Got a Social Security Number? Your Identity is at Risk

If you have a Social Security number, you're at risk to become a victim of identity theft. Your identity is everywhere -- the Internet, your doctor's office, in your mailbox and more, and when the economy declines the concern is that the crime rate will go up. Since identity theft is the fastest-growing crime in the United States, the time to protect yourself is now.

Even if you check your credit report frequently you can still become a victim of identity theft, because at least 72 percent of these crimes don't involve credit reports. The problem is so prevalent that, in 2007, there were 8.4 million incidents of identity theft in the U.S. and consumers reported a total of more than $1.2 billion in losses, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

You can protect yourself against identity theft. A few preventative measures you can take include:

* Shred all documents that contain personal information before throwing them away.
* Do not click on links in unsolicited e-mails. Even if an e-mail looks like it came from your bank, if it asks for personal information don't share it. Go to the official Web site or call the bank to verify the e-mail came from them to protect yourself against phishing attacks.
* Don't use your Social Security number as your password. Make all passwords difficult for anyone to guess. That means not using your mother's middle name or your birthday.

Signs someone may have stolen your identity include:
* You start to notice missing mail, including bills. Someone may have taken over your accounts and changed your mailing address.
* You receive credit cards you didn't apply for.
* You start getting calls from businesses or debt collection agencies about merchandise you didn't purchase.

Using an identity theft monitoring service like IDWatchdog.com provides real protection against thieves who would steal your identity. Using patent-pending search technology, IDWatchdog.com scours more than 10,000 databases for evidence of identity theft because not all ID theft will appear on your credit report. And they guarantee full protection. If you encounter identity infringement on their watch, they'll work to restore your name at no extra cost to you.

"The woman who stole my identity used my Social Security number to purchase several cars, open bank accounts and she even opened a restaurant," says Regina Grahn, identity theft victim and IDWatchdog.com customer. "ID Watchdog found out where she was living and what she was doing. The only thing the police had to do was go arrest her. ID Watchdog restored my identity and my credit. They're the answer to ID theft."


Don’t wait until you’re a victim, protect yourself against identity theft today. Visit IDWatchdog.com for your 30-day free trial and find out instantly if someone is using your Social Security number. Copyright ©, ARAnet, Inc.