Checking An Annual Credit Report Alerts People To Identity Theft
By checking their annual credit report, South African citizens will discover and eradicate identity theft quickly. When identity theft occurs, people usually take a identity number, charge account numbers, or name, for the purpose of committing unlawful acts. Early detection and prevention will help South Africans to save on the costs of repairing the damage, and chasing the perpetrators, of identity theft.
Personal information may be stolen in a number of ways. Dumpsters or trash bins may be great sources of personally identifying documents. Also, special storage devices, which thieves implant on retail card readers or at ATMs, may be utilized to collect information from unsuspecting clients.
Some thieves create emails or pop-up windows, which ask viewers to supply sensitive credit report information. No one should ever respond to an email or pop-up window requesting charge account numbers, dates of birth, or identity numbers. Often, these so-called phishing messages claim that a person has won a large sum of money, or that the person has a security problem with a financial institution.
Pretexting is a common method for obtaining personal information. In the pretexting process, a person calls a citizen, claiming to work for a research firm. Then, they ask the citizen for date of birth, identity number, and full name. Then, using that information, the thief may call a bank, and claim to have lost his or her checkbook, using the falsely obtained identifying credit report information.
Some thieves resort to old-fashioned stealing. Thieves steal purses, wallets, or other possessions for the identity documents they contain, and then use those documents for fraudulent purposes. At other times, identity thieves fill out change-of-address forms, so that important papers are sent to a different address.
Once thieves have sensitive information, they use it in various ways. Common modes of operation include opening new charge accounts, or opening accounts with utility companies and banks. Other common modes of operation include applying for loans with their falsely obtained information, or obtaining a new photographic identification, with their picture beside someone else's name.
Reviewing an annual credit report will help South African citizens to have quick information about unauthorized account openings or inquiries. With the help of financial institutions and the credit bureaux, citizens will clean off their profile, prosecute the thief, and restore their good name. When citizens are ready to review their free reports, they should contact Experian or TransUnion.
