Criminals are getting smarter and smarter everyday. Breaking into your home and stealing your car is becoming outdated. The new wave criminal is finding it easier to rummage through your trash and mail. Most thieves will not even get their hands dirty while stealing your personal information. The high-tech world of computers allows them to sit in the comfort of their homes and hack into a large corporation and take the information of millions of helpless victims.
ID Theft is the fastest growing white collar crime in the world today. There is no sign of putting an end to this crime in the near future. We have all heard of the simple things to do to protect our identities, such as shred our unused personal information and bank statements. There are countless news articles telling us to watch for suspecting predators online and in the consumer world. The wave of this crime has made everyone aware of checking our credit reports frequently. Is that enough to ensure we will not become a victim?
Let s think for a minute. Have you always been careful with your personal information? Do you think others treat your information the same way you would? What about the lady at the bank? The waitresses at your favorite restaurant that takes your credit card and walk out of your sight get paid enough not to steal. How about your insurance agent or mortgage consultant? I am sure they were nice people that never make mistakes handling personal information. If all of these people are careful I am sure that the cashier at your favorite grocery store is just as responsible with your check after she gets your drivers license number. Hey, hope you did not have an account at Bank of America, Wachovia, DSW or TJ Max. These are some of the larger companies that had computer breaches which exposed well over 40 million individuals personal information. (Information can be found at www.privacyrights.org )
This is a very multifaceted crime that has no respect for character, status, social class or income. These criminals have found countless ways to steal our identity ranging from receiving employment to committing crimes in our good names. The Federal Trade Commission states that it takes an average of 600 hours to recover from this crime. How long will that take considering we still have to work and take care of our household? There are people who have went on record spending years to clean up the mess that someone else made of their lives. The average arrest rates of thieves are 1 in 700. Over 10 million cases are reported a year.
This is a terrible crime that can and will continue to devastate the lives of individuals daily. The information given is to help with the awareness of the dangers of identity theft. Personal information is lost everyday by all types of individuals, schools, colleges, companies and even government agencies. The FTC and other experts say that the best way to deal with ID Theft before during and after the problem is to have: 1. Access to Counsel- Use attorneys to contact companies and credit repositories. 2. Continuous Credit Monitoring- Have a system that will give you an alert if anyone tries to obtain credit in your name. 3. Complete Restoration- Allow experts to assist you with the problem to make sure that all the loose ends are tied.
To learn more about the statistics and computer beaches in the last few years view the websites listed below.
www.ftc.gov www.privacyrights.org
How To Protect Yourself?
Antwoine Harris Certified Identity Theft Risk Management Consultant
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