Identity theft may ruin your credit history score if you are not careful about protecting sensitive data contained in your credit report and other important documents.

Identity theft has become epidemic in the United States and is the fastest growing consumer threat. ID theft protection is critical as every day there are countless identity theft crimes committed causing serious financial damage to innocent citizens.

Identity thieves employ many creative ways to steal personal information and use it to commit crimes in the names of unsuspecting consumers.

The rapid advancement in computer and graphics technology has provided ID thieves with excellent tools for criminal activity. Entire mailboxes are often stolen to get at personal and confidential information.

ID theft crimes consist primarily of illegal purchases and by obtaining loans and credit cards using other peoples information. Even more concerning is that social security numbers are often used in terrorist activities and other high level crimes.

Protecting sensitive data is no longer as easy as just adhering to simple advice like ‘keeping checks in a secure place’ or ‘clean out your wallet or purse on a regular basis’. These steps alone are not sufficient to protect you from having your ID stolen.

Taking preventative steps to stop criminals from creating bogus identities and taking immediate action if you ever do become a victim of ID theft is of the utmost importance.

If you are a user of a credit product, your credit history score is vital to your fiscal health. When a thief fraudulently obtains a credit card and makes illegal purchases in your name, and/or applies for loans fraudulently, your credit history score is at serious risk.

As soon as you discover that your personal information has been stolen, or even accidentally disclosed, take immediate action to minimize the damage!

First, close all your compromised credit accounts immediately. Then contact each of the three credit reporting agencies (i.e. Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion) with a request to immediately place a fraud alert on your credit report. This initial fraud alert will stay on the report for 3-6 months. Regardless of which credit bureau you contact, they are supposed to convey your request to the other two agencies. However, do not assume they will do so in a timely manner.

It’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to protecting your credit history score. By placing the fraud alert on your credit history report you should be able to prevent anyone from fraudulently opening another credit account under your identity.

The details for contacting the credit reporting agencies are as follows:

Equifax, P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241—Toll free Phone 1-800-525-6285 www.equifax.com

Experian, P.O. Box 2002, Allen, TX 75013 – Toll free Phone 1-888-397-3742 www.experian.com

TransUnion, Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790 Toll free Phone 1-800-680-7289 -- www.transunion.com

Get credit score reports and continue monitoring your credit history score information for any signs of identity fraud. React quickly to missing or late bills; rate increase notifications, or being contacted by debt collectors about purchases you never made. All these are indications of fraudulent activity.

After reporting ID theft to a credit bureau, you are entitled to one free credit report from each of the three agencies.

Since fraudulent activity does not reflect all at once, wait for at least ninety days and then request your free Fico credit score. Once you receive the credit report, check it closely for any suspicious activity like inquiries from companies you never contacted, debt balances you are not aware of or any accounts that you did not open.

These are effective steps for protecting yourself from loss and minimizing damage to your credit history score.

For more detailed information, download our free tool entitled: Fighting ID Theft.

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