Identity theft

Every now and then, there will be reports in the newpapers of people coming forward to report that someone has forged their identity to apply for loans, credit cards and the likes. Or worse, someone had used their identity to purchase a vehicle which was subsequently identified as being involved in some criminal activities. At times, it’s reported that these incidents occur when the victims lost their identity card or driver's licence but that is not always the case, so it makes you wonder how these crooks lay their hands on other people's identity.

Identity theft can actually happen anywhere to anyone. It can occur while queuing in line at the store cashier, going online at home or even when buying your morning coffee. If your identity is stolen, you can get into a real mess trying to clean up your credit and struggling to redeem your good name. One may already be a victim, many times over, and not even know it as most victims will only discover the theft after they've been turned down for a loan or run into trouble with the law.

There are steps you can take to prevent this from happening to you. Simple things you can do like shredding any unused documents which contain your personal information, ensuring someone collects your mails when you are out of town, never leave personal information unprotected in your home where it can be viewed by outsiders coming into your home such as home repairmen or deliveries and protecting your personal computer or laptop from unauthorized access. Or you can sign up with LifeLock, America's number one identity theft prevention program. If you think you may be at risk of identity theft, you can consider enrolling in their Identity Theft Protection system. LifeLock will guarantee your identity up to $1,000,000. By quoting the LifeLock promotion code, you will receive additional protection or discount on your annual subscription price of LifeLock. Hop over to LifeLock.com for more information and tips on protecting your identity.