Identity Theft in the News
Keep Your Eye on News Reports to Reduce Your Risk of Identity Theft
Learning about recent new events related to identity theft can be very helpful for consumers to reduce their own risk of identity theft. When you stay informed of recent news reports detailing security breaches that could lead to possible identity theft, you can potentially minimize any damage done to your credit history.
No Joking Matter
Identity theft is serious business. Identity theft is a billion dollar problem on a national level, and every week there are specific incidents that put consumers at risk for identity theft. Late last year in Pennsylvania, criminals burglarized a state driver’s license center. The criminals stole expensive equipment that is used to make driver’s licenses, and they also managed to steal computers that contain the personal information of more than 11,000 customers. The computer contained the complete social security numbers of nearly half of those customers.
Can't Be Too Careful
So far there are no reports of identity theft resulting from that specific instance, but that doesn’t mean law enforcement officers are unconcerned. When it comes to identity theft you can never be too careful. The criminals might be waiting to use the information or might not yet be aware that they even have this information. There might be identity theft victims out there who don’t yet realize that they have been victimized. It really depends on how closely the customers keep track of their credit reports.
Watch Your Credit
As a consumer concerned about the possibility of identity theft, the best bet is to keep an eye on your credit reports from the three major credit reporting agencies if such a security breach makes headlines, and you have dealt with the institution in question. If you don’t already have a freeze placed on your credit report, you should go ahead and take care of that. You might never be able to avoid identity theft 100%, but that doesn’t mean you should take steps to reduce your risk.