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Take Every Care to Prevent Identity Theft
Fact : Over nine million Americans were victims of ID theft within the past year, equating to a quarter of US households over a 5 year period. Statistics prove that someone’s identity is stolen every 79 seconds and this is easily the fastest growing criminal activity in the country. A quarter of victims don’t even realize that they have been compromised, sometimes for up to 24 months and on average, it costs them $1000 to make good the damage.
How do you protect yourself? Shredding is essential throw any sensitive documents away and you are virtually inviting thieves to rifle through your garbage and steal information. Don’t assume it won’t happen to you! Always cut up expired credit cards into tiny pieces and dispose of the pieces in two or more garbage bags so that no one can piece them together again. Immediately report cards that you think you may have lost or that may have been stolen.
Any information that has your financial details in ( including bank statements, receipts and finance applications must be shredded before disposal). Closely watch your statements for any unusual activity. If there is anything that you find suspicious, report it immediately. Finally, pay close attention to your own personal credit reports and regularly check your credit history.