Identity Safety / Fraud

How much do you think about your Identity theft? I've thought about it enough to purchase Identity theft insurance. It's cheap and easily added to your home owners insurance.

I came across a cool little online test that looks at your ID safety. This test got me thinking. Here are my results. Take the test and let me know what your score was. (I scored in the top 3rd) Click here for the test.

Your Score is 26.

Please note that a perfect score is 0 and the worst possible score is 100; a typical score is 38.

Congratulations! Your scored among the top third of those taking the Javelin identity safety quiz.

Here's what you need to do to improve your identity safety:

• Eliminating paper statements eliminates the threat posed by unsecured mailboxes and minimizes the need to shred sensitive documents. Many companies allow you to turn off mail delivery of paper bills and statements. Whenever possible, cancel mail delivery of your paper bills and statements, and review statements and pay bills online.
• If you have paper records, shred every document before placing it in the trash.
• Regularly use and update anti-virus/anti-spyware software to protect your electronic transactions from potential online threats. Keep your home and office PC operating system and browser up to date.
• Credit reports and credit monitoring services are very successful in detecting fraud cases and usually report the lowest consumer costs of resolving the fraud compared to all other detection methods. Review your credit report monthly or more because acts of fraud are generally harder to detect in new accounts than in existing accounts.
• Almost half of fraud discovery continues to be done by the consumer. Self-detection also averages a quicker time of discovery, lower fraud amounts, and lower consumer costs than notification by businesses or institutions. Review bank and credit card statements regularly. You can monitor account activity on a timelier basis, 24x7, by having bills, statements, and checks securely sent online.
• Refrain from leaving unnecessary sensitive information where others could potentially access it.

Javelin Strategy & Research is proud to present www.IDsafety.net and the ID Safety Quiz to help increase consumer and business awareness concerning identity theft and fraud. Hopefully this quiz has given you some useful tools and tips to better protect your identity in the future. For more information concerning this crime as well as additional tips on how to combat it, please download the "2008 Identity Fraud Survey Report" by selecting the "2008 ID Fraud Report" tab at the top of the page.