| You and your family are still picking up the wrapping | | | | what you feared the most. Some thief has some how |
| paper scraps from under chairs and tables and the | | | | obtained your personal information and had a shopping |
| dried up tree has yet to be picked up from the curb. | | | | spree on your good name. You remember that the |
| Barely a week has passed since the holidays. | | | | newspaper just had an article telling about an identity |
| Although you had a bit of cash set aside for the | | | | theft victim that went through this ordeal and was out |
| holidays, you did put a few gifts on the credit cards. | | | | $30,000 six months later and still had lingering loose |
| But you used credit with a high degree of discipline | | | | ends to clean up. What can you do now to clean up |
| because you and your wife are living within a tight | | | | your situation? Or better yet, what could you have |
| budget. | | | | done to prevent this from happening in the first place? |
| The first week back to work and school and you | | | | There are many identity theft protection services in the |
| conduct business as usual without having any idea that | | | | marketplace. Most are just insurance policies that will |
| some serious problems are coming your way in a few | | | | reimburse your losses up to a certain amount . |
| days. On the way home you stop at the local | | | | Another program keeps a continual eye on your |
| convenient store to pick up some small items to take | | | | accounts and credit file and offers up to one million |
| home. At the check out, the clerk informs you that | | | | dollars in protection. This program covers anything |
| your card has been declined due to credit limit | | | | from online theft to offline credit theft. This program is |
| problems. You know this must be a mistake and plan | | | | a subscription based plan but only costs around $10 |
| to deal with it in the next business day. | | | | per month. |
| After making a few calls to your bank, you discover | | | | |