Viewpoints Industry on ID Theft Vigilance

According to the Identity Resource Center, there have been 368 identity theft breaches so far this year. That number is up almost 19% from the same time last year. Viewpoints Industry reminds readers how they can be more vigilant to protecting their identity.

More than 10 million personal records have been exposed in 2014. The Bureau of Justice Statistics found that 16.6 million American adults experiences ID theft in 2012. The same agency reports that there were 6.8 million total non-fatal violent crimes during the same time.  These are astounding statistics to ponder. How can the average consumer better protect themselves from identity theft?

Change user name and passwords to financial and credit card companies every month or two. Use a strong password combo which is longer than 8 characters, contains numbers, small and capital letters and a variety of symbols for each account.

Create an email address from one of the free sites like Hotmail to collect junk email and sale notices.

Never give your Social Security Number to anyone who has no need for it such as on an employment application before being hired, in a doctor’s office or in a store.

Review financial and credit accounts every week to be sure every cent is one you spent and one someone else did not. If you find a discrepancy, contact the institution immediately.

Viewpoints Industry TV learns that is takes about 9 hours to clear up ID theft issues, and some people who’ve been affected spent more than a day doing so.  In order to prevent the aggravating hassle of ID theft, remain vigilant when checking accounts online and in person.

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