Keeping Your Identity a Secret

Shoulder surfing, dumpster diving and phishing, actions performed by criminals that invade, violate and steal a person's identity. Each year millions of consumers have
their identities stolen. The result is time consuming and costly; on average victims spend close to 30 hours and up to $500 cleaning up their personal information after a theft, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

There are several actions you can follow to prevent yourself from becoming a victim of identity theft. Following the recommendations below, courtesy of Universal Protection Service, is the first step to taking a proactive approach to securing your identity.
-- Review bank and credit card statements monthly.
-- Shred any documents that contain personal information including your
home address, phone numbers, birthdates and credit card and bank
numbers.
-- Protect your laptop with a unique code and/or password.
-- Monitor your credit report quarterly.
-- Avoid leaving mail in the mailbox. If you will be gone for an extended
period of time have mail delivery stopped or ask a neighbor to retrieve
it for you daily.
-- Stay alert on the phone. Never give out your social security number or
banking information.
-- Memorize personal passwords and change often.

However, if the unfortunate does happen and your identity is stolen it is important to react quickly.
-- Immediately contact the three credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and
Transunion, and ask each company to place a fraud alert on your credit
report.
-- Notify your credit card companies and banks by phone and in writing.
-- File a complaint with the FTC and contact the local police department.
-- Make copies of all your documents and keep a record of your actions
while you regain your identity.


For more information visit our web site at www.universalpro.com.