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By Monica Ricci
Every day nearly 1,400 Americans are victims of identity
theft. It can take from two to four years to straighten out the nightmare,
and the average victim will invest approximately 175 hours and over $800
trying to get his situation resolved. Needless to say, the effects of
identity theft can be time consuming and financially devastating for your
clients.
Here are five common-sense steps you can pass on to
your clients to help them safeguard their identities and ensure their
credit and financial futures remain sound.
- Guard your Social Security number. If you have the
number printed on your checks, cross it off manually and reorder new
checks without it. If you have it as your driver’s license number,
request a new one with a different number.
- Check your bank and credit card statements every month for unusual
activity. You only have 60 days to report identity theft, or you become
liable for the damages yourself.
- Mail your bills from the post office or a public
mailbox to deter thieves from stealing your outgoing checks and erasing
the ink to use them later.
- Shred any receipts and documents containing account
numbers, policy numbers or other personal information that could aid
a thief in taking your identity. Trash diggers are known to target dumpsters
for personal financial information.
- Opt out of pre-approved credit card offers. You can opt out of receiving
these annoying and potentially dangerous offers by calling 888-5-OPT-OUT
(888-567-8688). You will be mailed a form asking for your Social Security
number. However, in this case, it’s safe to give it to them so
they can remove you from their database.
Taking these simple steps can protect your clients'
identities and will pay off for them in the long run by saving countless
hours of time and aggravation trying to restore their credit and good
name.
For more information about identity theft, visit the
U.S. government's central website on identity theft at www.consumer.gov/idtheft/.
Monica Ricci offers onsite consulting, as well as
motivational seminars and workshops, which teach effective organization
and simplifying strategies for home and work. Contact her at www.CatalystOrganizing.com
or 770-569-2642.
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