It’s the holidays, a time of giving & sharing. Family and friends. Neighbors stopping by. Fa, la, la la la – lalalala. Did you know that relatives & friends are a large component to identity theft?
Yo what? Knocks your jingle bells off doesn’t it?? It did mine!
In 2012, the Consumer Sentinel Network reported almost 2 million complaints. 18% of those were identity theft. Of those, 46% were Government Documents/ Benefits. Think passports, Social Security cards, driver’s license, disability benefits, and such.
22% of findings in the Oct 2010 report from FinCen showed family members & friends were taking identities. Add in there people who had physical access to the victims residence, such as a repair person or caregiver. Jumps to 27% of people reported knowing the person responsible for their identity theft.
The findings report that most types of identity theft cases involve the person wanting to use the victims (your) good credit.
Really?? Think Not. I know you pull your credit report three times a year and have signed up for a free monitoring service, right? Like credit karma or life lock? Even credit cards are offering it now, right through your statements.
With people coming and going in the midst of the holiday season, be careful about what you leave out.
Put away mail. Place your handbag out of sight. Shut and lock doors in your home to keep people out of certain areas.
I know it sounds absolutely freaking ridiculous, we ARE talking about YOUR family. They are great people but your information is yours, not anyone else’s. No reason to leave it laying around for some third cousin removed on your dead aunt’s, father’s dog’s, side to see.
Unfortunately I speak from experience. I had a family member steal my debit card number and sell it. I never thought in a million years that would happen to me, but it did. I’m over it (with some swift moves from Bank of America). I’m now more careful on WHO comes into my home, WHAT I leave around and HOW they could use it for evil. If I had not been so lax with my personal information, even in my own home, with my own family, it could have been prevented.
~V
Velma
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