Protection From Identity Theft - Discovering Ways

Nobody likes to consider the fact that there are criminals in the world today who are searching for ways to take advantage of innocent individuals at every turn. Crime comes in many different shapes and sizes, and no matter what we do in our attempts to deter criminals, it seems as though we can never get rid of the issue completely. The same problem applies in relation to theft of identity - a crime that focuses on criminals who take their victim's information, and use that data to their own ends.

There are numerous different types of identity theft in the world, and each one can have a different, negative impact on your life, from ruining your future, to undermining your creditworthiness, and even getting you into trouble with the law. It's no surprise that people are constantly searching for ways to prevent identity theft from happening.

Protecting Yourself

Unfortunately, though it would be nice to live in a world wherein identity fraud wasn't a problem, it's important to note that no service can guarantee you won't become a victim against this type of crime. The truth is that criminals are coming up with new ways to access your data on almost a daily basis. It is like locking the doors and windows of your home. While they provide some amount of security you can never be 100 percent sure that burglars won't be able to get in.

But it doesn't mean that you can't protect yourself, your family, and your future. Indeed, one of the best ways to reduce the impact that this crime could have on you, is to learn which services are available to you. That's why so many people are getting help detecting identity theft with Identity Guard®.

Detecting the Presence of Theft of Identity

Using credit monitoring services to detect credit fraud and identify theft is the best defense that currently exists against these crimes. They work by giving you access to your credit information that is updated regularly. They monitor for certain activities and send you prompt alerts so you can identify potential threats to your identity as soon as possible.

Using Tools That Monitor Credit For Protection

Most consumers have at least a basic understanding of how valuable their credit score is for them and their future. After all, a good credit score determines a lot in our future, from obvious issues - such as whether we'll be able to get a loan when we need it most, to less considered problems - like applying for high-ranking jobs. Everyone, from bank managers to employers use your credit rating to figure out how reliable you are as a person, and it's up to you to ensure that you have a good number and keep that number healthy.

Unfortunately, even if you are particularly cautious with the way that you spend your money, and budget strictly to ensure that you never place yourself in debt, there is a way that you can still end up with a bad credit score - and this is through identity theft. Without a credit monitor to help you, you may not even be aware that your score is suffering until months of damage have passed. This could ruin your finances and reputation and might take a long time for you to recover from it.

How Monitoring Credit Helps 

Monitoring your credit is one of the best ways to help protect yourself from the effects of issues like identity theft. The reason for this is that a credit monitoring service gives you access to your credit report data on a regular basis. What the service provider does is to monitor your credit report data every business day, compile it, and send you prompt alerts if certain changes are detected - changes that could indicate identity theft that could result in damaging your finances and ultimately, your credit score. If you want to protect yourself when you monitor credit, you need to review these alerts and take any necessary precautions if you suspect fraud.

Protecting Yourself

Aside from credit monitoring you also need to be careful in the first place to reduce the chances of your personal information getting into the hands of criminals. Remember to shred your credit statements and other similar documents before throwing them into the trash. And make sure that your PIN cannot be seen by others as you use an ATM. Make sure to be careful when using your email and visiting websites. Be always on the lookout for possible phishing scams that are designed to steal your details.

What Can I Do To Protect My Identity?

Whether you have come across stories of fraud and theft in the media, on your favorite television program, or through an interaction with a friend, chances are that you already know the risks that identity theft imposes on today's society. A single search online is enough to present you with numerous tales and articles written by people who have suffered with the impact that identity fraud has had on their lives. If you search on how to protect my identity, you'll likely be presented with a number of services and solutions, from credit monitoring companies, to individuals offering personal advice about how to keep your information safe.

Identity theft is more than just a temporary problem that some people deal with in relation to their finances. In fact, it can cause serious damage to your credit rating - a number that decides whether you'll be able to take out a mortgage, access a loan, or even apply for certain jobs.

How to Protect Your Identity

Because methods for illegally obtaining personal data are constantly evolving, it is actually impossible to completely prevent identity theft from happening. However, that doesn't mean that you can't take effective steps in protecting yourself. There are numerous protect identity services available that use identity and credit monitoring to help mitigate risks and reduce the damage that this type of fraud can cause.

