Best Identity Theft Protection Advice

Protecting your personal info is no trivial matter. The very last thing you need is for your name, social security number, birth date or other identifying data to fall into the wrong hands and to be used to get credit or obtain services. If your identity is stolen and misused, you could end up with damaged credit and could be forced to spend hours fixing the issues that the theft created. As such, it is important to follow some best identity theft protection practices in order to ensure that your personal identifying information is safe.

Guard Your Personal Information Carefully

An ounce of prevention is definitely worth a pound of cure with regards to protecting your identity. If your information never gets into the wrong hands, the information can’t be misused. So, you must be careful about who you give your social security number, address and birth date out to. Don’t ever give this information to strangers over the phone or via email, and watch out for efforts by deceitful individuals asking for personal details. If someone calls or emails you and asks for your info, make sure you know who they are before you give it out. It’s also wise to strongly consider shredding mail that has personal data on it so your information isn’t stolen straight out of your home garbage can.

Be Careful When (And Where) Your Credit Cards Are Used

The theft of your identity is one issue that you need to worry about, and the theft of your credit cards is another. If someone else gets a hold of your credit card information, pretends to be you and uses it without your permission, it can be another destructive form of theft. You can and should do anything possible to avoid this by being careful where you use your card. Never use your credit card on an unsecured website or a site that you aren’t confident about (a secured site will have an “S” at the end of the HTTP, so will read HTTPS). Criminals may also get your credit card info from special devices installed on credit card readers, so be careful about what restaurants and local stores you swipe your card at.

Take Advantage of the Help Offered by an Identity Theft Protection Service

Although you are careful with your cards and your identifying info, criminals are creative and they just might get your details anyway. Because of this, one of the best identity theft protection tools you can use is a service that alerts you when certain triggering events happen. Services such as Identity Guard® can allow you to find out faster when someone is misusing your personal details. This can provide you with the power to react fast, call your creditors straightaway and stop the identity theft when it starts instead of after the criminal has made a mess of your finances. Find out more about how an identity theft protection service can help you at http://www.identityguard.com.

Credit Card Theft: Who Is Responsible for the Charges on a Stolen Card?

Credit card theft can be disastrous as you can discover that your credit card is being used without your permission. The theft of your credit information can be done in many different ways. One example is, someone could steal your credit card and use it without your permission. Someone might also take your identity (your social security number and name) and open a card which they use and don’t pay for.

What to Do About Credit Card Theft

If your identifying info is misused or your credit credit card is stolen, you must take action. When a theft occurs, you need to be sure to contact your credit card company via phone right away to let them know that charges are being made without your permission.

The Consequences of Credit Card Theft

Credit card theft can lead to many unauthorized charges being made on your credit card. While you should not be held financially accountable for any charges made in your name without your permission, you may have a long and complex process to undo the harm that was done to your credit and to have the unauthorized charges taken off your credit report. Based on the circumstances, you might be required to submit documentation to your creditors showing clearly that you are not the one responsible for accumulating the charges.  You might end up spending a good period of time on the phone with creditors and you likely have to file a police report about your stolen card or your stolen identity to be able to show that you are not to blame for the charges.

Your Responsibility for Credit Card Theft

Although you are not liable for credit card theft, you do need to take prompt action so your creditor can de-activate the card and so you won’t be liable for charges. You also have the responsibility of doing all you can to prevent yourself from having your cards or your identity stolen. This is a responsibility you have to yourself, to protect your financial good name. Thankfully, there are tools you can use such as Identity Guard® that will alert you to certain triggering events so you can take action quicker if your card or information is being misused. This could make it easier for you to fight against credit card theft and identity theft so you don’t have a big financial mess on your hands to clean up. Find out today how Identity Guard® can help prevent credit card theft at http://www.identityguard.com.