Identity Theft Protection
9 Million Americans Have Stolen Identities Each Year
Identity theft is a skyrocketing crime. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), identity theft strikes more than 9 million people each year. And the manner in which identity thieves steal a person’s identity continues to become more sophisticated.
What’s more, the extent of identity theft crimes impacts so many areas, including your credit report, household utility services, financial accounts and medical records, just to name a few.
An identity thief can use stolen personal information to:
1) start telephone service
2) rent an apartment
3) apply for credit cards
In most cases, victims are unaware this activity is going on until they review their credit report, get denied for a credit card or loan, or get calls from a debt collector.
Our Objective
Throughout this website, you’ll find protection and prevention tips that help you protect yourself against the many forms of identity theft and prevent online identity fraud. You’ll also learn what steps to take if you become a victim of identity theft.
Warning Signals of Identity Theft
There are many warning signs to tell you your identity has been stolen, such as:
- denied credit or loans for no apparent reason
- monthly credit card statements, utility bills, etc. stop arriving
- receive a credit card you did not apply for
- receive bills from places you never spent at to; receive bills from the collection agency
- you notice some of your mail is missing
Identity Theft Protection and Prevention
Identity theft Recovery is Expensive
As the FTC points out, recovering from identity theft is a long, meticulous and often costly, process. That’s where identity theft prevention services come into play. They monitor your credit report and other public and private records and alert you of any suspicious activity.
Types of Protection Services
Not all identity theft prevention services are the same. For example, some monitor only one credit bureau, while others monitor all three. That’s why we evaluated each of the leading credit protection companies and compared their features and prices. The end result are five services that meet our stringent standards of comprehensive monitoring, reputation, security, recovery resources and customer guarantee.
In our Resource section, you’ll also find additional information about identity theft prevention services. We hope you find this website helpful and consider it your one-stop resource for information about safeguarding your personal and financial information from identity theft.