BESTING YOUR EVIL TWIN
A Simple Guide to Battling Identity Theft - Before and After It Happens
S.A. Wilson
Copyright S.A. Wilson 2011
Published by I&H Recherche Publishing at Smashwords
Identity Theft - A Growth Industry
For some time now, identity theft has been almost universally acknowledged as the fastest-growing crime in the nation, if not the world. So much personal information is now available about the Average Joe that criminals have turned identity theft into an all-you-eat buffet. They drape themselves in your good name and reputation, and - like some evil twin - create havoc in the guise of your person, for which you are wrongfully blamed.
However, there are still things you can do to avoid being a victim, as well as regain control after being victimized. This book, in a quick and easy fashion, will show you the steps to take in order to best your evil twin.
BESTING YOUR EVIL TWIN
A Simple Guide to Battling Identity Theft - Before and After It Happens
By
S.A. Wilson
If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
Copyright © 2011 by S.A. Wilson.
This book is published by I&H Recherche Publishing.
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information, address I&H Recherche Publishing, P.O. Box 1586, Cypress, TX 77410.
ISBN: 978-1-937666-03-3
Printed in the U.S.A.
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
PROLOGUE
PART I PREVENTION: Batten Down the Hatches
Chapter 1 Monitoring - An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure
Chapter 2 Shredding - The Best Offense is a Good Defense
Chapter 3 Communicating Electronically
Chapter 4 Eliminating Bad Habits
PART II RECOVERY: Ride Out the Storm
Chapter 5 Report the Theft to the Police
Chapter 6 Contact All Creditors
Chapter 7 Contact Credit Reporting Agencies
Chapter 8 Other Agencies to Contact
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank GOD, who granted me both a love of reading and writing, and put me in a position to be able to share my insignificant thoughts with the world; my family, who have always given me the love and support I needed; and my teachers through all grades and at all institutions, who always encouraged my writing and helped my development as an author.
DISCLAIMER
The subject matter of this book, as presented, is not and was never intended to be, serve as, or be interpreted as legal advice. Anyone seeking a legal opinion on the matters discussed herein is advised to consult with legal counsel. In addition, this book does not indicate every conceivable action that could be taken to prevent or combat identity theft.
PROLOGUE
A few years ago, a colleague had the misfortune of having her identity stolen. Of course, she didn’t know this right away. By its very nature, identity theft is a subtle crime and difficult to detect initially. In fact, several weeks passed before my friend realized that there was an issue. The problem only came to light after she had a check bounce, despite the fact that she believed she had more than enough funds on deposit to cover it. As you might guess, the thieves had cleaned out her bank account. Even worse, they had gone on to obtain credit in her name and were busy racking up additional charges on a daily basis.