How to Protect Yourself Now There’s a lot of advice about how to deal with identity theft around these days – some helpful, some unrealistic, and some a little ridiculous. We’ve done the research for you and present the following easy-to-do, indispensable steps. These items should be considered MUST-DOs if you’re serious about minimizing the

Identity theft occurs when someone obtains your personal information, such as your credit card data or Social Security number, to commit fraud or other crimes. The Federal Trade Commission estimates that 9 million Americans suffer identity theft annually. It sounds like a big number, but it isn’t. For one, the hysteria has been stoked by much-publicized data

As you’ve prepared to send your child back to school this fall, you’ve likely been hit with a mountain of paperwork for class enrollment, youth sports, and other after-school activities. But as you share your child’s personal information with teachers and administrators, carefully consider how and why the information will be used in order to

Looking for a job? You should also be looking out for identity thieves. You want to be thorough on your résumé when you’re looking for a job. But here are a few things you should NOT include on your resume, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center. You can provide any of these things to

Consumer fraud seems to be everywhere these days, coming in a variety of forms: fake check scams, credit repair, free trip offers and sweepstakes. Here are some tips to help you avoid being a victim of consumer fraud: Don’t give out personal information. If someone you don’t know asks for your Social Security number, birthdate,

Here are a few tips on how to avoid becoming the victim of credit card fraud: Periodically review your credit reports. There are three main credit bureaus. Order your credit report from each of them at least once a year. Request copies of your credit report from TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax. You can also obtain

Defined as when one person masquerades under the identity of another, identity theft has flourished in recent years with the advent of online, faceless Internet lending and credit transactions. Although it is almost impossible for consumers to completely guard themselves against identity theft, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and other consumer agencies suggest the following

The invention of text messaging – and particularly, the widespread adoption of cellular data plans that allow for unlimited texting – has been a real boon for the honest and law-abiding citizen. Text messages, also known as Short Message Service (SMS), provide tremendous convenience for today’s busy people. They let us alert loved ones that

Every year millions of people in the United States are affected by identity theft. Credit cards, social security numbers, and bank account numbers are the most commonly compromised forms of personal information. Thieves can change the billing address on a credit card account, make charges to it, and run up bills which they will not