When you get a credit card offer, do not forget about identity theft

How is it that there is a charge for an extremely expensive item on your credit bill when your credit card is in your pocket? Or perhaps you are now getting a completely new bill from a credit card you never applied for. What is going on?

Identity theft is what is going on. Someone out there has stolen your personal information; name, address, credit card number, Social Security Number, and any other pieces of information that will help them to buy things under your name, leaving you to foot the bill. In a world with growing identity theft problems, credit card companies and consumers alike are taking extra measures to help protect their information and keep fraudulent practices at bay.

Identity theft can start small. A person simply needs your credit card number to manage a way to start making purchases. However, if you do not carefully guard your information, it can grow into a situation in which a person has as much as your birth date, Social Security Number, and other information to access your bank accounts, credit card accounts, or to make an entirely new account in your name.

Some people put their Social Security Numbers on their checks and this gives a thief anything he needs to know. Your name, SSN, address, bank account numbers, and even your signature and driver’s license number if you put that on your check as well. But it is time to wise up and figure out a way to stop identity theft before it occurs.

Good con artists scam thousands of people every day into giving them personal information, where the scammer then makes a tidy sum off of a person’s ignorance. They take your information, use it to apply for a credit card offer, a loan, access your bank accounts and begin draining them, and many other things that can leave you to pay the exorbitant amount of money they may have charged and possibly leaving you with bad credit in the process. You then have to find ways of fixing your credit, and that can take years.

These days credit card companies have wised up to the benefits of good credit card offers that allow people options when identity theft occurs, such as leaving them with little to no liability, some even going so far as to return the stolen money to you. Visa has recently come out with a check card that gives consumers this option. Chase bank offers credit cards that have extra added protection to help keep identity theft from happening in the first place.

There are a few things that you can do to help protect yourself as well. After all, even the best credit card companies can only do so much.

• If you have papers with financial information such as account numbers or your Social Security Number, buy a shredder and shred them. Or you can be extra careful and burn them completely.
• Avoid using passwords that can easily be figured out by identity thieves, such as names of relatives, your last name/maiden name, and avoid using the same password for everything. Try to mix it up a little for some added credit card protection.
• Unless it is absolutely required, never put your Social Security Number or driver’s license number on a check. Some bill payments require your SSN, and several retail stores require your license number when you make a purchase. Otherwise, avoid doing so as much as possible to lessen your chances of identity theft.
• Check your credit report to be sure there are no errors and be sure to immediately make any adjustments if there are. You can easily sign up for a credit monitoring service that will alert you to any changes or activities regarding your credit report.
• Credit card companies and agencies often use mailing lists to send out credit card offers. Inform these places that you no longer wish to be on their mailing list. You can always request information yourself either by mail or online.

When you become a victim of identity theft, unless you notice your credit card missing, you will more than likely be unaware that anything is happening until you get calls from your bank because of bounced checks or your credit card companies making inquiries about your purchases.

Banks may now ask for identification before making any transactions to help protect against identity theft, and some credit card companies will call their customers to double-check any purchases they may consider strange after comparing with the card holder’s normal purchasing habits.

This practice can help catch identity theft early and shut down the card before any more fraudulent charges occur. Often a thief has simply swiped a credit card offer or old, voided check from your trash as opposed to the high-tech method of breaking into a company’s system and stealing the information. Especially since online companies have improved their security to help stop hackers in their tracks.

In the case that someone has indeed swiped your information and has started making fraudulent chargers, or you notice your credit card is suddenly missing, there are some steps you can take to stop the theft and maybe even catch the thief.

• If you do find yourself a victim of identity theft, immediately notify your bank and/or credit card company, and talk to their fraud or security departments. Talk to anyone about any fraudulent charges or accounts that have already been opened by the thief.
• Contact all three major credit bureaus and let them know of your identity theft problem. Talk to the fraud departments and have them inform all areas where you hold accounts in the case that any charges are made, in which case the charges should be checked and monitored. They should also inform creditors that you must be contacted before any new accounts are made under your name.
• Fill out a police report. Keep this report in the case that your credit card company needs proof there was a crime committed.

Taking these steps can help stop identity theft cold, and leave you feeling more secure and with all your money still in your bank.