What is identity theft and how can I prevent it?

Identity theft is a crime in which an imposter obtains key pieces of personal information, such as Social Security or driver’s license numbers, in order to impersonate someone else. Review some of the ways to stop identity theft. The information can be used to obtain credit, merchandise, and services in the name of the victim, or to provide the thief with false credentials. In addition to running up debt, an imposter might provide false identification to police, creating a criminal record or leaving outstanding arrest warrants for the person whose identity has been stolen.Identity theft is categorized in two ways: true name and account takeover. True name identity theft means that the thief uses personal information to open new accounts.

You should take following precautions to prevent Identity theft.

Put a password on your credit card accounts

Limit access to your computers.

Do not give personal details to the email queries.

Be cautious on the phone.

Keep your numbers to yourself. Don’t put credit card numbers on checks or envelopes.

Check your statement. Check your billing statements each month for fraudulent charges and report them immediately. There are other ways to stop identity theft.

[tags]stop identity theft,how to stop identity theft,ways to stop identity theft,stop identity theft cold,10 ways to stop identity theft[/tags]