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It was only a couple of months ago that the federal government conducted a nationwide sweep in the hopes of cracking down on identity theft. It is no coincidence that it was timed to coincide with the beginning of tax season. Identity thieves have made out like the bandits they are when it comes to scamming people regarding income tax. While it might or might not put a damper on the level of sensitive information stolen the effort needs to be a year round one. Identity fraud at present is not going away. It is still at the top of the list when it comes to consumer complaints. However it’s not all bad news. Statistics demonstrate the fact identity theft is trending downward. People also feel that financial institutions are doing a better job of monitoring it than ever before. The mistake too many folks make however is believing that these same institutions will automatically protect you against the threat as well as fix it instantly if anything should occur. It still unfortunately takes a great deal of time to work through the process of restoring your credit report. Consider also that in many instances the identity thief is never brought to justice. According to the Gartner Group the figure is something like one in seven hundred. Therefore it is critical that you stay vigilant when it comes to avoiding identity theft and fraud. 1. Take Note Of Who May Be Near You While cyberspace is coming up fast,the majority of identity theft still takes place in the offline world. An overheard phone call where you are providing sensitive information or someone sitting behind you at the local café who is monitoring your activities are just a few examples. That is not to say you need to be cautious to the point of paranoia. The goal is not to get so caught up in what you are doing that you are totally oblivious to someone else's intrusive behavior. 2. Loved Ones Speaking of being aware as to exactly who is around you. The majority of identity theft comes about when the victim knows the person who did it. Relatives, close friends and neighbors top the list and among these three the number one culprit is a family member. For starters they make a calculated guess that your suspicions will never point towards them and for another even if you do find out they stole your identity just what are you going to do about it?. In other words you may get upset but there is no way you will call the police and have them arrested. On this they are counting on. It is perfectly understandable that you would hesitate to go that route so make sure that the temptation is not there. No matter who it is do not let them have access to your personal information. If somebody comes to your house make sure anything of a sensitive nature is tucked away in a secure place. To get more info regarding identity theft head to id theft and fraud information and facts
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