Credit Guide

Identity Theft - Early Detection Is Key
by Jonathan Citrin

Card Consolidation Credit Debt Protecting yourself from Identity Theft (ID Theft) is an important matter. ID Theft is defined by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) as, "when someone uses your name, address, Social Security number, bank or credit card account number, or other identifying information without your knowledge to commit fraud or other crimes."

Much like a credit report, an identity theft report contains your personal and financial history. Companies like Privacy Matters offer an identity theft report as part of their core benefits, designed to protect your personal information and your peace of mind. Staying proactive is a key to preventing identity theft, and an identity theft report, along with identity theft and credit monitoring, offers you several different weapons to stay in the fight.

Credit Union In a summary report dated September of 2003, the FTC reported that "almost 10 million Americans have discovered that they were the victim of some form of ID Theft within the last year." Further, the FTC estimates that the "total cost of this crime approaches $50 billion per year." (The report can be viewed and printed at
http://www.ftc.gov/os/2003/09/synovatereport.pdf.)

Merchant Credit Guide Co Though preventing ID Theft is ideal, also important is your ability to quickly determine when your identity is being used without your knowledge. Early detection is essential in preventing undue loss, as well as protecting your credit from long-term damage. One means of finding out if you have been a victim of ID Theft is through the use of a credit report.

By Credit Health We've all heard of identity theft, but what does this term really mean Going far beyond credit card fraud, identity theft is a rapidly growing crime that most people will face at some point in their lives. Credit Health explains the different kinds of identity theft crimes common today and pinpoints new identity theft trends that are emerging.

Apply Online For Credit Card A credit report is a list of all credit cards, debts, accounts, and other information associated with your social security number. That is, by going to the website of one of the three main credit reporting agencies and running a credit report, you will be able to see all the financial information linked to your social security number. Most importantly, you may be able to identify an error or fraudulent activity.

victim. All you need is a social security number and minimally acceptable credit worthiness to be victimized. Early detection is important, but watching our finances may not be enough to prevent identity theft. The bigger problem is when someone uses your personal information to establish new credit in your name. According to the FTC, in the 12 months ending in 2003, 3.23 million consumers discovered that new accounts had

By Card Credit Debt Debt Guide When viewing your credit report online, information will be given in seven sections: personal information, account information, inquiries, collections, public records, consumer statement, and dispute file information. One of your main objectives should be to verify all accounts and information as being valid. Carefully read the entire credit report looking for errors or anything unfamiliar. If you should see something out of the ordinary or wrong, contact the credit reporting agency immediately- you may be a victim of ID Theft.

Consumers visiting PrivacyMatters.com have easy access to Free Triple Bureau Credit Reports and Triple Bureau Credit Scores in one simple report; credit, identity, and security products; and key information to help them protect their credit and prevent identity theft. Privacy Matters' top of the line products, 3 and Privacy Matters Identity, can also be accessed at www.privacymatters.com.

Credit Repair Equifax, one of the three major credit reporting agencies, says you should, "Check your credit report regularly. Checking your credit report can help you catch mistakes and fraud before they wreak havoc on your personal finances. Make sure your report is accurate and includes only those activities you've authorized. It's also a good idea to review your credit report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies every year -- it's possible that information is reported to one but not the others."

Active Credit Credit Guide To that end, Equifax has developed a great tool for running your credit report. It is called the "3-in-1 Credit Report". You can sign-up with Equifax and view your information with all three major credit reporting agencies at one time (this can also be done through the other two credit reporting agencies- TransUnion and Expirion). Currently, this detailed report costs around $30 on the Equifax website (www.equifax.com) and is well worth it. Running your credit report is an important first step in prevention and early detection of ID Theft.

Credit Score For tips on how to further protect yourself from ID Theft, or if you believe your identity has been stolen, please visit the FTC website (http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/).

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Credit Definition Derivative About The Author: Jonathan Citrin provides financial goal planning services. Go to http://articles.citringroup.com for hundreds of educational articles about Personal Finance, Retirement Planning, Investment Planning, and College Savings.

Bad Credit Mortgage Jonathan Citrin provides financial goal planning services. Go to http://articles.citringroup.com for hundreds of educational articles about Personal Finance, Retirement Planning, Investment Planning, and College Savings.



Contact him at http://articles.citringroup.com

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