We’ve all heard it.  “Shred your personal documents to prevent Identity Theft.”  Well, the reason you hear it so often is that it works!

Identity theft really happens.  Identity thieves really go through trash to get your personal information.  Mail really is stolen out of unlocked mailboxes.  Spending a bit of your time now with identity theft prevention can save you time, money and frustration later.

1) REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF UNSOLICITED CREDIT CARD OFFERS YOU RECEIVE
You can do this easily over the phone at 1-888-567-8688.  By Opting Out you will have less paper to deal with and fewer credit offers for thieves to steal.

2) SHRED EVERYTHING WITH YOUR NAME, ADDRESS AND OTHER PERSONAL INFORMATION ON IT.
Especially financial documents, credit card offers, mortgage refinance letters; these are the easiest way for an identity thief to obtain fraudulent accounts.  Be sure to include items that you might normally toss or recycle such as catalogs.  Your name and account number are usually on the address label as well as inside on the paper order form.  Some catalogs even include pre-approved credit accounts in them.  Tear off any of this personal/financial information and shred it.  You can still recycle the bulk of the catalog.

3) CHECK YOUR CREDIT REPORTS REGULARLY TO MONITOR FOR SIGNS OF IDENTITY THEFT
You can easily set up a monitoring schedule to check your own credit reports three times per year.  It won’t cost anything but your time and you can check for things like unknown accounts, different names and addresses, collection items for accounts that you never had and excessive inquiries. 

If you are a shredder, keep it up.  If you have not invested in a shredder for your home or office, now is a great time to start.  Protect your good name and your financial future by practicing identity theft prevention now.

Complete Credit Services offers a comprehensive Credit Building Plan that includes strategies to maintain and protect your credit rating.  We also work with individuals who have been the victim of identity theft to help them correct their credit reports and restore their good credit.  Contact us today for more information.