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1.Shred all documents - If you do not own a shredder, invest
in a really good one. Shred all documents that have
your name or address or any personal information on it.
2.Track your credit card bills - When you receive
your credit card bill review it for errors. For
more information read Track credit card error.
3.Credit Monitoring - Sign up for credit monitoring.
Anytime any account is open or anyone accesses your
credit report, you are contacted immediately. Check to
see if your bank provides this service for free. If
not, each credit reporting agency provides this
service for a nominal monthly fee.
4.Check your credit report - You are entitled by law
to one free credit report a year. You can obtain your free credit report
at annualcreditreport.com. If you would like your credit score also, you can
obtain it from Experian or Transunion or Equifax.
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FACTS
An identity thief needs only a few strategic bits of information - your Social Security number, your birth date, perhaps your address and phone number - to commit fraud.
Identity theft is the nation's fastest growing crime.
According to the Gartner study in 2006, every two seconds, one person fell victim to identity theft.
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5.Guard your computer - Firewalls and virus
protection software can go a long way to deter hackers
from obtaining your personal information.
6.Opt out of preapproved unsolicited mailings - Your
information is sold by the three major credit bureaus.
You can opt out by visiting optoutprescreen.com.
7.Put a Fraud alert on your account - This tells
creditors that they should proceed with caution when
issuing credit. However, most creditors do not pay
attention to this alert.
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