Through identity monitoring, you can keep a closer eye on how your identity is being used, both online and offline. And with credit monitoring, you are regularly updated with regards to your credit data that the service provider obtains from the credit bureaus. And usually, with the help of the service company, you are warned early on if certain changes have occurred that could be indicative of credit card fraud, for instance.

Be Careful

But remember that although the above monitoring services are important, they don't mean you can neglect being cautious in your day to day activities. You will still need to be careful about who you give your information to, and where you enter personal data online. What's more, you should always be cautious to cover your PIN when using an ATM in public, or making a purchase.

Why Using Identity Theft Protection Is A Must

As a society, it seems as though we don't always pay as much attention to identity theft as we once did - as we're frequently distracted by the latest news scandal. However, just because you may not hear about it as frequently as you once did, doesn't mean that this kind of fraud is any less of a significant problem in the world today. Indeed, credit fraud resulting from the illegal use of identity is an issue that continuously causes significant turmoil for people around the world.

Many people tend to ignore the need to protect from identity theft, because they simply think of the issue as something that will never happen to them. However, it's important to know that no matter how cautious you are, or how much time you put into looking after your money - anyone can become a victim.

Exercising Caution

First and foremost, when looking for ways to protect your identity from criminals, a good place to start is to assess your current behavior. For example, if you don't already shred your documents before placing them in the trash, now could be a good time to start - as many criminals still search through dumpsters to obtain the information that they need. On the other hand, when you're out shopping, if you feel uncomfortable covering your PIN around other people, remember that you're not being rude, you're simply taking steps to protect your identity. Looking after your financial future starts with finding new ways to be cautious - whether that means updating your online passwords, or buying a new shredder.

Monitoring Your Credit

Remember, even if you take all of the necessary steps for better security, you may still have a need for identity theft protection thru Identity Guard®, for instance. This service provider gets your information from the credit bureaus and monitors it daily, notifying you when certain changes are detected. You receive a prompt alert, giving you the opportunity to confirm the activity as your own - like changing your address or applying for new credit - or take precautions if you think someone is trying to commit fraud.

Using Identity Monitor Services To Protect Your Future

Today, it seems as though we rely upon at least some form of technology in just about everything that we do. When we're engaging in recreational activities, we're doing so with our smartphones, laptops, and gaming systems, rather than relying on the world around us to offer entertainment. When we're moving forward in the world of business, we install the latest and greatest in productivity software to help propel us towards success. Unfortunately, although the technological age comes with many different benefits, from impressive wearable technology, to new discoveries in healthcare, it's important to remember that such technology also opens us up to new risks and threats, particularly in the form of identity theft.

One of the best ways to detect identity fraud as early as possible is to use identity monitor services, which are specifically designed to help you keep a closer eye on what's going on in your credit accounts and your personally identifiable information.

Protecting Your Identity

Although identity monitoring services offer what is perhaps the most comprehensive way to keep yourself safe and secure when it comes to such fraudulent criminals, it's also worth noting that there are numerous steps that you can still take to defend yourself. For instance, you should ensure that you never reveal any sensitive information either through email correspondence or over the phone. What's more, it can still be helpful to commit to shredding any documents that contain your personal information before you dispose of them in the garbage.

Identity protection is part identity monitoring and part common sense, so make sure that you're taking all of the necessary steps in defending yourself wherever possible. Meanwhile, monitoring services for identity take a look at how your identity is being used so that can get an early warning if there is the possibility of fraud.

Credit Monitoring Solutions

Credit monitoring solutions, such as those that are available at http://www.identityguard.com/ allow you to watch your credit accounts and reports more carefully on a regular basis. Instead of checking your credit info once a year, this service will monitor your credit for certain activity every day. When certain activities are detected, you receive an alert so you can review the information and take steps if you think it is potentially fraudulent. You also receive regularly updated reports and in an easy to understand format that you can view whenever you like.

