Have you ever found yourself in a situation where someone has stolen your identity? In modern times and with the increasingly frequent use of technology, identity theft has become something that we are increasingly encountering.
By taking precautionary measures, you can make ensure your personal information is not shared or taken. By protecting your personal information, you can prevent your identity from being stolen. Take measures and get some practical advice on how to protect your personal information.
Mail Protection in the US
Stealing other people’s identity is a growing crime in the US as well in other parts of the world. Identity theft has been identified by many services worldwide but also within the service of the US Postal Inspection which is one of the leading agencies in investigating personal data theft.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service agency is a federal enforcement offshoot of the U.S. Postal Service. Their primary competence matters infringing on the integrity of the USPS in the first place. Their mission is to provide adequate protection of the USPS, its customers, and employees. They have a mission to protect the post office system from criminal misusage.
This felony is treated as a criminal act which can lead to criminal proceedings. Usually when someone knowingly uses other’s personal identification with the idea of committing unlawful activities. It is treated as a premeditated felony and it is sanctioned as a violation of federal law.
What Does Identity Theft Really Means?
When someone steals and then uses pieces of your personal identifying information – it is considered a stolen ID. Data such as your name and address, or date of birth or social security number, are very sensitive data since they usually give you access to your financial accounts. When such thieves have access to these pieces of information, they might abuse them in order to get loans, buy things, pay their expenses, or even open a new financial account. That’s why you must do your best to protect yourself.
What Can I Do to Protect Myself?
The first thing you need to do is to be very cautious. In the era of modern technology, we are often susceptible to being victims. So, we must do something to protect ourselves from being victims of ID thieves.
- You should never give your personal information over the telephone or through the Internet. This option can be safe only if you know precisely who you are talking to, or if you initiated the call.
- We should regularly review our credit reports. There are free online sites that allow you to monitor your credit reports and these sites will also alert you to any fraudulent activity.
- Give your outgoing mail directly or deposit it at a post office. Anything else you do is much less secure.
- Destroy any unneeded documents that might contain your personal information. Make sure to shred any document that contains any personal information.
- Use all the benefits that USPS provides to its clients. You will always have precise information on every information regarding your account.
How Can the USPS Help with My ID protection?
The USPS has its own ways of protecting their customer’s ID. You have an option of ordering your free credit report. It will allow you to check your data or possible fraud attempts. You can do it once a year and check the info from each credit bureau.
The Sunset Colorado Post Office, for example, is helping their customers through the “Get Directions” phone line, which is used for directing customers to the right departments. The USPS services are numerous and very useful. You can use PO Boxes or use the services of holding and forwarding mail. You can find out how to report lost or stolen credit card or memorize your social security number instead of carrying with you. There is also the option of checking the dates of expiration on your cards.
