Georgia Statics Of Identity Fraud Theft
Most experts agree that the highest percentage of identity fraud is still a person-to-person theft, such as an unscrupulous store clerk taking account information from a check or a credit card number from a store receipt, rather than from the rising use of the Internet as a means of transacting business. Most offer free identity theft protection; some charge a small annual fee. Another fast-growing source of identity fraud information is a scam in which the victim receives a letter or "work from home" job offer through the internet, from someone purporting to need someone in your area to help them distribute money on their business transactions. Often the first time victims become aware of these new accounts is when they get collection notices, often for thousands upon thousands of dollars. Big companies like eBay and Paypal actively pursue these scam artists. A recent study by a prominent research firm recently announced that there were over 15 million American victims of identity fraud in the past year. Another safeguard is to go paperless. You are lured into this scheme by the promise of 10% of the money that you then forward from your account to other accounts. Take advantage of the free yearly credit report offered by the big three credit reporting agencies; Experian, Equifax and Trans Union. . Identity fraud used to establish new accounts could take months to surface. Type the URL in your browser window and log in. Instead, keep it in a safe location at home. NEVER leave mail for pickup in your mailbox and try to avoid drive by mail boxes.Identity Fraud: How It Happens. How You Can Protect Yourself You can hardly read a publication or listen to the news these days without hearing something about the rise in identity fraud. If you receive an e-mail from a company with whom you do business, do not respond using any links embedded in the message. The average dollar loss per victim doubled over that of the year 2005. Do your banking online instead of writing checks.