Identity Theft Protector Helps Keep You Safe

When it comes to keeping your identity safe, there is more to worry about than you may realize.  So much information is stored electronically and we are all so connected, that your information is always at risk, no matter how careful you are.  An identity theft protector can help.

One of the most important steps in protecting yourself is to monitor your credit report with a service such as an enhanced identity theft protector.  Your credit report is so important because it is supposed to serve as a guide to help companies determine if they want to do business with you.  It is not only important when you are applying for financing, but also when you apply for a job, an apartment, insurance, or many other things.  Fraudulent accounts on your credit report can be devastating.  An enhanced identity theft shield helps by alerting you to new accounts and other certain activity, like inquires or changes to your basic information.  Your credit reports can be different from each of the three credit bureaus, so your enhanced identity theft shield should monitor them year-round from all three credit bureaus.

You probably know that you can get a free credit report every year form each of the three credit bureaus, but this is not enough to keep you safe.  The longer identity theft goes on, the worse the damage gets, so you would be left vulnerable between your free credit reports.

Enhanced identity theft protection offers other things too, such as password managers.  A password manager stores your passwords for you and enters them automatically after you enter a master password.  Because you don’t have remember all of your passwords, they can be much more complex and secure than without a password manager.  You will no longer have to resort to unsafe methods such as using the same password for many different sites.

Another advantage to using enhanced identity theft protection is recovery assistance if your identity is compromised.  Once you are alerted to a fraudulent account, having it removed from your credit report is a complicated process and your enhanced identity theft protection can help guide you on what to do.

Can I Trust Identity Theft Reviews?

If you’ve already decided that you need to implement some form of identity theft protection for yourself, the difficulty may come in choosing the one that will work the best. Though there are programs and services that do different things, whether or not one will work for you all depends on your individual situation. When you’re looking to select one and begin using it, you should most definitely pay attention to the identity theft reviews customers have left on individual company websites, as they can be quite helpful.

When people use and like products, they tend to want to share their experiences with others. This is also true for the people that have negative experiences, but those reviews identity theft related are usually more about the personal experience rather than the product itself. These posted reviews can be used to help people determine whether or not a product is easy to use, effective, long lasting and up to date. They can help to show off features and improvements made by updates and newer versions, and they can also highlight weaknesses or quirks. Not everything works the same, and it’s important for many people to know how their services work ahead of time.

When people leave comments on a site where customers review identity theft services, they often include information about themselves, which is helpful. This can let you know whether or not something worked for someone in a similar situation to your own, how long it took to work, and how easy it was to use the provided information. Many of the individual websites will focus on the positive reviews for their own products, but if you’re truly looking for impartial identity theft product reviews, then you should look at sites like blogs, review websites, and lifestyle sites - the people that review the products or post the reviews that they have found are simply looking to educate other consumers, not promote specific products or ideas. For most people, the beginning stages of selecting identity theft protection will be the first time that they are presented with these things - so they will need all of the direction that they can get in order to make the best possible choices.

What are Identity Theft Protection Companies?

As identity theft becomes more common place, it makes sense that there are now many identity theft protection companies offering consumers protection.  Many people may be signing up for these services for the first time, so they are likely to have questions about what they do and what to look for in fraud protection companies.

Fraud protection companies work by monitoring your credit report for certain activity. When these changes are detected, they will alert you with a phone call, email, or text, including changes such as new accounts, new inquiries, or changes to your basic information, such as name and address.  When you receive the alert, you can decide if the change is legitimate or suspicious.  If you did not make the change yourself, then you can contact your fraud protection companies and they will help you to sort out what has happened and what your next steps should be.

Fraud protection companies usually charge a monthly fee, and you may be wondering why you would pay if you have heard that you can get free copies of your credit report.  While it is true that you can get a free copy of your credit report once per year from each of the three credit bureaus, this alone does not provide complete protection.  It leaves you vulnerable between free reports, and credit reports can be difficult to decipher.  Even if you stagger your free credit reports so you get them every few months, this is still risky because the reports can be different from each credit bureau, so a fraudulent account may show up on one report and not the others.  Fraud protection companies will monitor your credit report from all three credit bureaus year-round.

