Identity Fraud Protection Insurance is not for me - I'll risk it!
Identity Fraud Protection Insurance is not for me - I'll risk it!
Most of us think that we are just too careful to be the victim of an identity thief. We look after our cards, and shred all our trash. When my colleague's identity was stolen, he didn't realise that anything was wrong for a long time.
When he finally realised, it was far too late. To make matters worse, he had no credit theft protection, so he had to sort it all out himself. It took almost a year before he felt confident that all he personal details were safe again, and everything was back to normal.
His problem that he lived in an apartment where there was a shared mailbox - a perfect recipe for an identity thief or someone desperate enough to become one. It was easy for the fraudster to pick up other people's mail, and when a bank statement went missing, no-one noticed. This made it simple for the thief to set up new accounts and start spending before the alarm was raised.
When it was finally discovered, because he got a letter about an account he had not set up, the worry set in. The police found the thief straight away, but he still ended up spending hours of his valuable time on the phone speaking to banks, credit card companies and all sorts of other people.
The stress went on for ages, but all things considered he was quite fortunate. At least the culprit was caught and he didn't lose too much money, but it was a saluatory lesson.
Others are not so lucky and lose a lot of cash. Lots of people just keep burying their head in the sand, thinking that their credit information is safe and that no-one would want it anyway.
Your good credit rating has amazing value, so it needs to be protected. Without a good credit rating it is very difficult even to get a new phone contract, never mind a new credit card. If you are unlucky and your details are passed on to others they can be used for all sorts of on-line transactions right across the world.
Most banks generally will not charge you too much of you can demonstrate that there are a lot of fraudulent transactions on your account within 60 days. But the fact that you feel violated and have to spend ages on the phone sorting out the mess is more important than the financial loss. Even simple things like destroying your paper trash if it contains your name, address, bank or credit card details can make you less susceptable to the opportunist thief.
One of the more worrying aspects of ID theft is that many of us give our personal information away on Social Networking sites With lax security settings, you can give away your name, address, date of birth and location to almost anyone without even knowing. If your personal information is visible to friends of friends, you might as well publish it in a national newspaper.
Don't imagine that you are immune, over 9 million American people had their identity compromised last year alone. There are ways in which you can check your ID status yourself, so it is worth doing before any damage occurs. It will certainly be too late to take out any insurance afterwards! It is wise to get it sorted out now. Getting The Right Buildings And Contents Insurance Tips For Finding The Best Motorcycle Insurance Rates Why You Need Motorcycle Insurance Purchasing Building And Contents Insurance Online How To Find Cheap Motorcycle Insurance Why Building And Contents Insurance Is A Necessity Not A Luxury Going Beyond Cheap Motorcycle Insurance Why You Need Building And Contents Insurance Six Tips In Choosing The Right Insurance For You The advantages of getting insurance Why You Should Seriously Consider Getting Flood Insurance Payment Safety Insurance - Is It Worthwhile? Know How Your Motor Insurance Companies Charge You