Published on 07/19/2008

Free identity theft help resources plus ID theft and fraud survey results. More reasons than ever to participate in credit report freezing and other ID protection tools.

Free Identity Theft Help and Fraud Survey

What is Identity Theft? Identity theft occurs when someone uses your sensitive information, such as your name, address, Social Security number or credit card number, etc, without your permission for the purpose of stealing your identity to commit fraud or other crimes.

Identity theft is now surpassing drug trafficking as the nation's #1 crime.
Every minute, 15 people become new victims of identity theft.
There were 8.1million victims of identity fraud in 2007.
The average identity fraud amount is $5,574.
On average, victims spend $691 to resolve their identity.
It takes the average fraud victim 157 hours to resolve the problem.

Free ID Theft Protection Tips - Although; at least for the moment, it's impossible to completely prevent identity fraud, you can still take measures to reduce your personal risk. People who are aware of the potential threats and likewise take preventive steps are significantly less likely to become victims. Here are some of the easiest and most effective ways to combat identity theft:

Monitor your accounts online at your bank's, credit card company's or other financial institution's Web sites. Since many institutions provide instant online reporting of activity (or at least faster than printed monthly statements) consumers who frequently monitor their accounts online to check for suspicious or unauthorized activity are most likely to uncover fraud the fastest.
The less paperwork the less financial paper trail for thieves to follow. Perform financial transactions online and eliminate paper (statements and checks, including paychecks). Avoid mailing checks to pay bills or to deposit funds in your banking account. Instead, pay bills online and use remote deposit check imaging services at online banking sites.
Review your credit report at least once per year.
Ignore all unsolicited email sent to you, and never respond to any email or offer that requires you to enter your sensitive data (birthdate, SSN, account or pin number, etc). Instead, call your bank, creditor or lender directly by dialing a number that you are certain belongs to them. To further prevent the weakness of responding to an email, don't even open it. If there is a problem with your account which requires your immediate attention, your creditor, bank or lender will contact you directly by phone or by letter.
This same tip goes for other forms of contact, too, such as phone calls, including live and automated phone messages which ask you to call a number to resolve a bank or other account issue. Again, rely on phone numbers you can verify are legitimate.
If you have a computer, install and regularly update firewall, anti-spyware, anti-virus and browser security software.
If you use public computers, ensure that they are equipped with the appropriate security software. When discarding computers, telephones and other sensitive memory storage, make certain that private data is destroyed. Merely deleting the data or reformatting the hard drive is not sufficient. When shopping online, verify that you are doing business with a reputable firm. The business should display an approved security symbol and the transaction should be conducted on an encrypted site.
Reduce unnecessary access to your personal informationwherever possible. Do not carry Social Security cards or unused credit cards. Be aware of your surroundings when transacting in public. Cover your keypad and any screens that display sensitive data.