| Identity theft has been pronounced as one of the | | | | For most of us,credit card offers, bills which have our |
| major new scourges of the new century. | | | | home address and may include our social security |
| It is estimated that more than 10 million people thus far | | | | digits as part of the account number are a daily |
| have been the victim of this terrible crime. According to | | | | occurrence in the mail box. Boxes of checks sent to |
| statistics offered by the FTC and research facilities | | | | you also provide an excellent opportunity for identity |
| who have monitored identity theft over the course of | | | | thieves, who need not even forge a single check, but |
| five years, the widest range of identity theft happens | | | | simply buy items that they purchase using your |
| using stolen documents or medical records. Simple | | | | account number to give an electronic check. |
| procedures and items such as a locking mailbox may | | | | For an identity thief your mail is a veritable treasure |
| actually help to prevent identity theft. | | | | trove of opportunity. One of these items in the right--or |
| While some identity theft takes place online, it may | | | | the wrong--hands can offer them the means to open |
| surprise you to know that the vast majority of it, in | | | | an account in your name and the ability to use it to |
| fact, more than 50% takes place among those who | | | | work you seriously into debt, in many cases, prior to |
| have never been on a computer, or don't use their | | | | your knowing about it. |
| credit cards or other information online. | | | | A simple locking mailbox can offer you the means to |
| How are those identity thefts accomplished and what | | | | protect yourself against many types of identity theft. |
| can you do to prevent them, or stop the identity | | | | With something so simple as a lock on your mailbox, |
| thieves in their tracks? Identity thieves may be random | | | | you can prevent the use of your documents and |
| people who simply want to take advantage of your | | | | offers by identity thieves who will wreak havoc on |
| good credit. They may also be well-versed people | | | | your personal credit in many ways. |
| who are organized into groups and steal a great many | | | | An additional tip for you to help you in preventing |
| identities at one time, even going so far as to sell them | | | | identity theft--Sign your credit cards and checks with a |
| on the black market to make money, rather than to | | | | gel pen. The ink tends to permeate the documents in |
| use your identity themselves. | | | | such a way that rendering the document free of ink |
| One way to accomplish preventing an identity theft | | | | as identity thieves do is next to impossible. With small |
| may be to buy a locking mailbox. Identity thieves steal | | | | and inexpensive techniques, such as a dollar gel pen |
| the very items that can help to prove your identity or | | | | and a low-cost locking mailbox, you can protect |
| which may assist them in getting a credit card in your | | | | yourself in a big way from identity theft which can |
| name. How many of us receive the credit card offers | | | | cost you time, money and headaches. |
| on a daily basis? | | | | |