A news story reported that customers who had shopped at a Michael's craft store had became victims of identity theft. Thieves who made themselves looked like repairmen, installed special chips into the store's card readers so that they could have access to many credit and debit card numbers. Within hours, unknown transactions were being reported on customer's cards. Luckily, local law enforcement was able to catch it and the victims were able to undo their transactions. Although, I am sure that store will be more careful about who comes to "repair" their equipment from now on.
Identity theft protection is more important than ever since the crime is becoming more common. Not only is it up to the law to protect you, but you must take action to protect yourself too. Companies such as IdentityHawk is also offering services to help others not to become victims of this personal crime too. IdentityHawk was created to help consumers safeguard their assets, their properties, and their good names. Through their suite of protective benefits, IdentityHawk members can view the health of their identity protection, identify areas where they're most at risk, and take proactive steps to reduce those risks.
Some ways to protect yourself include:
*Never giving your social security number out to individuals. You really should leave your card locked up unless you are signing up for services or licenses that require it
*Keep your debit/credit card in a plastic case and keep it close to you at all times. Some identity thieves are now carrying special equipment to scan your wallets and purse to obtain card numbers
*Don't give your debit/credit card numbers or pin numbers out to anybody. Keep the information locked away and only available to those who are close to you should something happen to you later on.
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