If you do choose to access your free credit report, only do so on the official government-mandated annual free credit report site.  Be wary of other sites offering “free” credit reports.  Remember that to obtain a credit report, you will always be asked for your social security number and you should be very careful who you give it to.  Often, these sites are just trying to stealthily sell you something, or steal your personal information.

Identity Theft Protection Reviews: Why Buy ID Protection?

Identity theft is a real threat that can negatively affect your credit score.

Attackers can use your personal information for fraudulent purposes such as making large purchases or securing credit in your name. Both can easily go undetected especially if you rarely check your credit report. Taking steps to protect your identity is incredibly important.

There are services available that offer credit monitoring as well as recovery assistance to help you protect against identity theft. The general consensus of customer  identity theft protection reviews is that they can be extremely effective. Here we look at why you should consider buying ID protection for yourself.

Prompt AlertsMost consumers are often unaware that their identity has been used. Identity theft protection services help to combat this as they provide credit monitoring. But one of the best benefits is being able to receive alerts for certain types of activities such as credit inquiries or newly opened accounts.

This is beneficial as it means you get prompt alerts if these, or other certain activity is detected. If someone is using your information to open accounts in your name, you can contact the credit issuer to file a report. You can even take more drastic measures such as placing a security freeze on your credit report. Doing so could cost a small fee but prevents anyone from accessing your credit reports.

Personal AssistanceDo you know what steps to take if your identity is compromised?

No matter how many precautions you take, your identity is still vulnerable. Identity thieves use a number of methods to gain access to personal information from data breaches to phishing scams. The advantage of ID protection services is that most offer personal assistance on appropriate steps to recover your identity.

Be sure to read through customer reviews of identity theft protection services to help you choose the right one. Most offer free or low cost introductory trials that you can try to decide whether you want to continue or not. In addition to credit monitoring and personal assistance, many also have additional features such as security software to help keep your computer safe.

If you are serious about protecting your identity, these services are well worth the cost.

Why Credit Monitoring Services Are Beneficial

Your credit is an important part of your identity.

Anyone with your personal information (e.g. name, date of birth, Social Security number, etc.) can use it to commit fraud in your name. Perhaps the worst part is the negative impact that identity theft can have on your credit. Bad scores typically result in unfavorable interest rates and can even prevent you from leasing an apartment.

With identity theft on the rise, you need to take extra precautions to protect yourself. If you are concerned, credit monitoring services are a great start. These services are beneficial for the following two reasons.

Protect Against Identity Theft

Identity thieves use sophisticated methods to access sensitive information. Attackers prey on unsuspecting victims and use their information to use or open new accounts in their name. This is why it's a good idea to regularly monitor your credit and files.

Credit monitoring helps to protect against identity theft as it tracks certain types of activity. You receive notifications when a new account is open in your name so you can respond immediately. This gives you a huge advantage in protecting your identity.

But it's important to note that services monitoring credit don't necessarily prevent identity theft. Not everything shows up on a credit report and attackers can find other ways to commit fraud in your name.

Credit Tracking

Your credit score is a three digit number that is calculated based on your credit history. Credit issuers look at this score to gauge your creditworthiness and assess how much you can qualify for.

Many people are often unaware of what shows up on their credit report until they actually apply for credit. This is a problem for obvious reasons as unpaid accounts (even if you didn't open them) could have a negative impact on your score for years. Knowing what shows up on your credit report is important for this reason.

Credit monitoring services track changes to your credit report and notify you of certain activity. You also get updates on your credit score so you can better monitor your financial health. Credit monitoring can be especially beneficial whether you are looking to protect against identity theft or track changes to your credit score.

What to Do Before Filing an Identity Theft Report

If your information was compromised whether through a data breach or other hack, you could potentially be a victim of identity theft. This occurs when someone uses information about yourself to commit fraud. Examples include making purchases with your credit card or opening new accounts in your name. Both can have negative consequences on your credit score.

