Originally published June 25 2005
Thwart identity theft with some easy-to-follow tips
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
A Wisconsin police officer presents nine tips for preventing identity fraud.
Identity theft is the unauthorized usage of personal information to gain credit and other valuable items by posing as someone else.
Here are some steps you can take to protect your credit and limit your risk to identity theft: * Guard your Social Security number, it is the key to your credit report and banking accounts.
* Buy yourself a shredder, we got one as a Christmas present years ago and we use it daily.
All mail that contains personal or account information should be shredded.
Make sure of it by shredding the documents.
Don't forget to also shred those daily credit card applications we all get in the mail everyday!
When you do get bills, take a close look at each transaction, is it accurate, did you make that transaction?
Make a copy of all of the cards and documents in your wallet and keep the copy at home in case your wallet is lost or stolen, it will help when you begin to replace the lost items.
When you respond you will be directed to their site unknowingly where they can then capture your personal information and use for their means.
As of March 1, each resident in Wisconsin is entitled to one free credit report per year.
There are three credit reporting bureaus you can choose from - Equifax, http:Equifax.com; Experian, http:experiean.com; and Trans Union, http:tuc.com.
I used Trans Union and within 10 minutes, had my credit report simply by following the prompts on the screen online.
It is promoted as a safe and secure Web site.
Hopefully by following the above steps, you can avoid becoming a victim and save yourself the headaches and time of restoring your credit.
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