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Identity Theft Protection in Today’s Electronic Age
By Credit Watcher | August 9, 2007
If you’re reading this article, I hate to break this to you, but you’re a potential identity theft target. And not because of anything you did or didn’t do. Identity Theft Protection is a must have because identity thieves are getting bolder and smarter every year.
Read on….
By now, most of us know the basics of protecting our social security number, don’t write your PIN on your ATM card, shred pre-approved credit card offers, on and on. The truth is, thieves are now targeting large groups of identity to steal - not just one at a time.
Recently, identity thieves set up a van in a parking lot of a TJ Maxx and hacked into the data stream from that store and followed it to the headquarters. They were able to get credit card information on all customers who shopped at any TJ Maxx or Marshalls within the previous 6 months.
17,000 Pfizer employees had their personal information posted online. 800,000 social security numbers on a backup tape were stolen out of the trunk of a 22 year-old intern who was following established procedures for Ohio’s Office of Management and Budget.
How about this: a woman with a stolen identity was hired at Equifax. They performed extensive background checks on her before giving her a job. The real woman whose identity had been stolen found out after seeing background checks from Equifax and Manpower on her credit report. Her life has been turned into a nightmare.
Why do you think someone would steal an identity to go to work at Equifax? I’m guessing it gave her access to the mother lode of identity information ripe for stealing. Not just your social security number or credit card number, but also your date of birth, previous addresses, jobs, other lines of credit - everything a thief needs to, well, become YOU.
If you purchase identity theft insurance, will it help prevent identity theft? No, it’s designed to help you after your identity is stolen. Is there anything you can do to prevent this type of crime? Yes, there are several options you can choose from. Once you understand how easy it is for someone to steal your identity, you’ll have no doubt in your mind why you need Identity Theft Protection.
Topics: Preventing Identity Theft |