This morning I received another upsetting call from a friend…“After reading your Newsletter I thought it would be a good idea to order my credit reports.” From the tone of his voice, I knew what was coming next. “They just came in this week and I have over 14 accounts that aren’t mine, and not only that –just this morning I received my first collection call notifying me I owed more $11,000 on my Sears account. I never opened a Sears account!!
There was that usual pause of silence. He was stunned and still reeling from the frightening news and disturbing collection call -and I was taking a deep breath, realizing I was just about to make his life worse by telling him about the dreaded hours and slew of work he had to take on in order to get his good name back.
The truth is –one can’t appreciate the vast amount of time it takes nor the physical and mental angst that comes with finding out you've been violated and essentially -stolen-until it lands in your own life! He quietly listened as I provided him with a few of the key steps he needed to take. At the end of the call I asked how he felt about this mess that came out of nowhere and the steps he now had to take to reclaim his identity...
"Violated...I feel like someone came into my home –rummaged through my house...and they weren’t invited.”
Identity theft or inaccurate credit reporting is just one of those things in life where many of us carry the belief that it won't happen to us. Typical and common myths that leave many people vulnerable include:
“I don’t have to worry about identity theft because I live in a small town like Mayberry, RFD!”
or “I only use one credit card so I don’t have to worry about it.”
or “I only use cash or my debit card.”
Or even… “I don’t have to be concerned about my credit -I have excellent credit”
The reality is, data breaches will continue to happen, 10,000,000 people will have their identities stolen this year and recent studies show 1 in 4 credit reports contain inaccurate and damaging data that can cause consumers to pay higher interest rates, insurance premiums, and lose employment opportunities and face humiliating denials of credit -without their knowledge.
Once upon a time, our personal information was just that –ours and personal!
We needed only to fret about safeguarding our wallets, credit cards and check books –making sure they remained in our physical possession. That's not the case anymore. You may live in Mayberry RFD but you are just as vulnerable as someone living in a large city. If you provide your personal information to anyone, pay bills, go on the internet, visit restaurants, go to college, go to doctors’ appointments, pay for car insurance, ever had a loan, pay property taxes, purchased cars, homes, or ultimately -simply exist on this planet -you are at risk. Period.
Private businesses, universities, local, state and federal entities all have data bases that thieves view as precious as gold. When thieves, hackers, or even rogue employees gain access to a company or government computer filled with our personal and financial information…it's as though the thief has physical possession of you –and your life.
Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security that allows you to be complacent, simply because you live in a small town, use only one credit card or only shop with cash. Your information is out there –everywhere, just waiting to be compromised or hijacked –that’s just the reality. It's much easier to be proactive when protecting your credit and identity than it is to be reactive!
To better illustrate my point – Here is a website that reports recently reported data breaches -see if they will affect you!
Data Loss Archive and Database
“In what has become a regular occurrence, companies, universities, and various government entities are collecting your personal information (sometimes without your knowledge or consent), and subsequently letting it fall into the hands of the bad guys. This is your personal information; name, address, Social Security number, credit card number, medical history, and more. Unfortunately, this page is updated quite frequently and the list continues to grow.”
For more info:
Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
FTC.gov
Annualcreditreport.com (The only legitimate place to obtain your annual free credit report) toll free number 877-322-8228
LifeLock.com –If you can’t commit to the time necessary to protect your identity –or don’t want to be faced with cleaning up the mess a thief left in your life. I subscribed to their services after making the decision that I no longer wanted to go it alone! Courtesy of LifeLock...for an instant 20% discount use the promotional code: denise
CNN News reports:
13 people indicted in $3 million credit card fraud
Sun-Sentinel Newspaper
WASHINGTON -- The Social Security numbers of 63,000 people who received Agriculture Department grants have been posted on a government Web site since 1996, but they were taken down last week.
MSNBC: T.J. Maxx theft believed largest hack ever
TJX cos. put number to loss Wednesday, acknowledges it could still go up
