----------------------------------------------------------Permission is granted for the below article to forward,reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website,offer as free bonus or part of ... ----------------------------------------------------------Permission is granted for the below article to forward,reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website,offer as free bonus or part of a product for sale as longas no changes are made and the byline, copyright, and theresource box below is included. ----------------------------------------------------------Identity Theft: It Can Happen to You!By Stephen BucaroYou step outside to find your car has been repossessed anda foreclosure notice posted on the front door of your house.All because of delinquent loans "you" made. Or the policecome to make an arrest because "you" used a fakeprescription. Can't happen to you?Think again. All an identity thief needs is a copy of yourcredit report. This document contains your birth date,Social Security number, place of employment, salary,credit card numbers, and details about all of yourfinancial transactions, savings and investments.Using your identity, the thief can take your assets, leaveyou in debt, and commit crimes in your name. After thedamage is done, it may take years, if ever, to clean upyour records. Credit companies like to hang on toinformation like glue, they won't just delete it.Lenders are not interested in your identity theft claim.They want to protect their own interests first. They wouldrather clear up the identity theft question after they takeyour assets. And everybody the police arrest claim theydidn't do it. Someone else who stole their identitycommitted that crime. They would rather close the casequickly than get involved in a complicated identity theftcase.How to Protect Yourself1. Guard your personal information. Don't provide yourSocial Security number, or any financial information, toanyone without knowing why they need it.2. Don't throw away any financial documents withoutshredding them first. That includes those credit cardlinked blank checks that your bank keeps sending you, andunsolicited credit card offers.3. Close any accounts that you don't use. Keep the numberof credit card accounts and lines of credit you use to aminimum.4. Once a year request a copy of your credit report andcheck it for accuracy. You can get your credit report fromEquifax for $9.00 www.equifax.com5. Carefully examine your monthly financial statements forunusual activity and examine your credit card bills forcharges you can't identify.If You Become a Victim1. Immediately contact the creditors where fraudulentcharges were made and request that a fraud alert be placedon your file.2. Under the Truth in Lending Act, you can be held liablefor a maximum of $50.00 in unauthorized charges per creditcard.3. Download an identity theft affidavit from the FederalTrade Commission Web site.http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/affidavit.htm4. File a report with your local police department.5. Keep a complete record of the identity theft and yourefforts to clear your records. Send all letters related tothe theft by certified mail. Keep a record of alltelephone calls you made and received, with dates and thenames of the individuals you spoke to.Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in theU.S. It can happen to you. Protect yourself by guardingyour private information and carefully examining yourfinancial statements. If you become a victim, take thesteps outlined above, and keep a complete record of yourefforts to repair the damage caused by this crime.----------------------------------------------------------Resource Box:Copyright(C)2002 Bucaro TecHelp. To learn how to maintainyour computer and use it more effectively to design a Website and make money on the Web visithttp://bucarotechelp.comTo subscribe to Bucaro TecHelp Newsletter Send a blankemail to bucarotechelp-subscribe@topica.com---------------------------------------------------------- Article Tags: Identity Theft, Credit Card Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com