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Check Your Credit Report Regularly
You may reprint or publish this article free of charge as long
as the bylines are included.
Original URL (The Web version of the article)
------------------
http://www.defendingthenet.com/newsletters/CheckYourCreditReportR
egularly.htm
Title
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Check Your Credit Report Regularly
Identity Theft & Your Credit Report
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Identity theft is a type of fraud in which financial information
is illegally obtained for the purpose of making unauthorized
purchases and transactions with credit cards or funds from
financial accounts. A thief can use your personal information
such as your name, drivers license, Social Security number,
health insurance, or bank account number, to make purchases as
if they were you. If this happens, it could be the beginning of
a financial disaster that could linger for years and cause you
to lose job opportunities, be turned down for credit or loans,
and in some cases, ruin your reputation.
There are a lot of thing you can do to minimize the risk of
becoming a victim of identity theft. This article focuses on
obtaining and reviewing your credit report, quite similar to
what we do when we perform network security assessments, believe
it or not.
What Is A Credit Report
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There are three major credit bureaus that collect, maintain, an
distribute credit information about you. These companies are
Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. Some of the information you
will find in your credit report is; personal information such as
your legal name, alias names, addresses, current and previous
employers, and date of birth; your credit summary such as
current and past credit status, total number of open and closed
accounts, the balances of accounts, if they are current or
delinquent; public record information such as federal bankruptcy
records, local government court records, liens, judgments, and
child support records (information that can stay in your record
for up to 10 years); credit inquires - when you apply for a
credit card or loan, the institution will make an inquiry to one
or more of the credit bureaus; detailed account history - very
up to date information about your loan payments, credit card
debt and payment history, and this information stays on your
report indefinitely; credit score - a number ranging from 330 to
830, the higher the number the better your credit is and
increases the chance of you obtaining a loan or credit account.
Why Should You Check Your Credit Report Frequently
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If someone gets your Social Security number, it only takes a few
additional pieces of information, which is quite easily
obtained, to assume your identity. The Internet makes it even
easier than ever because most of this information the criminal
needs to get his hands on is out there. It is not my purpose to
scare anyone, but I must tell you that if you think you are not
at risk, you need to think again.
The most common forms of identity theft include; credit card
fraud, bank fraud, communications services, and fraudulent
loans. The bad thing is that this type of fraud can negatively
impact your life, the good thing is there are ways of monitoring
what other people do with your identity.
Do you know, that nearly all of the security assessments we
perform, we find personal and financial information on work
computers. What ever you do, do not store this kind information
at your workplace. This is a sure fire way of becoming a victim
of identity theft. If I had more room in this article I could
tell you stories about identity theft and fraud that would make
your hair stand on end. And, everyone of us are potential
victims.
Things You Can Do To Protect Yourself From Identity Theft
------------------
I've written other articles about identity theft, and I am sure
I will write more. The bottom line is this is one of the worst
things that can happen to you financially, and the risk of it
happening is quite high. Some of the things you can do to
minimize this risk besides regularly checking and monitoring
your credit report is:
Shred all of those pre-approved credit cards you get in the
mail. This includes any document or item you receive that
contains your Social Security number, date of birth, or any
other personal identity information.
Never print your Social Security number, phone number, date of
birth, or credit card information on your checks. If a merchant
ask you for this information so they can write it on your check,
do not give it to them. Even if they tell you you cannot make
the purchase without it, go somewhere else.
Secure your mail and email. Did you know that a common tactic
for thieves is to divert your mail by filing a change of address
at the post office. Of course, there is the typical method of
just reaching into your mailbox and taking checks, utility
bills, and so on. Because people use email as a substitute for
snail-mail (normal paper mail), you should be careful what you
email to people as well.
Monitor your credit by obtaining a credit report from one of the
three, if not all three, credit bureaus. They may be able to
provide you with a consolidated report from all three companies.
And, most of them have inexpensive monthly services that monitor
your report for you and send you alerts when things change or
inquiries are made on your account.
Conclusion
------------------
As a consumer, you need to take this issue of fraud and identity
theft very seriously. Not only should this be important to you,
but if you have a family, you should see it as an obligation to
protect their future. As with any type of security issue, there
is nothing 100% secure. However, you can take steps to minimize
your risk and exposure. Remember, it is typically the easy
target criminals focus their attention and efforts on.
Obtain your credit report and review it thoroughly, you might be
surprised by what you find. If you happen to see something that
is not right, take immediate steps to clear it up.
About the author:
About The Author
------------------
Darren Miller is an Information Security Consultant with over
sixteen years experience. He has written many technology &
security articles, some of which have been published in
nationally circulated magazines & periodicals. If you would like
to contact Darren you can e-mail him at
Darren.Miller@ParaLogic.Net. If you would like to know more
about computer security please visit us at http://ww
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