Wednesday, January 13, 2010

The Biggest Misconceptions about Identity Theft

Don't be fooled by the misleading ads and false promises for preventing Identity Theft!

Here's what you really need to know.

There is a great deal of misinformation floating around the internet, and on TV, radio, etc. these days about protecting yourself from identity theft.

Here's a reality check:


Can you actually prevent identity theft?

The answer is "No"! But there are some things you can do to keep thieves from stealing your personal information from your home, your garbage, your computer, etc. (For example, be sure you shred all your bills and other papers with personal information.)

The reality is that identity thieves can find your personal information in many places (as shown above) that are out of your control. So while you can't actually prevent your identity from getting stolen, you can protect yourself against the devastating consequences of identity theft. This is why you need true identity theft protection with iDefend.

Credit fraud is only ONE TYPE of identity theft.

In fact, 67% of identity theft cases involve criminal fraud in other areas besides loans, credit cards, etc. While having loans or credit taken out in your name is a serious problem, most identity theft cases (true identity theft) are discovered in areas like:
  • Social Security benefits fraud;
  • Medical benefits fraud;
  • Checking accounts;
  • Criminal records;
  • Bankruptcy;
  • 401k theft;
  • Tax fraud;
  • and more . . .
For more information, click here.