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Check your credit report often one way to avoid identity theft.
It is very important to find ways to avoid identity theft.

This is part in a series of informational articles about awareness of identity theft, this article covers problems faced by identity theft victims and should be read by anyone who has established a good credit rating and is determined to keep that record in good standing.

All of us know the importance of credit reports in our lives. Your credit report shows your personal information including your legal name, alias names, addresses, current and previous employers, social insurance number and date of birth.

It also shows details of most credit inquiries carried out by financial institutions, retailers and many other credit reporting agencies including:

– Current and past credit status
– Total number of open and closed accounts
– If the balances of our accounts are current or delinquent
– Public record information such as federal bankruptcy records local government court records, liens, judgments, and child support records (information that can stay in your record for up to 10 years)
– Credit inquires that are used when you apply for a credit card, bank loan or retail financing.
– Detailed account history – very up to date information about your loans, financing and credit card payments

 Credit score

Your credit score is a number ranging from between 330 and 830 in most states of the U.S. The higher the number assigned to you, the better your credit is. The higher your credit score, the better your chances are of obtaining additional credit cards and or loans.

Your credit report will also include information provided to Auto insurance companies, who usually obtain a credit report as part of their process when applications are made for auto insurance. Sometimes employers may also request credit reports as part of their hiring or promotions process.

In the United States, the Experian, Trans Union, and Equifax are the major credit bureaus that collect, maintain, and distribute this credit information. You are permitted, by law, to obtain one free copy of your credit report each year from each of these reporting agencies. However, when you apply for a copy of your report, you will usually see that fees apply to all requests for this information. Usually the free report is only available if you apply by mail and you must follow the requirements of the reporting company to obtain your free copy.

The information contained in your credit report, thus reflects your credit and consumer habits. Unless you obtain a copy of your credit report, you may never know your credit worthiness. Another more vital reason to obtain a copy of your credit report is to check to see if you have fallen victim to Identity Theft.

Verifying and checking your credit report is a vital means to make sure no one has obtained your identity. You may think that it may not happen to you, but there is nothing wrong by making absolutely sure. If you see any transactions on your credit report that do not make sense to you, immediately make inquiries to satisfy yourself whether the entries are legitimate or not. If they are not legitimate, it could be a mistake made by the credit reporting agency, and they will advise you very quickly if this is so and make the necessary correction. If the information is correct but not known to you, then you need to be on guard because you may have seen the beginnings of your identity being stolen.

You must take immediate action if you wish to avoid major loss and or damage to your personal reputation that presumably took you so many years to establish.

Here are some suggested ways to check your credit report.

Carefully examine your credit report upon receipt. Look into the section dealing with inquiries on your report. If you do not know what some of these relate to then make immediate inquiries. Remember, however, that any time you apply for credit, especially at the retail level, there will be a credit inquiry made upon your account, but you may not recognize the name of the company asking for the information as retailers seldom do their credit checks using their company name.

If you notice errors, such as a bill paid off but still show as outstanding on the report, then notify the agency and request for it to be removed. You must follow up personally on these corrections and make sure that your specific request has been acted upon.

Watch out for accounts opened in your name that you do not know about. Sometimes, maybe a family member has opened an account without letting you know. If this is not so, then maybe a stranger has opened the accounts and that puts your credit and finances in danger. Be alert always and take the issue of Identity Theft as a serious threat to your good name. Make sure that your personal and financial information never get into the wrong hands.

 For more detailed information on Identity Theft, go to Identity Theft Prevention Plan.

From The Credit Blogospere: 

 Florida Congressman Robert Wexler Targeted in Identity Theft

While not all forms of identity theft can be prevented, you can effectively manage your personal identifying information by knowing what’s buzzing out there in regards to YOU. Get a credit freeze. Search “state credit freeze laws”

  Debit Cards at Risk for Identity Theft – Blogger News Network

Invest in Intelius Identity Theft Protection and Prevention. While not all forms of identity theft can be prevented, you can effectively manage your personal identifying information by knowing what’s buzzing out there in regards to YOU

Identity Theft Prevention

A University of Minnesota Duluth student pleaded guilty this morning to the charges of harassment and identity theft. 

Medical Identity Theft Prevention 

A few months ago, I had written about the life-threatening issues identity theft introduces into medical care. As noted then, the largest perpetrators are illegal immigrants, transients, and drug addicts (attempt to get a prescription 

Ways To Avoid  Identity Theft

Identity theft is a growing problem that concerns anyone that has a computer. Cyber thieves use different tactics such as hacking, use of spyware, key loggers to obtain financial information from their victims.