Bizarre Identity Theft Case Makes the News
Wait Until You Read About This Identity Theft Horror Story
Identity theft is tragic no matter how you look at it, but a recent news story really highlighted the unfortunate extremes of this crime. A month ago a New York man who was a veteran of the Vietnam War passed away. His family made arrangements to bury him, but they encountered some troubles along the way. Read more about this rare, but peculiar, case of identity theft below.
Identity Theft From Beyond the Grave
When the family of a recently deceased Vietnam veteran tried to make burial arrangements for their family member, they were told that the National Cemetery they planned for the burial already had a person by the same name and identity. Obviously, the shock of finding out such information would be enough to upset anyone. As a result, the family of the deceased veteran shouldered the burden of proof trying to convince officials that their family member was indeed a veteran.
Make Identity Theft Prevention a Priority
Obviously, this case is a rare example of identity theft, and all parties are still sorting out the details of how this occurred. The story does serve as a reminder for the rest of us to carefully monitor our personal and sensitive financial information. It prompts us to put identity theft prevention at the top of our to-do list.
Tips to Reduce Your Risk of Identity Theft
Keep the following identity theft prevention tips in mind. Never give out your social security number unless it is absolutely necessary. Make sure you get ATM receipts and credit card receipts following your purchases, and don’t leave you ATM card or credit cards behind.
Keep both a trash can and another can next to you when you’re sorting through your mail every day. It’s fine to throw out plain envelopes or perfume samples in the trash, but make sure you separate any papers containing financial information in a separate bin to be shredded.
This just goes to show you -- identity theft criminals seem to be willing to stoop to any level at all.