No matter how many precautions you take, your identity can be used to commit fraudulent activity. The following is what you should do before you file an identity theft report.

Immediately Contact Credit IssuersSome identity thieves will use your information to open a new account in your name.

This is why it is so important to regularly review your credit report as illegal activities as described above can easily go undetected for years. So the first step is to contact the company immediately where you know that fraud has occurred. You will need to explain your situation and that you were a victim of identity theft. Ask the credit issuers to either close or freeze the account so no one can make any new charges.

If your identity has recently been compromised, you should also change the logins and passwords to all your accounts. Be sure to use a strong password that includes numbers and other special characters.

Place a Fraud AlertThe next step is to contact one of the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your file. With a fraud alert on your report, businesses must verify your identity first before extending credit. This makes it harder for attackers to use your name to open new accounts. The alert will stay your report for 90 days.

Another measure you can take is placing a security freeze on your credit report. What this does is completely restrict access to your credit. You will need to contact each of the credit bureaus individually and pay a small fee which varies depending on where you live.

File a ReportThe next step is to file an ID theft report with your local police department. You will be asked to provide proof of your identity. Be sure to keep a copy of the report as you will need it later.

Ways to Protect Yourself From Identity Theft

There are stories on the news every day about different crimes that get committed - kidnappings, murders, robberies and even home invasions are becoming almost second nature to people, and while they are shocking, their occurrences are not surprising. One type of crime that doesn't always get the heightened amount of exposure is identity theft, which is extremely common. This type of crime can happen anywhere and to anyone; it doesn't matter whether or not you have large amount of money or a prominent place in the community, the thieves will still do their best to access what is yours in an attempt to benefit from it. In an effort to combat this type of crime, there are many different methods available to those that choose to use them; some of which are listed below.

Credit Monitors

This type of service is meant to provide protection of your finances by monitoring your credit files. When provided with the proper and up to date information, this type of service is available to go monitor your credit information and notify you of certain changes that could indicate identity theft so that you may take appropriate action. Though the results will be different for everyone, it is a huge asset to have an "early warning" system in place, which is what this type of program provides - when you use it, you'll no longer have to wait monthly to check transactions, yearly for a credit report, or remember to log in to each account daily... this service takes care of things for you.

Identity Monitors

Much like a credit monitoring service, an identity monitor is a service that protects against one of the types of identity theft. Many thieves find information to be almost as valuable as money, meaning that they will target things like names, addresses and Social Security numbers instead of funds. These details are what separate people from each other, and having them compromised in any way can be a huge hassle. Working much like a credit monitor, this service relies on monitoring information in order, and then alerts you when certain types of charges are detected. You'll need to act when this is brought to your attention, but knowing is half the battle.

Changing Passwords

Whether on a cell phone, tablet or computer, passwords are necessary for many different things. Changing these codes often is only one of the free ways that you can work to prevent identity theft from possibly happening, even though it may feel like a lot of trouble. When you consider the alternatives - stolen information and compromised funds - taking the time to change around your passwords every few months will not seem like such a big deal.  When changing these codes, it's important to choose things that cannot easily be guessed in order to further deter the thieves and protect your information.

Using Secure Sites and Applications

It can be difficult to differentiate between safe and unsafe sites, but this can be done if enough care is taken. The likelihood of becoming a victim of one of the types of identity theft is increased if you practice unsafe Internet habits, so you need to have definite control over this aspect of your online persona. Don't download or install things just because they look fun or you are prompted to; do some research and ensure that they are legitimate and not scams - this can save you the time and effort of working backwards from theft or information leaks. Dealing with theft of identity is no joke, so knowing about identify theft and how to avoid it can be a great tool to combat the likelihood of becoming a victim.

Who Needs Fraud Protection?

No one wants to think about their information falling into the wrong hands, but the truth is that sometimes this does happen. Identity theft is a form of fraud that happens when thieves steal the information (financial or otherwise) of others and misuse it for personal gain. This may mean purchases made, accounts opened or closed, a name or Social Security number used without consent - the options are varied and numerous, and this type of crime happens extremely frequently. In an attempt to decrease the number of cases of identity theft, fraud protection services can be used effectively by people of all types.

