Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Be Informed Stop Identity Theft

By Anna Grange


Everyone has heard of hacking. It's in the news all the time, often related to large corporations being hacked for their data. Since the reports are about corporations, as individuals it can seem like someone else's problem. But the information being stolen could be yours. Your Social Security number, credit card information, medical information--and pretty much any other personal data you can think of--can be hacked. If it does, your identity could be used to rack-up thousands of dollars of debt that you only find out about months later. On average, restoring your good name can take as much as 6,000 hours as well.

Because a child's identity is pristine and often remains unchecked for more than a decade, it is uniquely desirable to identity thieves. Just as appealing to criminals is the fact that a Social Security number with a clean history can be attached to any name or date of birth.

Since the United States has the highest rate of identity theft compared to other countries, the FTC has been working fulltime to distribute online and print informational materials to ensure all consumers are aware of this crime. With over 20 million copies of the information booklet distributed, the FTC identity theft program is reaching one household at a time to reduce the occurrence of identity theft in the country. Private organization that help consumers fight identity theft are also using the FTC identity theft program to empower citizens in protecting themselves against the damages caused by this crime.

Prior to the Internet age, child identity theft occurred most often at the hands of a relative who was using the minor's Social Security number to circumvent bad credit. While the Internet can serve as a wonderful resource tool for children, it can also bring a host of problems right to your doorstep. In addition to cyber-bullying and possible online predators, identity theft is now a problem, and it's going viral.

Using the FTC identity theft program can help other organizations hold seminars and distribute educational materials about fighting identity theft. Since education is the only key to avoiding this crime, consumers can now be aware on how to identify these problems and take immediate actions if ever they become a victim of identity theft.




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