The “Grinch” who (literally) stole Christmas – identity theft – can make the holidays a very un-happy time for its victims.
According to a study from Javelin Strategy & Research, identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America, with 27.3 million victims in the past five years, and nearly 20 million in the past two years alone. Identity theft costs more than $56 billion – or $6,383 per victim – annually, and an identity thief strikes every 3.5 seconds on average. The Justice Department reports that identity theft has now surpassed drug trafficking as the No. 1 crime in America.
‘Tis the season for identity theft: the holidays show a higher rate of identity theft because people become desperate for the things they want for themselves and their families. The Identity Theft Assistance Center (ITAC) believes financial stress could lead to an increase in identity theft during this holiday season and urges consumers to take extra measures to protect their personal data. Monitoring your own credit report and criminal background check can help you prevent identity fraud, which usually occurs after your identity has been stolen.
Because of increased spending and a rise in the use of credit cards during the holiday season, the growing threat of identity theft looms larger than Santa Claus himself. As a result, privacy rights organizations recommend consumers request their own credit and criminal background checks periodically to monitor information, correct inaccuracies, and uncover identity theft.
While identity theft is a growing problem, there are ways you can protect yourself from the fraudulent use of your personal information. By ordering personal background checks, you can take control over your most sensitive personal information – such as credit scores – and learn who is viewing your reports. These new technologies help keep you one step ahead of would-be ID thieves and are the best chance of avoiding identity theft.
MyBackgroundCheck.com was one of the first consumer-driven web-based background check services available and is now a nationwide leader of the growing trend in personal information control. Please visit www.mybackgroundcheck.com to learn how to take total control of your personal information and prevent identity theft.