October 29, 2009
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News: Protect Your Id
Advocates for the protection of Americans' identity and the promotion of a safe credit card and financial environment have joined forces to strengthen consumer knowledge on how they can protect themselves. ProtectMyID.com and Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) have partnered up to offer credit card consumers a comprehensive educational program for the protection of their personal information against identity thieves. ProtectMyId.com is a leading full service provider of identity theft detection, protection, and fraud resolution. Identity Theft Resource Center is a non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to the understanding and prevention of identity and credit card theft.
Under the terms of the partnership, ITRC will provide ProtectMyID.com with their "expertise, staff development seminars, and collaboration" in implementing a variety of identity and credit card theft educational programs. Linda Foley, previously a victim of fraud herself and founder of ITRC, stated that had she been a member ProtectMyId.com prior to her victimization, she might have been spared being compromised. The companies strategically timed the partnerships announcement surrounding the events of the National Protect Your Identity Week 2009 to promote a greater awareness of the country's fastest growing criminal activity. The alliance offers the following tips to consumer in the protection of identity theft:
• Do not post personal information including your birth date on social networking sites like facebook.
• Keep a close eye on all bills, thoroughly examine all credit card and banking statements weekly, and monitor credit reports for any fraudulent activity.
• Treat everything you post online as visible to the entire world.
• Do not carry your Social Security card or provide your Social Security Number (SSN) on any insurance forms or other forms with the exception of employment, tax forms, or bank forms.
• Use online paperless statements versus mailed statements.
• Shred all sensitive information with a diamond or cross-cut shredder.Additional information on how you can protect your personal credit card and identity information can be viewed at ProtectMyId.com or idtheftcenter.org.