Identity Theft Protection - The Options You Could Use
Prevention is always better than cure. When you talk about identity theft know about what type of risks you might be running into - the thief might use the personal information stolen from you to avail of a loan in your name which you would not only have to pay back as it is very difficult to prove that it was not you who took the loan, but also live with a terrible credit record until that time.
The thief might use the information gathered about you to get a job in your name and you would find that all of a sudden you are caught in a fraud racket for no fault of yours. Similarly, the thief might be impersonating you and cashing in your savings or even your medical insurance. It is simply amazing what a thief can do when he or she has the right information about you. Therefore you need identity theft protection.
Identity Theft Protection Is Possible
Ensure that you protect yourself against such scenarios with a few very simple steps. Never carry your social security number in your wallet or handbag. If you are unable to memorize it here is a great way to note it down. Use a paper and then add or subtract a significant number in your life from it. For example, you could minus your date of birth 111770 (representing 11 Nov 1970) from the social security number and you note down the resulting number.
Now, whenever you want your number you would need to add your birthday to the number you are carrying and bingo you have your number ready for use. This would ensure that the thief cannot use your security number even if they wanted, because it is incorrect. Isn't that poetic justice? This is a good way to enjoy identity theft protection with the minimum effort.
The best identity theft protection comes with destroying all type of old "important" papers around the house. Say, what do you do with the credit card that has expired? What do you do with the old (paid) credit card bills? What do you do with your junk mail which forwards to you a pre-approved credit card or loan? You need to run all of these through a shredder lest it would fall in the wrong hands.
Another way to gain identity theft protection is to use only debit card and small amounts of cash in your pocket, leaving all your credit cards at home. Credit card information is much easier to steal than that of debit card and therefore you are more prone to identity theft when you use credit cards.