The sad truth about this type of crime is that there is no specific group that is overlooked - everyone is exposed to the likelihood that they might become a victim, because all thieves look for is an easy way in. Fraud protection services cannot stop these thieves, but they can help to alert you that they could be present and trying to cause trouble for you down the road. This type of crime is not often detected at the get go without outside help in the form of a service or special software, but luckily these things exist and have proven to be extremely helpful in many different situations. Identity fraud protection doesn't mean putting an end to thieves, it simply means that there is a way to make your information a little safer and more secure. The idea behind these types of services is that if something is brought to the attention of the account owner (you) in a timely manner, thieves can be stopped before things get out of hand. Knowing the exact moment the theft happened by checking transaction and account history gives you something to tell the bank or the police, and shows that you're on top of things - this also provides a list of transactions that need to be cancelled, stopped or refunded, so that the organization can begin the repayment process, and you can start to pick up the pieces.

Young or old, wise or inexperienced, there's always a need to keep your information safe, especially since it's so important to have good credit and a stable income. Many people work hard to build financial security, and having this suddenly disappear can be extremely upsetting. Although services like fraud protection cannot stop thieves on their own, they provide the means for you to do so by taking action and regaining control in a swift manner.

Credit Monitoring Services Help Protect your Financial Security

When you think about your financial security, the first thing that comes to mind might be your occupation and yearly salary.  Maybe you think about how much money you have in savings or investments.  While these things are certainly important, your credit history and credit scores are also extremely important.  Some people may be extremely successful financially, and able to make cash purchases for large items such as homes and vehicles. That is not the case for the average individual.

Most people use credit to purchase large, expensive items.  It is also extremely convenient to use credit on a daily basis to make smaller purchases like clothing, groceries and gas.  You have probably worked hard to build your good credit so that you can have the things you want and take advantage of the daily convenience afforded by using your credit.  Credit monitoring services are designed to help you protect the good credit for which you have worked so hard.

One of the best services monitoring credit is Identity Guard®.  Identity Guard will provide your credit scores based on the data from all three major credit bureaus.  Other services may look at only one score, which is not a comprehensive way to track possible credit issues and detect fraud.  If changes or certain activity are detected in your credit file, Identity Guard will send you a prompt notification.  You can choose to be notified by text message or email.  There is also a convenient mobile application that you can choose to download to your personal device.

Using Identity Guard to monitor your credit reports will save you a lot of time right from the beginning.  Over time, you may save many hours and hundreds of dollars that would be needed to correct inaccuracies in your credit history.  Use Identity Guard to reduce the chances that the good credit for which you have worked long and hard will be damaged by credit bureau mistakes or identity theft.

Why you need an Identity Protector

Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America, and one of the major consequences of identity theft is a damaged credit score.  Your credit score helps to determine if you are approved and your rates when you apply for financing.  It can also come into play when you apply for a job or rent an apartment – it basically determines whether or not doing business with you is an attractive prospect or not to companies.  Using an identity protector is an effective way to keep yourself looking good to companies and keep your prospects open for the future.

An identity protector works by monitoring your credit report and public records and alerting you to certain changes.  This is one of the best ways to detect identity theft.  If someone were to open an account in your name, it would show up on your credit report; but if you were not monitoring your credit report with an identity protector, you may not even discover the theft until you apply for financing yourself and are unjustly turned down.

If you are not convinced of the importance of using an identity protector, here are some worst-case scenarios of how identity theft can affect lives:

One law-abiding citizen whose social security number had been mistakenly assigned to a murder suspect didn’t find out until he investigated why he had been turned down for so many jobs.  Unfortunately, he also lost his home before the mess was sorted out.

A woman in Massachusetts was denied insurance altogether because her medical record incorrectly indicated that her father had a hereditary disease.

A woman in California fresh out of law school showed up for her first day at a new job – only to be greeted by police officers and arrested.  The employer’s background check had showed a warrant for her arrest so they contacted authorities.  The warrant was for a crime that had been committed by someone who stole her identity.

