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Identity theft occurs when someone illegally obtains your personal information (social security number, credit card numbers or some other personal information) and uses that information to apply for loans or credit cards under your name or to make unauthorized purchases or gain access to your financial accounts. It is extremely prevalent these days, but there are steps you can take which will reduce the chances of you becoming a victim of identity theft.

Best Credit Cards 1. NEVER give out personal information (date of birth, social security number, credit card numbers) over the phone, by email or on the internet unless you initiated the contact and know whom you're dealing with. If your social security number is requested, ask if another form of ID could be substituted in its place.

Unused credit cards are putting millions of Brits at greater risk of falling victim to identity theft, according to a specialist credit history firm.

Chase Credit Cards 2. ALWAYS shred papers that have your personal information on them before throwing them away. Papers that should be shredded include credit card receipts, checks, bank statements, credit card statements, expired credit cards and pre-approved credit card offers. Cross-cut shredders are great for this purpose.

Credit Card Consolidation 3. Keep accurate and current records of all your credit cards and who you should contact in case they are lost or stolen. You may want to take copies of your credit cards and write the customer service number on the copy. If you are not currently using some of your credit cards, you should keep them securely locked away. Other things to keep in a secure location include: unused checks, your social security card, bank statements and credit card statements.

Stop identity theft All is not lost, You can still uncover identity theft if you're willing to monitor your financial records regularly. Your credit reports can show unauthorized activity made in your name; so can your bank and credit card statements, depending on how the identity thief targets you. There are also programs available that can alert you to changes in your credit report, and some credit card issuers make an attempt to contact their customers if they detect unusual buying patterns or other signs of abnormal card usage.

Credit Card Generator 4. ALWAYS make sure you get your copy of a credit card receipt when making a purchase. Check to make sure your credit card was returned to you as well.

Credit card debt and identity theft are becoming a national concern. According to a Federal Reserve report, the proportion of families carrying a credit card balance rose from 4.4% in 2001 to 6.2% in 2004, an increase of 1.8 percentage points. Another report by the Federal Trade Commission reported that for five years in a row identity theft topped the list of consumer complaints in 2005, with identity theft accounting for over 37 percent of all complaints lodged in the FTC Consumer Sentinel database. PrivacyMatters.com provides members with the tools needed to fight these trends. With Privacy Matters' credit monitoring and identity theft prevention features, members of Privacy Matters' products know their credit and identity are in the right hands at www.privacymatters.com.

Student Credit Cards 5. Check your credit reports annually. There are three credit reporting agencies; Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Every year, you are allowed one free credit report from each of these credit reporting agencies. Go to www.annualcreditreport.com to order your free credit reports, ordering one from a different agency every 4 months.

LifeLock was founded last year by seasoned veterans in the fields of banking, payment, credit and security who set out to defend individuals from the onslaught of identity theft at a time when our personal information credentials are increasingly compromised through the mail, medical records, and the internet. They crafted a simple, active service for guaranteed ID theft prevention offered to the public for just $10 per month or $110 per year.} Already, many colleges and universities, professional associations, credit unions and others have chosen LifeLock as their preferred ID theft prevention partner.

Capital One Credit Card 6. ALWAYS make sure there are no "shoulder surfers" around when you are keying in your PIN number at an ATM or store. Be careful that no one overhears you when giving out your credit card number or personal information over the phone.

Bp Credit Card 7. When purchasing on the internet, always make sure the site you're using is secure. You know you're on a secure site if the web address changes from http:// to https:// when you click on "buy" or "add to cart." You will also note a lock or key symbol in the lower corner of the web page.

Credit Card Deals 8. On your own computer, use a firewall and virus protection. Use passwords that include letters, numbers and symbols to make them more difficult to break. Never use PIN numbers that are obvious, such as your birth date, street number, phone number, the last four digits of your social security number or any consecutive numbers. Memorize your PIN number-do not write it down. If your mother's maiden name is requested for security purposes, use a password instead-one you will remember.

Bad Credit Credit Cards 9. NEVER respond to emailed requests from banks or creditors to update your information. You should always call the institution directly or go to their website (do NOT use the website the email directs you to) to update your information. Rarely do banks or other institutions request such information by email, and it is a simple task for someone to create a website that looks just like your bank's or creditor's.

Credit Card Via Pay Pal 10. If you receive lots of pre-approved credit card offers in the mail, call (888) 5OPT OUT to have your name removed from the marketing lists sold by the major credit bureaus.

Sunoco Credit Card 11. Drop off outgoing mail at your post office or collection box rather than leaving it in your mailbox for pick up.

Credit Cards For Bad Credit 12. Have new checks mailed to your bank and pick them up there.

Prepaid Credit Cards 13. Place passwords on your bank accounts, brokerage accounts and credit card accounts for protection. Once again, use a mix of letters, numbers and symbols.

Bank Of America Credit Card 14. Consider an ID theft insurance policy.

Low Interest Credit Cards 15. Register with Equifax Credit WatchT. Equifax Credit WatchT makes monitoring your report easy by automatically alerting you within 24 hours of key changes in your Equifax Credit ReportT - like when someone tries to get credit in your name or there are sudden changes in your credit card balances. - so you can act before serious damage is done.

Credit Card Rates For a list of signs that you may be a victim of identity theft, go to http://understandingidentitytheft.com/articles/article-67.html
For further information on identity theft, visit http://understandingidentitytheft.com. For information on how to check and/or correct your credit report, go to http://yourcreditscoreranking.com.

Secured Credit Cards Debbie Pettitt teaches you all about identity theft: what it is, how it occurs and what to do if you are a victim at http://understandingidentitytheft.com.
If you need help straightening out your credit report, learn all about it at http://yourcreditscoreranking.com.

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