A scary fact is that everybody is at risk of having their identity stolen; nobody is safe from this growing problem. The good news is that there are things you can do to prevent, or at least catch the problem as soon as it happens. There are different ways in which you could have your identity stolen like making online purchases, downloading stuff from the Internet, visiting social websites like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, etc.
Sometimes people gets confident and use their credit card on foreign countries, gambling websites, or even at a local bar. However, the most targeted people for identity thieves are college students.
While college students are discovering themselves in the outer world, thieves are waiting patiently for any mistake those students can make, just to steal their identities. You have to understand that identity theft is not only people using your credit or debit card, it also includes people using your name, Social Security numbers, online passwords, and even your address information.
This problem currently affects more than 3 million people in the United States, and the number keeps growing each passing year. The best way to prevent identity theft is to check your credit report, and your credit score regularly. You can hire the services of credit monitoring companies that will help you find out if you’re being a victim of identity theft.
Some ways in which your identity could be stolen are:
Roommates:
If you are living in dorm rooms, apartments or sharing a room with someone, you’re in potential risk of having your identity stolen because you have no privacy at all. It doesn’t matter if you trust your roommate completely; you have no idea if your roommate has any friends with bad habits.
Internet Phishing:
You are likely to receive fake emails from your personal bank, credit card company, or even a social website trying to recollect your information. You could also receive a job offer, or any other type of offer that could ask you for personal information. Never answer these emails unless you’re completely sure that you’re not being targeted by an identity thief.
Pre-approved Credit Card Offers:
When you receive a pre-approved offer from any credit card company, dispose of this information with a shredder if possible. These applications are dangerous because it contains a lot of personal information about you. College students receive a huge amount of pre-approved credit card offers.
If you’re not monitoring your credit you could find out years later that you’ve been a victim of identity theft. Identity thieves can induce a lot of havoc in your life. Credit monitoring services are helpful because you’re always on top of your credit score, and you receive alerts on any changes your credit report is experiencing, usually on real time.
Some ways to prevent identity theft are destroy sensitive information with a shredder, sign up for paperless billing, don’t allow unknown friends of your friends in your room, password protect your computer, learn to recognize phishing emails, and sign up for credit monitoring services.
Sometimes people gets confident and use their credit card on foreign countries, gambling websites, or even at a local bar. However, the most targeted people for identity thieves are college students.
While college students are discovering themselves in the outer world, thieves are waiting patiently for any mistake those students can make, just to steal their identities. You have to understand that identity theft is not only people using your credit or debit card, it also includes people using your name, Social Security numbers, online passwords, and even your address information.
This problem currently affects more than 3 million people in the United States, and the number keeps growing each passing year. The best way to prevent identity theft is to check your credit report, and your credit score regularly. You can hire the services of credit monitoring companies that will help you find out if you’re being a victim of identity theft.
Some ways in which your identity could be stolen are:
Roommates:
If you are living in dorm rooms, apartments or sharing a room with someone, you’re in potential risk of having your identity stolen because you have no privacy at all. It doesn’t matter if you trust your roommate completely; you have no idea if your roommate has any friends with bad habits.
Internet Phishing:
You are likely to receive fake emails from your personal bank, credit card company, or even a social website trying to recollect your information. You could also receive a job offer, or any other type of offer that could ask you for personal information. Never answer these emails unless you’re completely sure that you’re not being targeted by an identity thief.
Pre-approved Credit Card Offers:
When you receive a pre-approved offer from any credit card company, dispose of this information with a shredder if possible. These applications are dangerous because it contains a lot of personal information about you. College students receive a huge amount of pre-approved credit card offers.
If you’re not monitoring your credit you could find out years later that you’ve been a victim of identity theft. Identity thieves can induce a lot of havoc in your life. Credit monitoring services are helpful because you’re always on top of your credit score, and you receive alerts on any changes your credit report is experiencing, usually on real time.
Some ways to prevent identity theft are destroy sensitive information with a shredder, sign up for paperless billing, don’t allow unknown friends of your friends in your room, password protect your computer, learn to recognize phishing emails, and sign up for credit monitoring services.
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