Is Identity Theft Protection Necessary?

Some people think they are too young for criminals to want their identity. Others think that being "off the grid" means that they are not susceptible to identity theft. Still, others think that it just won't happen to them, so they don't even bother to take efforts to protect themselves from identity theft. All of these thoughts are not necessarily true. Identity thieves are very interested in newer identities because they have untarnished credit, and clean criminal records. Personal information is still available online if you're off the grid. For example, if you've ever made purchase from a store that has an online customer database, your personal information could be stolen. And identity theft could happen to anyone. This drives the need for identity theft protection in America.

Is ID Theft Protection Free?

There are many methods that you can practice regularly to help prevent identity theft. Here are a few:

• Don't use public WiFi networks for mobile banking or online shopping. These unsecure networks could expose your financial information to anyone who knows how to alter the network to work for them.
• Be aware of credit card skimmers. These small, subtle, almost un-noticeable devices can be placed over credit card slots, and are used to magnetically steal your credit card information. This could potentially wreak havoc on your personal finances.
• Don't carry personal ID documents around with you on a regular basis. Carrying a Social Security card with you everyday can increase the chance that it could be stolen, and used to illegally leverage your personal reputation and finances.

These are free practices that can be used to help decrease your chances of being a victim of identity theft. However, there are professional identity theft protection services out there.

Professional Services

Reputable identity protection services can help you to protect what matters most to you. For example, identity guard identity theft protection uses credit, identity, and public record monitoring with prompt alerts to help you stay on top of identity theft (visit them at http://www.identityguard.com/). There are several other large companies that each use their own methods of keeping you safe. If you feel that you would like more protection help, or do not have the technical know-how to keep your information safe online, don't hesitate to utilize these professional services.