Prevent Identity Theft
Don’t fall Victim to Identity Theft
In the world today there are many people who fall victim to identity theft without even knowing. Identity theft is something that can truly turn your life upside down. Here in America an Estimate of 17.6 million residents, age 16 and older, were victims of identity theft in 2014. (B.J.S, 2015) This number will continue to increase unless we combat it first hand and protect ourselves. More often than not, the victims of identity theft are clueless as to where the thief got their information from.
When identity theft is discovered there are many important steps to take to prevent it from going any further. If you see fraudulent charges on your account, then you need to contact the fraud department of where
your account is held. They will assist you in preventing any further fraudulent charges on the account and issue new cards if needed. If someone is using your personal information to open new accounts, you will likely be able to see that on your credit report. So check your credit reports regularly. If you notice suspicious activity on your credit report, all of the information to contact the company will be available on your credit report. Contact the company’s fraud department and open a fraud investigation. It is always important to report the fraud to your local law enforcement agencies as well. Fewer than 1 in 10 identity theft victims will report it to law enforcement. (B.J.S, 2015)
In 2014 creditcards.com reported the following statistics for identity theft and fraud. They got this information from the Federal Trade Commission.
2014 Misuse of Identity Information
Government Documents or Benefits 38.7%
Credit Card Fraud 17.4%
Phone or Utility Fraud 12.5%
Bank Fraud 8.2%
Employment Related Fraud 4.8%
Attempted Identity Theft 4.8%
Loan Fraud 4.4%
Other 21.8%
Your age is not a factor when it comes to identity theft. It can happen to anyone. The following information was collected by the FTC and shows the breakdown by age. Notice it is nearly even among working- age adults. (creditcards.com, 2016)
AGE RANGE %
20-29 18%
30-39 18%
40-49 19%
50-59 19%
60-69 13%
70+ 7%
19 AND UNDER 6%
The thieves stealing people’s identity have managed to steal billions of dollars for their benefit. I believe there will always be a problem with identity theft and with new technology we will have to do our best to combat it. There will always be those people who come up with new ways to steal people’s information. It is our job to do what we can to make ourselves safe. No matter the programs or security measures we take, a criminal is a criminal and will go to desperate measures for self-benefit.
In the world today there are many people who fall victim to identity theft without even knowing. Identity theft is something that can truly turn your life upside down. Here in America an Estimate of 17.6 million residents, age 16 and older, were victims of identity theft in 2014. (B.J.S, 2015) This number will continue to increase unless we combat it first hand and protect ourselves. More often than not, the victims of identity theft are clueless as to where the thief got their information from.
When identity theft is discovered there are many important steps to take to prevent it from going any further. If you see fraudulent charges on your account, then you need to contact the fraud department of where
your account is held. They will assist you in preventing any further fraudulent charges on the account and issue new cards if needed. If someone is using your personal information to open new accounts, you will likely be able to see that on your credit report. So check your credit reports regularly. If you notice suspicious activity on your credit report, all of the information to contact the company will be available on your credit report. Contact the company’s fraud department and open a fraud investigation. It is always important to report the fraud to your local law enforcement agencies as well. Fewer than 1 in 10 identity theft victims will report it to law enforcement. (B.J.S, 2015)
In 2014 creditcards.com reported the following statistics for identity theft and fraud. They got this information from the Federal Trade Commission.
2014 Misuse of Identity Information
Government Documents or Benefits 38.7%
Credit Card Fraud 17.4%
Phone or Utility Fraud 12.5%
Bank Fraud 8.2%
Employment Related Fraud 4.8%
Attempted Identity Theft 4.8%
Loan Fraud 4.4%
Other 21.8%
Your age is not a factor when it comes to identity theft. It can happen to anyone. The following information was collected by the FTC and shows the breakdown by age. Notice it is nearly even among working- age adults. (creditcards.com, 2016)
AGE RANGE %
20-29 18%
30-39 18%
40-49 19%
50-59 19%
60-69 13%
70+ 7%
19 AND UNDER 6%
The thieves stealing people’s identity have managed to steal billions of dollars for their benefit. I believe there will always be a problem with identity theft and with new technology we will have to do our best to combat it. There will always be those people who come up with new ways to steal people’s information. It is our job to do what we can to make ourselves safe. No matter the programs or security measures we take, a criminal is a criminal and will go to desperate measures for self-benefit.