Take Steps to Avoid Identity Theft

This is an age of infinite information on the Internet. Everything from Bank accounts to Movies can be accessed on line and more today than ever before Identity theft has grown and we all run the risk of it happening to us. About every eighty (80) seconds someone becomes a victim of Identity theft. That is some pretty scary stuff to think about. Most victims do not know that they are victims until they are denied credit or possibly a job.

Most Credit and Background Check agencies gather their information from government agencies and public records. There are some things that are not allowed to be reported but this varies by state. Pretty much uniformed though is that Bankruptcy after Seven years should not be reported, Ten in some cases.

There are ways that you can stay on top of information given out about yourself. Every consumer is entitled to one free credit report each year. This is one very solid way to see if there is something lurking there that should not be and gives you a chance to correct any misinformation obtained. Granted, it may take some time to correct, but if you follow the steps needed, it can be done. One source that is very popular is Free Credit Report.com There you can get your report either by e-mail or snail mail.

You can also do your own background check. This also can be obtained once a year free to the consumer. Choice Trust.com offers a free background check. They verify your personal information, all addresses, any public records,deed transfers, any FAA information, Business affiliations and much more. Again, any false information may take some time to correct as these sites only report the information given, the actual company feeding the information is up to you to contact. Although it hardly seems fair that we as the consumer have to go to such great lengths to protect ourselves, It is what it is and must be dealt with.

To correct any misinformation you will probably have to put the error found in writing and give them some time to correct it. It is never as quick to erase an error as it is to create one. Something as simple as an incorrect key stroke can cause you a lot of unnecessary grief.

If you do fall victim to Identity theft, contact the Federal Trade Commission and follow their steps. This will include filing a report and notification to all credit card companies and Credit reporting agencies. It also entails closing all accounts and also notification to the Social Security Administration where in certain circumstances they may issue you another Social Security Number.

The most important thing you can do is keep up on all accounts and watch for any unusual charges to any of your accounts, and hopefully you will not be the next victim.