An identity protector can alert you to certain changes, helping you to avoid becoming another worst-case scenario.

Cyber Space and Identity Theft Protection Services

Recent advances in technology have made our lives a lot more convenient.  Does anyone remember writing out a paper check for multiple transactions during the course of an average day?  If you were going grocery shopping, needed to fill up at the gas station, and had to pay fees for some of your kids' sporting activities, it came to quite a few checks. Each one had to be carefully filled out by hand, recorded in a paper register and subtracted from your running balance.  How many of us sometime accrued overdraft fees because we were hurried and forgot to record a transaction or made a simple math error?  What a lot of frustration that was!

Technology has made it much easier for us to go about our daily activities using credit or debit cards that automatically total our purchases for us.  We pay once per month, possibly by using a paper check, or maybe you just bank online and transfer the money where it needs to go.  Very convenient and very few overdrafts and surcharges.

The down side to this increase in technology and convenience is that a lot of your sensitive financial information is online, and therefore subject to being hacked and stolen.  The average victim of such a theft spends 30 hours and $500 cleaning up the mess.  One instance of online identity theft and you have just spent the equivalent of several years worth of checkbook balancing and overdraft fees. This is the time to consider identity theft protection services.

What kind of identity theft protection service is right for keeping your online financial information safe?  Instead of spending a lot of time learning how to protect this information yourself, use a service that has expertise in this area.  Identity Guard® provides you with a suite of software tools for anti virus and anti malware protection, as well as key stroke encryption and a safe place to store all of your valuable passwords.  What's more, if you are a victim of this kind of theft, Identity Guard is still there for you.  Their knowledgeable professionals are just a toll free phone call away to help you decide on the best steps to minimize the damage from the theft.

Why You Need Credit Monitor Services

Identity thieves can use your personal information to run up charges on your credit card or even drain your bank account. The reality is that anyone can be a victim. But being prepared can greatly minimize your risk and make it harder for identity thieves to steal your information.

This is where credit monitor services come in as they offer effective protection against identity theft. The following is why you need these services and how you can benefit.

1. Credit Monitoring
Identity thieves use personal information for financial gain. The most obvious sign of identity theft is any suspicious activity on a bank statement or credit report. Examples include charges from unfamiliar companies or new accounts in your name.

This is why you must monitor credit scores. Identity protection services offer credit monitoring and provide alerts for certain changes. You also get regular updates so you can stay on top of your credit score.

2. Identity Monitoring
Most services only offer credit monitoring but the best ones go a step further and monitor your personal information such as your name and social security number. This is particularly beneficial as you receive updates for certain types of activity connected to your information.

3. Personal Assistance
Identity thieves can attack at anytime.

And your credit can take a major hit. In the event that your identity gets stolen, you need to take immediate action but it can be confusing and overwhelming on what steps to take next. So what do you do?

Most credit monitoring services offer personal recovery assistance. What this means is that you get guidance on the steps you should take with your local police and lenders to recover your identity. The added sense of security you get is reason enough to take credit monitoring more seriously.

Some services also offer insurance to cover any expenses that occur as a result of identity theft. The amount typically varies depending on the services you choose. The price you pay for identity theft protection is small compared to the benefits that you get which are all listed here.

Important Steps for Identity Protection

Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the United States.  How to protect from identity theft is, subsequently, a topic that is getting more and more attention.  You may feel vulnerable and ask yourself, "How do I best protect my identity?"  Here, we will touch on three important steps you can take.

First, be wary of anyone who asks you for sensitive personal information.  It would be highly unusual to be asked for your social security number simply for the purpose of making a purchase.  It would also be quite rare for any reputable organization to ask you for a password to a private site or account.  If you think you are being asked for too much information for a given purpose, be very suspicious.  If a company or other organization calls you on the phone and asks for this kind of information, again, be very careful, even if it is a company with which you regularly do business.  Hang up and call back at the company's regular number and verify whether or not they were attempting to reach you.

