Public Eye: Identity theft hit 1 million Californians last year
Published: Friday, Oct. 28, 2011 - 12:00 am | Page 1B
Last Modified: Friday, Oct. 28, 2011 - 11:23 am
ON YOUR GUARD
Identity theft hit 1 million Californians last year; caution urged
Identity theft: It can happen anywhere and to anyone.
Identity theft occurs when your personal or financial information is stolen and used to drain funds, open accounts, obtain loans or conduct other financial mischief in your name.
It can happen with bank statements, medical records, even by stealing children's IDs, which can go undetected for years.
Last year, 8.1 million adults – including about 1 million in California – were hit by identity theft, according to the state's privacy protection office.
The average victim spent $631 and 33 hours to clear up his/her financial life. The biggest targets: those ages 25 to 34, who experienced the highest rate of identity theft and spent the most to clear it up, averaging $1,471.
But there are things you can do to help prevent it.
"Protecting your identity is an ongoing project, not a one-time thing," said Joanne McNabb, chief of the California Office of Privacy Protection (COPP).
To ensure your financial information hasn't been tampered with, McNabb suggests routinely performing an "identity check-up." The COPP's website, privacy.ca.gov, suggests these how-tos:
• Check your credit reports for free at annualcreditreport.com.
• Clear up any discrepancies. Use the "Identity Theft Victim Checklist" on COPP's website for help.
• Check your privacy settings on social networking sites. Consider "friends only" as the safest sharing setting. See COPP's "Staying Public in Private" for guidance.
• Beef up your computer's security settings. See COPP's "Protect Your Computer From Viruses, Hackers and Spies" for details.
Other tips:
• Don't carry your Social Security card with you.
• Don't fall for "phishing" attempts, which are bogus emails – posing as banks, stores or government agencies that attempt to lure you into sending financial information.
• Don't allow any more pre-approved credit card or insurance applications in the mail by "opting out," part of a federal consumer protection program. To opt out, call toll-free (888) 567-8688 or go to opt-out-prescreen.com.
• Always shred confidential paperwork, such as bills and bank statements. The December issue of Consumer Reports rates 19 cross-cut shredders and its website, consumer reports.org, offers buying tips.
You cannot avoid Identity Theft but you can completely restore your identity thru LegalShield's Identity Theft Protection in conjunction with Kroll International. For more information please refer to the website below.
Rich Figley
email
LegalShield Website
For information on how you can join my team and have your own home business please go to this website;
Join My Team
Identity theft hit 1 million Californians last year; caution urged
Identity theft: It can happen anywhere and to anyone.
Identity theft occurs when your personal or financial information is stolen and used to drain funds, open accounts, obtain loans or conduct other financial mischief in your name.
It can happen with bank statements, medical records, even by stealing children's IDs, which can go undetected for years.
Last year, 8.1 million adults – including about 1 million in California – were hit by identity theft, according to the state's privacy protection office.
The average victim spent $631 and 33 hours to clear up his/her financial life. The biggest targets: those ages 25 to 34, who experienced the highest rate of identity theft and spent the most to clear it up, averaging $1,471.
But there are things you can do to help prevent it.
"Protecting your identity is an ongoing project, not a one-time thing," said Joanne McNabb, chief of the California Office of Privacy Protection (COPP).
To ensure your financial information hasn't been tampered with, McNabb suggests routinely performing an "identity check-up." The COPP's website, privacy.ca.gov, suggests these how-tos:
• Check your credit reports for free at annualcreditreport.com.
• Clear up any discrepancies. Use the "Identity Theft Victim Checklist" on COPP's website for help.
• Check your privacy settings on social networking sites. Consider "friends only" as the safest sharing setting. See COPP's "Staying Public in Private" for guidance.
• Beef up your computer's security settings. See COPP's "Protect Your Computer From Viruses, Hackers and Spies" for details.
Other tips:
• Don't carry your Social Security card with you.
• Don't fall for "phishing" attempts, which are bogus emails – posing as banks, stores or government agencies that attempt to lure you into sending financial information.
• Don't allow any more pre-approved credit card or insurance applications in the mail by "opting out," part of a federal consumer protection program. To opt out, call toll-free (888) 567-8688 or go to opt-out-prescreen.com.
• Always shred confidential paperwork, such as bills and bank statements. The December issue of Consumer Reports rates 19 cross-cut shredders and its website, consumer reports.org, offers buying tips.
You cannot avoid Identity Theft but you can completely restore your identity thru LegalShield's Identity Theft Protection in conjunction with Kroll International. For more information please refer to the website below.
Rich Figley
LegalShield Website
For information on how you can join my team and have your own home business please go to this website;
Join My Team
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