Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft - Part 5

Protecting Yourself from Identity TheftPart 5 by Michelle Black

There are few things I hate more than identity fraud.  I have seen identity thieves wreak tremendous havoc on the lives of good, innocent people.  Thankfully, during my years working at HOPE, I have also seen our team of credit experts help many, many people overcome identity fraud and take back their good names.  Unfortunately, even with professional assistance, it takes time to undo the damage that an identity thief causes to a credit report.  That is why I am continuing this week to share even more ways that you can protect yourself and hopefully keep from ever becoming a victim of identity theft in the first place!  On that note, here is my next tip:

#5:  Never Leave Personal Information in Your Car.

“Car prowling” is another common way identity thieves target their victims.  You should never leave your checkbook, wallet, purse, credit cards, credit card purchase receipts, social security card, credit card statements, or any other personal information in your vehicle.  If an identity thief gets their hands on any of these items you could be in serious trouble.  So, don’t make it any easier for the dishonest to abuse you!  Lock up these personal items in your home or keep them on your person at all times.

There are still more tips to come so check back with us again this week! By the end of this blog series you too can be an expert at preventing identity fraud.  Plus, you can help to increase awareness regarding one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States by “tweeting,” emailing, or sharing a link to this article with your online friends.  Our easy to use “share” buttons below make this easier than ever.

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Protecting Yourself From Identity Theft - Part 4

Protecting Yourself from Identity TheftPart 4 by Michelle Black

According to Wikipedia, “Identity theft is a form of fraud or cheating of another person's identity in which someone pretends to be someone else by assuming that person's identity, typically in order to access resources or obtain credit and other benefits in that person's name.”  As you know, identity theft can utterly destroy a person’s credit scores.  That’s why it is so important to protect yourself from this new and constantly growing form of fraud.  Today’s tip for protecting yourself from becoming a victim of identity theft is:

#4: Don’t Give Personal Information on the Phone Unless YOU Initiated the Call! Scam artists and identity thieves would love to steal your credit card numbers, passwords, mother’s maiden names, and social security numbers.  Thieves often pretend to be bank representatives, collection agents, government officials, and even police officers in order to steal from the unsuspecting.  To give you an example, a HOPE member recently had a member of a collection agency call her and pose as a detective. The collection agent tried to get the member’s credit card number over the phone in order to “verify” her identity. Luckily the HOPE member stopped right there and hung up and called one of our HOPE Credit Experts. We were able to help her report the attempted fraud and avoid being subjected to unauthorized charges.

Feel free to stop back by our website all this week for more tips and hints on how you can protect yourself from identity fraud.  Educating yourself to the danger of identity fraud is the first step.  Don’t forget to share these articles with your online friends and family too by using our easy “share” buttons below.  Knowledge is power! We would love for you to help empower someone else today.

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Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft - Part 3

Protecting Yourself from Identity TheftPart 3 by Michelle Black

Chances are that you either know someone who has been a victim of identity fraud or you have been a victim of identity fraud yourself.  Either way, I’m sure that the following statement will come as no surprise to you: Identity fraud sucks!  It is something that you want to protect yourself against and avoid at all costs.  Since identity fraud is about as much fun as a root canal I’ll jump right into another tip on how you can help to avoid this ever growing problem.

#3:  Shred, Burn, or Otherwise Destroy “Thief Prone” Documents!

What is a thief prone document?  A thief prone document is something that a “dumpster diver” – that’s a thief who actually steals sensitive documents right out of your trash – could take from you in order to commit identity theft.  Examples of thief prone documents include credit card statements, bank account statements, and any other paper which lists your social security number, date of birth, or other personal information.

Make it a habit to shred, burn, or otherwise destroy these personal documents instead of just tossing them into the trash can.  Remember, if a thief cannot make out your credit card number then he or she cannot steal it!  This little change will go a long way towards protecting your identity, your credit, and your good name from people who would love nothing more than to take advantage of you.

Check back with us next week for more great tips and tools to keep would-be identity thieves at bay.  Following the preventative steps outlined in this series will drastically reduce your chances of being victimized.

