| With the continue growth of the Internet as a | | | | unless you have an identity theft prevention service in |
| marketplace for buying and selling merchandise, | | | | place. These thefts may still occur but you will be |
| conducting banking and credit card transactions and | | | | notified about them much earlier thus keeping the |
| more, a nefarious underworld has popped up in the | | | | damage to a minimum. Diligence in checking your |
| form of identity thieves. Since the problem has grown | | | | monthly statements is still needed though. Some |
| to such a problem that government agencies cannot | | | | identity theft prevention services are set up to call you |
| effectively protect us, private industry has stepped in. | | | | when any suspicious activity occurs in your accounts, |
| Identity Theft Prevention Programs offer consumers | | | | be it large purchases or purchases made from a |
| piece of mind by monitoring your credit report and | | | | different location from your home area. |
| stopping identity theft in its tracks. | | | | These services will prevent collection agencies from |
| In the course of our daily commerce, we unwittingly | | | | calling you repeatedly and will keep your credit rating |
| give out much of our sensitive personal data. We write | | | | at the level where it is supposed to be. Law |
| checks for bill paying, we rent a hotel room using a | | | | enforcement agencies are helped greatly by these |
| credit card, we apply for jobs and list our social | | | | services because they are more easily able to zero in |
| security number, we use our cell phones to call friends | | | | on the thieves before the trail grows cold. |
| and generally we act as if no one has access to | | | | Identity thieves have been known to purchase cell |
| these avenues of communication. Each time we | | | | phone service with stolen information and ring up |
| communicate with others, we put ourselves at risk. Not | | | | thousands of dollars in calls. They have also given |
| protecting your personal information is like leaving the | | | | stolen information when arrested for a crime and then |
| front door open and putting up a sign welcoming | | | | not show up in court. The authorities then issue an |
| thieves inside to take what they want. | | | | arrest warrant for you. |
| Thieves will use your credit card number to charge | | | | The pricetag for identity theft services range from |
| merchandise and you will not know about it until you | | | | $100 to $150 depending on the coverage criteria. Many |
| have a great many charges rung up. Thieves will use | | | | people are so busy, careless or just plain stuplid that |
| your social security number to take out a car loan and | | | | they inappropriatly handle their sensitive data. Besides |
| then make off with the car. You won't know about this | | | | safeguarding your own information, these identity theft |
| until the loan payment statements start arriving in your | | | | prevention agencies are the best way to guard |
| mailbox. All of this creates major headaches for you | | | | against theft. |