Keeping your private documents secure is the second step you can take for identity protection.  Items like your social security card and birth certificate should almost always be locked in in a secure location.  Carry your credit and debit cards only when you think you will need to use them.  Use online security tools such as a firewall and anti-virus and anti-malware software to protect your online identity.  An identity protection service such as Identity Guard® can also provide you with tools like ID Vault® to store your valuable passwords and Privacy Protect® to encrypt your key strokes.

Lastly, monitoring your credit is an important step if you are asking yourself how to protect from identity theft.  While suspicious use of your credit may become apparent to you in time, using Identity Guard as a comprehensive identity monitoring service can alert you even faster.  Identity Guard will send you timely alerts when such activity is detected.  You may choose to receive alerts by phone, email or text message.  A convenient mobile application is also available should you choose to download it to your mobile device.

Following the steps outlined here will be a good line of defense against identity theft and may help you avoid time consuming and frustrating clean ups if you are targeted for this growing crime.

Accessing Effective ID Theft Protection Solutions

Although the media coverage on ID theft may have died down a little over the recent years, the truth is that personal data theft remains just as much of a threat as it ever was. Criminals are consistently gaining new technology that helps them to access people's information more easily than ever, and individuals are forgetting to find ways to protect ID from theft. Today, it can feel as though exploring the online world is enough to open us up to even more forms of vulnerability, as malicious individuals use technology to lure us into releasing our information, and opening ourselves up to future problems. There are so many ways that criminals today can get their hands on your data and ruin your financial life, and credit rating, so what can you do to protect from ID theft?

Start Simple

Sometimes, protecting yourself from the threat of thieves in today's society doesn't have to be as complicated as it may seem. In fact, simply changing a couple of things in your daily routine can be enough to offer you a layer of protection against the threat of criminals. For instance, you might invest in a shredder so that you can destroy any sensitive documents before getting rid of them. On the other hand, you might decide to buy an RFID wallet so that you can stay protected from people who patrol the streets looking to pick up information with high-tech scanners. You might even simply take more care when using your PIN number at a public ATM, or giving your details out on commerce websites.

Another way that you can defend yourself when you're thinking of getting ID theft protection is with credit monitoring.

Monitoring your Credit

Credit monitoring, just like what it suggests, is about watching your credit data on a regular basis. Basically, the service provider will regularly get your information from the credit bureaus, combine them together in a certain way, and look for certain changes. If these changes are detected, the company will send you an alert or a warning, via SMS, a telephone call, or email. This permits you to check whether the changes were indeed due to identity fraud or credit fraud so that you can cancel affected accounts, inform the authorities, and more. The effect is less damage is incurred compared to the situation where you remain unaware for a certain period of time.

Facts on Social Security Identity Theft

Identity theft is on the rise in America, and the most valuable piece of personal information to an identity thief is your social security number.  This is unfortunate, because social security numbers were not originally intended to be used as identifiers, so it comes as no surprise that they are so easily compromised.  They were made to help track how much money people made and to figure out benefit levels – nothing more.  Once a social security number has been compromised, it is a simple thing to use it over and over again.  The card isn’t even necessary – we all know that we are not supposed to carry the card – so banks and hospitals and other companies just ask you to give them the numbers making social security identity theft simple for criminals.

There are things that you can do to reduce the risk that your number will be compromised:

• Don’t carry your social security card in your wallet. Keep it at home and under lock and key.
• Only give the numbers away when absolutely necessary. Ask what they are going to use them for and if anther number will work instead.
• Shred any documents or papers that have the number on them.

Unfortunately, there will be times when you do have to give your social security number away, so you will always be at risk for social security number identity theft.  Statistics on how many social security numbers have already been compromised vary greatly – but one thing is certain: the number is alarmingly large.  There is a good chance that you have already received notification from a company informing you of a data breach that included your social security number, but even if you have not, you should be on guard.  The destruction that can be caused by social security number identity theft can be lasting and very difficult to clean up.  The most important step in detecting social security number identity theft is monitoring your credit report.  When someone uses your social security number to open a new credit account, it will show up on your report, and the sooner you know about the theft and dispute the fraud, the better.