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Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft - Part 2

Protecting Yourself from Identity TheftPart 2 by Michelle Black

I said it yesterday, but it is worth repeating: identity theft occurs every 2 seconds in the United States of America! The reason I find it worth repeating this shocking statistic is because you need to know how BIG of a problem identity theft has become in this country and why it is so important to protect yourself.  If an identity thief steals your social security number and opens as little as one single credit card account in your name it can have a HUGE impact upon your credit scores.  That’s all it takes – one single little fraudulent credit card being opened, maxed out, and not paid – to drop your credit scores like a rock!  So, here’s another way to guard against identity theft.

#2: Make Copies of Your Credit Cards. One of the easiest, simplest ways identity thieves can steal from you is by stealing your current credit cards (or even just your credit card number).  Using your personal credit card these thieves purchase items in your name and leave you with the bill!  I personally know a woman who had this very scenario happen to her. Little did she know at the time, Mrs. Young had a receipt with her credit card number stolen.  The thief actually had a machine she used to create a new credit card with Mrs. Young’s card number! Additionally, the thief made a false driver’s license containing her (the thief’s) picture but Mrs. Young’s name and address.  Because the fraud was so extensive, several thousand dollars were charged to the card before Mrs. Young even became aware of the problem!

Another form of credit card theft is just that – actual theft of your credit card (not just a receipt containing your credit card number).  If your credit card is ever lost or stolen the very first thing you should do is to call your credit card company immediately.  A way to make this process faster, and easier on yourself, should the situation ever arise is to make copies of your credit cards and ATM card – front and back.  Be sure to store the copies in a safe place so that they cannot be stolen either.  However, if you have the copies already made then you will be prepared to act quickly should your credit cards ever become lost or stolen.  Without these copies it could take you hours to locate your card statements or look up the contact number online for each of your individual credit card companies in order to report the loss.  Be proactive and you could potentially save yourself a ton of trouble and time! Plus, the more quickly you act in a situation where fraud is concerned, the less likely it is that you will be stuck with the bill for someone else's dishonesty.

More tips on identity theft protection are soon to come! So, don’t forget to “tune it” again this week for more helpful information.  If you have been a victim of identity theft or have any other credit related questions, please feel free to contact us. We would love to assist you and answer any questions you may have!

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Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft - Part 1

Protecting Yourself from Identity TheftPart 1 by Michelle Black

Let’s face facts.  This world is full of dishonest people.  Shockingly, it has been said that identity theft occurs every 2 seconds in the United States!  HOPE has helped many people, of all ages, ethnicities, and professions to deal with the aftermath of identity theft over the past 10 years. In that time I have found that identity thieves are not selective – anyone can be a target!  In this blog series I will give you some ways to protect yourself before identity theft happens and tips on what to do if you have already been a victim.

#1: Check Your Credit Report for Fraud! To begin, the #1 way you can protect yourself from severe identity theft is to be aware! It is very important to monitor your credit report for fraud and inaccuracies. HOPE recommends that our graduates check their credit report at least twice a year (after completing the HOPE Program) to protect themselves from credit bureau error and identity theft.  In truth, checking your credit report at least twice a year is sound advice for every single American to follow.

Legally, you are entitled to one free credit report per year at www.annualcreditreport.com.  (Note: if you have already gotten your free credit report within the last 12 months, there are many websites online available where you can purchase your consumer credit report for a fee.)  Once you have obtained your credit report from each of the 3 credit bureaus – Equifax, Trans Union, and Experian - comb through it to search for signs of identity fraud.  If you find evidence of current accounts or collection accounts which you never applied to open then you may be a victim of identity fraud.

Hopefully you will not find any suspicious activity on the report; however, if you do, please feel free to contact our HOPE credit experts at 704-499-9696 or via email.  We can schedule a personal credit analysis appointment with you on the spot to help you learn your options and legal rights. Then, you can decide if working with HOPE would be the best choice for you to resolve any credit issues on your report.  All analysis appointments are 100% pressure free! There is absolutely no obligation for you to join HOPE because you speak with a credit expert, but at least you will be aware of all of your options.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for more preventative steps to help you avoid becoming a victim of identity fraud.  There are ways to protect yourself and I can’t wait to share more of them with you!

If you are not already a member of the HOPE Online Community, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter!