You’ve learned this week that if you save money, pay off your credit accounts and check your credit score, you can earn a lower mortgage interest rate. However, lurking in the dark shadows, and sometimes beyond your control is that menacing epidemic that has a stronghold on many Americans - identity theft.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, identify theft is when another individual obtains your personal data to use it in a fraudulent manner for financial or economic gain. Aside from the miserable fact that someone is shopping using your credit card, identify theft can reek havoc with your credit score.

Aside from checking with the credit bureaus on a regular basis, what can you do to avoid being a victim of identify theft or fraud.

The U.S. Department of Justice offers these suggestions:

• Be suspicious of anyone calling to obtain personal information. For example, if someone calls you from the bank and says that they need your social security number, ask if you can call them back with that information. Your bank should already have that information on file and most banks will not call you. Also, reject any calls from someone asking for your social security number in order to award you with a valuable credit card or prize.
• When you travel, have the post office hold your mail. It’s a federal crime to tamper with someone else’s mail, however thieves do it all the time and can easily reach into your mailbox and remove personal mail and bills.
• If you need to convey personal information over the phone, be sure you aren’t in the middle of a public place. Retreat to a private room where no one else can hear your social security number of special passwords.

You should also consider purchasing a paper shredder. Plenty of identity thieves pride themselves on being stealth dumpster divers and can piece together enough information from the trash to “trash” your good name. Always shred documents you want to toss instead of just placing them in the garbage or only tearing them in half.

Source: http://www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/websites/idtheft.html

Avoid letting someone else ruin your credit and good name! For more information about how AmeriFirst protects your information and keeps you safe, contact us today at 800-466-5626.