It is fairly easy to protect our valuables with insurance policies, locks and alarms. But we often don t take the time to protect one of the most valuable things we own our good name.
Identity theft is on the rise across the country.
Today s electronic age allows for an identification thief to easily tap into your personal information with the click of a few buttons. Just a few bits of personal data can get a crook on their way. Personal information like your address, birth date, Social Security number or credit card number can help an imposter get phony credit cards, take money out of your checking or savings account, take out a loan, or even give you a criminal record. Digging through trash for discarded account statements, pre-approved credit card offers and credit card receipts is just one method. Stealing mail out of mailboxes and looking through public records for addresses are other ways to get information needed to set up credit card accounts you never planned on or ever actually used.