Are You The Only One Using Your Name?

Identity theft has become an epidemic. Millions and millions of purses and wallets are stolen everyday and many of them are not just taken for the money inside. Thieves can use your credit cards to buy whatever they want to and whose credit does it ruin? Yours. Now, you are probably thinking about how easy it is or you to cancel your credit card, and you have protection through your issuer, but do you realize that by using your drivers license these thieves can get a whole new credit card? One you don't even know about? If this happens to you, you will find that it is anything but easy to fix. Proving that your identity has been stolen can be extremely difficult to prove and getting your credit back up to snuff is next to impossible.

This terrible crime is so prevalent that it is something that we all should educate ourselves about so that we can prevent it if at all possible or at least know what to do once it has happened.

One of the simplest ways to safeguard against identity theft is to keep your personal information to yourself. Don't give out much information, ever especially on the phone or online. It may be okay for you to give some information if you made the call to a company that you trust but if you are on the receiving end of the call forget it, this person could be anyone from anywhere. You have probably been asked for your Social Security Number when applying for credit over the phone or on the Internet, but you do not have to give it out. Ask the person or company you are dealing with if there are other options for you to do instead.

You might want to keep a detailed list of your credit card companies in a place that you will be able to find them quickly in case your cards ever get stolen. The sooner you report the theft to them missing the better off you will be. If you wait and the thief maxes out your card you could face taking some responsibility.

Getting a copy of your credit report on a regular basis will help you to nip any credit card fraud in the bud. If you do not go over your report you may miss what is going on and this is just giving the thieves more time to get away with their crime while getting yourself in even more trouble.

Everyone, and I mean everyone should invest in a paper shredder. Destroying all of your financial documents before you throw them away is another very important step to preventing identity theft. Identity thieves are great for going through people's trash and picking out what they need. Don't forget to shred all of the pre-approved credit card offers that you get in the mail all of the time. If these get into the wrong hands they could mean the end of your good credit.

Martin Lukac, represents, #1 Loans USA, a finance web-company specializing in real estate/mortgage market. We specialize in daily updates, rate predictions, mortgage rates and more: http://www.1LoansUSA.com

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Google News Updated : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 08:05:30 GMT Wal-Mart acting on shifts in consumer spending - BusinessWeek Los Angeles Times Wal-Mart acting on shifts in consumer spending BusinessWeek - 3 hours ago By CHUCK BARTELS If the mood on Wall Street is grim, then consumers must be feeling even more bleak, right? Fuel prices remain high, inflation has hit food prices hard and consumer confidence is down. August another disappointing month for retailers Los Angeles Times Lower-cost stores gain from US shoppers' thriftiness Financial Times Forbes - The Associated Press - Wall Street Journal all 673 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 04:48:39 GMT Rice set for historic Libya visit - BBC News RTE.ie Rice set for historic Libya visit BBC News - 3 hours ago US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is set to begin a historic visit to Libya as part of a North African tour. She is expected to meet Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi as part of the trip, which will also include visits to Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. Rice set to begin historic Libya visit AFP Rice set to make history in Libya The Associated Press Aljazeera.net - International Herald Tribune - WZTV - Bloomberg all 425 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 04:41:55 GMT '1967 lines not up for discussion' - Jerusalem Post Sydney Morning Herald '1967 lines not up for discussion' Jerusalem Post - 32 minutes ago By JPOST.COM STAFF The July 4, 1967 lines are not up for discussion and are the very foundations from which direct talks between Israel and Syria will start, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said Friday. Video: Sarkozy in Syria : the press is divided france24english Syrian sets terms of role on peace Philadelphia Inquirer New York Times - Boston Globe - International Herald Tribune - Voice of America all 1,039 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 07:32:39 GMT Schwarzenegger: Palin delivered 'fantastic' speech - San Jose Mercury News KGET 17 Schwarzenegger: Palin delivered 'fantastic' speech San Jose Mercury News - 1 hour ago AP SACRAMENTO—Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday said Sarah Palin hit a home run with her acceptance speech for the Republican vice presidential nomination. Video: Governor To Californians: Bug Lawmakers About Budget kcratv California nears record in spending plan stalemate Sacramento Bee San Gabriel Valley Tribune - Los Angeles Times - New York Times - City Watch all 302 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 06:14:17 GMT Data on defective genes make tailored remedies possible - Baltimore Sun Voice of America Data on defective genes make tailored remedies possible Baltimore Sun - 41 minutes ago By Frank D. Roylance Researchers cataloging the genetic codes of deadly human brain and pancreatic cancers say they have found several dozen defective genes that appear to work in concert to set off the tumor growth that eventually kills their victims. In Long-Awaited Maps of Cancer, The Breakthrough Is the Problem Wall Street Journal What You Need to Know About Mapping the Cancer Genome U.S. News & World Report Reuters - The Associated Press - Bloomberg - Science Daily (press release) all 209 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 07:24:12 GMT McCain takes stage, turns down heat - Boston Globe The Gazette (Montreal) McCain takes stage, turns down heat Boston Globe - 1 hour ago By Joanna Weiss For a man at the top of a presidential ticket, John McCain had an unusual task last night: to remind the nation that he was the star of his own show. Palin Assails Critics and Electrifies Party New York Times GOP welcomes McCain with enthusiasm Milwaukee Journal Sentinel CBS News - Kansas City Star - ABC News - TIME all 1,387 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 06:20:31 GMT Boeing Workers Are on the Brink - BusinessWeek Wall Street Journal Boeing Workers Are on the Brink BusinessWeek - 1 hour ago Despite being offered a relatively generous package by management, Boeing machinists are ready to go on strike. Here's why by Joseph Weber When a stunning 87% of Boeing machinists voted on Sept. Motown Blues for Boeing? Wall Street Journal Boeing, machinists union meet with mediator The Associated Press Seattle Times - Bloomberg - Reuters - Chicago Tribune all 1,406 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 06:54:59 GMT Clickbank Datafeed Earn Money At Home

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