Identity Theft Up 12% in 2010
According to the 2010 Identity Fraud Survey Report (preview here) by Javelin Research, identity theft is on the rise. The number of identity theft victims rose 12% to a record 11.1 million in 2009, up from 9.9 million in 2008, and 8.1 million in 2007.
While losses and subsequent consumer costs have decreased due to increased protections, the overall number and percentage of ID theft victims continues to rise. As indicated in the graph above, 4.8% of Americans, or about one in 25 adults, were victims of identity fraud in 2009.
5 Easy Steps to Preventing Identity Theft
… Recent research indicates the majority of identity theft is happening the old-fashion way, with information stolen from wallets, purses, trash, and unlocked mailboxes, not via ‘high-tech’ online cyber methods. If you follow these five easy steps, you will be well on your way to doing what you can control to prevent identity theft …
… However, beware that a low quality locking mailbox with a bubblegum lock is not going to keep mail thieves’ hands off your sensitive personal information. To protect your mail and your identity, you at least need a quality locking mailbox made of heavy-guage steel that can’t be fished by hand or pried open with a screwdriver…
LifeLock and ID Theft Protection
A review of LifeLock identity theft insurance
If you have been paying attention, you know that identity theft is a real problem. According to Identity Theft Labs, the number of Americans who have had their private and personal information compromised is staggering: over 217,000,000 in three years, resulting in 10 million victims every year. Because identity theft is lucrative and easy to get away with, ID theft rings are growing and fast in crime circles from meth addicts to mafia… and there has been an overwhelming corporate response to meet increased demand for identity theft protection. Enter LifeLock.
Catch (Up) 22
The Venerable Paper Shredder: You can only shred the mail you get!
It never ceases to amaze me to learn that most of the people I talk to either own a paper shredder, burn, or cut up the personal information they receive at their homes. These people are wary to prevent this information from getting into the hands of identity thieves. When I ask them where they get this personal information, most of them think for a second or two and reply, “I guess most of it comes out of my mailbox”…