This year, I have heard from an increasing number of clients, colleagues and family members wanting advice on how to proactively protect themselves from becoming identity theft victims. Having been through my own personal experience with identity theft last year, I learned that no matter how careful you are with your personal information, fraudsters can still find ways to obtain it. As a result, I have developed a list of steps I give clients who want to limit their exposure to identity theft and to begin to remedy its effects if their identities have been misused.
Place a credit freeze on each of the three credit reporting bureaus. A credit freeze prevents a creditor from being able to see a copy of your credit report. If a creditor cannot see your credit report, chances are they will not issue a credit card, mortgage, cell phone account or auto loan under your name. You need to visit:
