People don’t realize how important it is to protect their identity. Identity theft is just as common as having personal property stolen. You need to protect your identity as much, if not more, than you need to protect your property. Many people don’t take necessary precautions because they don’t quite understand exactly what identity theft is.

Your identity is much more than you might think. It is more than a social security number. It is more than passwords and pin numbers. It is more than your credit card number. Your identity is absolutely everything about you. It is where you went to high school and college. It is your favorite color, song and food. Your identity is the complete sum of every bit of information every recorded about you, and even information not recorded.

You need to understand identity damage, along with identity theft. Identity damage could be anything that is wrong on your credit report. This damage may be small, but it can be costly. The smallest mistake on your credit could mean that you’ve been paying a higher mortgage, car payment, or that you couldn’t get the loan you wanted. Watch your credit report carefully and make sure you report any mistakes immediately.

There are several warning signs that you should watch for when trying to protect your identity. These signs include:

• Your credit card/bank statement doesn’t come

• You know you have good credit, but you are denied for a loan.

• You get a bill from a company you don’t recognize

• A credit collection agency contacts you and you are certain you are not late on any payments.

You need to know and understand these warning signs and be prepared to take necessary precaution measures to protect your identity. Don’t carry your birth certificate, social security card, or passport. Don’t write anything extra on a credit card receipt (phone number, address, etc). Never write your social security number on a check or bank deposit slip. Do not give out personal information over the phone. Shred all important documents or anything with personal information on it.

You can never be too cautious when trying to protect your identity. Your identity is one of the most precious and fragile things you own. Remember, you do own your identity and you need to protect it in any way you can. Make sure you check your credit report at least once a year so you can catch identity theft or identity damage as soon as possible.

Related Posts

• The Importance of Your Credit Rating: What It Says About You
• How Your Credit Score is Determined
• What You Should Do If Your Credit Card is Stolen
• The Worst Credit Card Security Mishaps Ever
• How to Rebuild Your Credit in 5 Easy Steps

Tags: credit card theft, credit report, identity theft

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 6th, 2008 at 11:19 am and is filed under Credit Card Advice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.