| I am sure by now that you have heard of | | | | cards and store cards in your wallet. This way if |
| numerous people being affected and becoming | | | | you do get held up or lose your wallet you only |
| victims of identity theft. Whether you have heard | | | | have to contact one credit card company to |
| it on the news from one of Bank of Americas | | | | cancel your card and warn them that the card |
| recent screw ups with losing millions of peoples | | | | has been lost or stolen. This is much easier than |
| personally identifying information, to reading it in | | | | some of these people that have 50 store and |
| the newspaper and more. Identity theft is a | | | | credit cards in their purse and cannot possibly |
| massive growing problem and you definitely do | | | | remember all the cards they have when it comes |
| not want to become a victim of it if you can | | | | time to have to cancel them. |
| avoid it in any way. So what can you do to best | | | | On top of this it is a great idea to be vigil with |
| avoid becoming a victim of identity theft? | | | | your credit report information. You need to pull |
| First step is to go and buy a crosscut shredder. | | | | your credit from all three credit bureaus, not just |
| The reason you do not want a regular single cut | | | | one as there are three different credit bureaus |
| shredder is that it is very easy for someone to g | | | | (Trans Union, Equifax and Experian) and they each |
| and put the pages and personally identifying | | | | have different information recorded on your |
| information back together with pages that are | | | | credit history. Your credit report can quickly |
| just cut in single lines. Instead use a crosscut | | | | identify identity theft so you can take the steps |
| shredder. This cuts the papers both lengthways | | | | to stop it dead in its tracks and get the |
| and sideways and makes it virtually impossible for | | | | authorities involved ASAP. |
| the identity thieves to extract the necessary | | | | You need to check your credit report for |
| financial information to cause you financial harm. | | | | anomalies in accounts that you do not have and |
| They will instead go onto another victim whom is | | | | or never did have. It is also a good idea to check |
| an easier target. | | | | your credit report for erroneous information |
| This is what you want you want to do is to | | | | anyway as this can affect your chances of |
| make yourself a hard target so the identity | | | | getting a job or a good decent loan rate on a car |
| thieves will bypass you and go on to somebody | | | | loan or mortgage. One last simple idea is to opt |
| else instead. A good crosscut shredder can be | | | | for a locking mailbox. This will make it impossible |
| had for around $50 and is definitely a very | | | | for thieves to steal your mail which is on the rise |
| worthy investment. You can buy them at | | | | and a leading cause of identity theft nowadays. |
| Wal-Mart or through the Internet on websites like | | | | By taking the above steps and incorporating them |
| Amazon.com, eBay and even Craigslist. Just be | | | | into your plan to avoid becoming a victim of |
| sure to make sure it works before you buy it if | | | | identity theft you will greatly reduce your risks |
| you are buying off of Craigslist. There are a lot of | | | | and your chances of becoming a victim. In most |
| hucksters selling broken stuff on Craigslist. | | | | cases a thief will go onto a easier victim and |
| Okay, so you have a crosscut shredder now, | | | | bypass you. This is what you want and you do |
| next you need to make sure that you do not | | | | not want to become a victim of identity theft |
| carry any personally identifying information like | | | | because it can take years to clean it up. Good |
| social security numbers in your wallet and also | | | | luck and I hope you never become a victim of |
| make sure you only have one credit card in your | | | | identity theft. |
| wallet. There is no need to carry multiple credit | | | | |