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Using identity theft protection
Protecting your identity is one of the most-important things you can do. Identity theft is ramped and a thief will steal your identity in a matter of seconds. To protect yourself, many online companies are offering identity theft protection. Most credit card companies offer identity theft protection and they will alert you the second there is questionable activity on your account. Even with the credit card monitoring services, it is a wise decision to invest in identity theft protection. Theft protection will protect from different types of scams and they will help you recoup the money that was lost to fraudulent activity.
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When someone steals your identity, they tend to ruin your credit because they will steal your existing credit card accounts and charge up thousands of dollars or they will open new accounts in your name. It may take months before you even realize there are new accounts on your credit report and by this time it may be too late for you to catch the thief. Since identity thieves commonly open credit card accounts and loans in your name, it hurts your credit rating. Most people work hard to get excellent credit, which is necessary to obtain most loans and credit cards. Unfortunately for you, you are left with a large debt ratio and ruined credit.
The online identity theft services offer monthly credit reports and scores from the 3 major credit bureaus, Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. They will alert you whenever there are changes made to your credit report like credit inquiries, and new lines of credit. Most of the identity theft services will offer insurance protection that will help you recoup some of the money you may lose to the thieves. The identity theft services also help you file police reports and they will contact your creditors to close your accounts and work on your situation as soon as possible. Their job is to protect you from fraud and help you re-build your credit and re-coup your money.
You will receive email alerts when there are changes to your account and you will receive information on what you need to do if your information has been compromised. There are several different web sites out there that offer identity theft protection so how can you find the right one for your needs? Here are some helpful tips:
- Trust the credit monitoring services that are offered by your credit card providers or other lenders. Most of these companies sub-contract this service, which means they are trustworthy and safe.
- Compare the monthly costs along with the services you will receive. Some people find it ridiculous to pay for your monthly credit report, but paying $9.99 a month isn't a bad investment if you want to stay protected.
- Always make sure their web site is secured and that your information will remain confidential and protected.
- Check the Better Business Bureau and other reviews to find out what type of reputation the company has and the experience other customers have had.
- There are some other ways you can protect yourself, this includes changing your online passwords and always use passwords that are difficult to guess and include numbers. Using your children's name or your pet's name is an easy guess and thieves can easily crack your code. Always use different passwords to protect all of your other accounts in case one of them is compromised.
Carefully screen your emails and never give out your credit card information or other information over emails. Only update information on the company web site and always type in their web site into your browser, never follow the link from the email.
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