Identity fraud has continuously grown and is now considered as the fastest growing crime in America. It has taken many forms like identity cloning, commercial or business identity theft, financial, and criminal identity theft. It occurs when someone without authority uses the personal information of another person for the benefit of illegal activities like illegal immigration, espionage and other activities prohibited by law.

Simple ways to prevent Identity fraud

1. Before you throw away any unused confidential documents tear them up or shred them so that no one can retrieve any of your personal information from the documents. This includes credit card and bank statements, solicitation letters, credit applications, old receipts and other letters containing confidential information. Destroy these documents before finally throwing them into the rubbish.

2. Don't give out personal information especially during a telephone call or Internet transactions unless you are the one who initiated the call or conversation.

3. While outside or even at home, keep all your Identification cards and important documents in a locked and safe place. Doing this will prevent you from losing them or exposing them to the prying eyes of Identity fraudsters.

4. Before paying your credit card bill, check if all the purchases listed are the actual merchandise and services that you have used. Another thing to remember is to keep track of the date of your credit card or bank statements delivery.

An id theft victim should first contact the three major credit bureaus to report the matter and request a fraud alert on his/her account, followed by a police report regarding the ID theft activity. Remember to keep a copy of the police report.

There is indeed no guarantee of iron clad protection when it comes to privacy of your personal information. However, precaution is the name of the game when it comes to avoiding ID Theft.