a fraud alert on your credit report.

When making a fraud alert, the creditors will contact you if any changes happen with your credit card. If someone opens an account using your name or makes any transactions with your credit card you will be immediately informed. There are two types of fraud alerts: initial alert and extended alert.

The difference between these two fraud alerts is in terms of their duration. The initial alert usually last for ninety days on your credit report while the extended fraud alert stays much longer and last for as long as seven years. You can choose between these two frauds alerts the best one that you think will provide you with a better protection. Plus you only have to contact only one of the consumers reporting companies since it will simply relay to the other two the fraud alert.

2. If you have been a fraud victim you can choose to close your account which has been used for transactions. If you want to check accounts that are opened in your name you should use the ID Theft Affidavit.

3. Also, a good thing is to file a report and inform the police about your identity theft and credit card fraud to make sure that you have a proof of the crime in case your creditors need one.

4. You also need to file a complaint at the Federal Trade Commission because they need to register your case in their identity theft cases database. When filing a complaint you will be informed about any legal issues and any problems that will come up during the process.

Nobody is protected from these types of frauds. All people can do is to try and be careful with their information. All over the internet criminals can take your personal information and use it to gain profit. Make sure that the companies you are dealing with are trustworthy and make sure that their methods of privacy are genuine.

Don't be deceived by those lottery emails saying that you have won something and would require you to fill up some forms asking for personal information. Don't be carried away by the promised price, it would be better for you to confirm with the company whether they have sent you an email or not. And if ever they deny it then make sure that report the fraudulent email that you receive to the Federal Trade Commission so that they can give out warnings to other consumers of the circulating fraudulent email.

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Do not be a victim of identity theft. There are steps you can begin to take right now to prevent this from happening. Get started today with a brand new 5 part course in Identity Theft Prevention