Focusing On Identity Theft Risk Reduction

As If One Wasn’t Enough

A man from Pleasantville, New York is presumed to have stolen more than $15,000 when committing identity theft. The man actually used the names of his brother’s former girlfriend and her father and his own stepfather to open credit card accounts. The suspect was charged with various charges including identity theft, which can come with a sentence of up to seven years.

This identity theft case reiterates the importance of safeguarding your personal and financial information from those you come in daily contact with, including friends, relatives, and neighbors. Any time you have babysitters or repairmen coming into your home, you need to take extra measures to protect yourself from identity theft. Having an unlocked filing cabinet filled with credit card and bank statements is a bad idea.

Trust, But Don’t Trust Blindly

As cynical as it might sound, you should still take precautions against identity theft even with people that you know and otherwise trust. Perhaps a family member is down on his or her luck. That relative might be too embarrassed to mention anything but still want to purchase Christmas presents. Feeling the desperation of financial troubles, your relative, possibly devastated with a recent job loss or major health crisis, might open a credit card account using your name and personal information because asking you for a loan might be too awkward. Identity theft carries a stiff sentence, so you are really protecting both yourself and those you love by keeping your financial information private.

You should still continue your usual preventative measures of shredding all important personal and financial documents. These steps are important in helping you reduce your risk of identity theft. Safeguarding your financial information from everyone, including your family members, is another important step in reducing your risk of identity theft.