IDENTITY THEFT
The Fastest Growing Crime in America
Decrease Your Odds of Becoming a Victim
 This Newsletter is my way of sharing information helpful to keeping you and your family safe, informed, empowered or entertained. John Bisnar |
What is identity theft? Identity theft is, literally, theft of a person’s identity to conduct unauthorized transactions, borrow money, or purchase items on another’s credit without authority.
Left untreated, identity theft can ruin your FICO score (credit rating service score), making it difficult to be accepted for a mortgage or auto loan, and it could prevent you from getting the lowest interest rates available on loans and credit cards. Here are some interesting facts:
- More than 11 million people were victimized by identity theft last year.
- On average, identity thieves stole nearly $7,000 per person last year.
- Victims typically spend $800 in out-of-pocket costs to correct their credit profiles.
What the Identity Thieves Do
Identity thieves obtain personal information and then essentially impersonate their victims as they open credit-card accounts, make purchases, or take out loans. These thieves try to take a free ride on the good name of others.
What You Can Do
While there is no way to have complete protection against identity theft, these common- sense measures can decrease the odds of becoming a victim:
- Jealously guard personal information like your Social Security number and account numbers and passwords, divulging it only in a communication that YOU initiate.
- Keep your wallet from becoming a gold mine for potential thieves by carrying the minimum in checks, credit- cards, or other bank items and DO NOT keep your Social Security number there.
- Retrieve your mail promptly and do not leave outgoing mail in your doorway or home mail box.
- Tear up or shred private papers like bank statements, receipts, and credit-card applications before throwing them away.
- Store valuable financial information at home in a place that is not available to prying eyes.
- Review bank account information and credit-card records regularly, as well as your own credit report prepared by a credit bureau, so that you can pick up the first signs of trouble, such as missing a payment or and unauthorized withdrawal.
Employee Profile
I am pleased to introduce Mrs. Carey Wagenblast. Carey is a paralegal in our Pre-litigation Department. She is in charge of opening all the new files when clients first sign-on with Bisnar & Chase. Carey does a great job of tracking down the initial medical records, ordering police reports, collecting photos of property damage, and opening claims with insurance companies.
In addition to opening all the new files, Carey enjoys interacting with our clients. She often speaks with clients on the phone during the initial intake process and meets with clients in person when they come into the office.
Carey says, " I first met John Bisnar 6 years ago when I came into the office as a client. I saw how aggressive he was yet how well he treated his clients, and I knew I wanted to work for him one day. Now that I do, I look forward to coming to work everyday, and I know that I will be with Bisnar & Chase for the rest of my career. "
Carey is married with one child. She spends all her free time with her family and enjoys the outdoors. She especially likes to bike ride and go fishing with her husband. Carey, you are a great asset and we are happy to have you on the Bisnar & Chase team!If you have important information, or an empowering or funny story that you would like to share with my readers please email it directly to me at: jbisnar@bestattorney.com.
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