What is Identity Theft?

Identity theft is the act of stealing another person’s personal information with the intent of pretending to be that person. When someone has access to this information, such as official information that can be used as legal proof that they are you, they can gain access to your financial account and more.

What can we do to prevent identity theft?

It’s not exactly possible to keep all of your information to yourself. You give out your credit cards when dining at restaurants, your insurance card and drivers license at the doctor’s office. Each time your information is being handled by strangers who may or may not have ill intent. So, we can’t completely avoid opportunities for identity theft, but we can certainly make is as hard as possible for the thief.
Put a password on all your credit cards.
Don’t automatically fill out every blanks application. Ask yourself, and the company, who needs to know?
Keep your numbers safe. Don’t give out your account numbers over the phone unless you were the one who made the call. Don’t write credit card numbers on checks or on envelopes. Always shred any document with important information before throwing it away.
Check your billing statements each month for false charges and report them immediately.

When someone has invaded your privacy, believe me it's not fun. You would have this constant worry about it and it totally can ruin your life but there are ways to get it back . Here are the step that you can follow in order to recover your Identity.

Report the crime.

1. Contact the FTC to file a report about the nature of the crime and any details you have.
2. Go to the police and file an ID Theft Complaint. This can be used to prevent any inaccurate personal information from appearing on your credit report. It can also be used to inform the collection agencies that might otherwise continue to pester you for money you never spent.
3. Place a fraud alert on your credit accounts such as Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. This simple step comes with recovery protections and notifications built in, so you can get back on your feet.

Restore your credit.

1. Call every one of the financial institutions where your data has been stolen, and speak to someone in the fraud division about identity theft.
2. Close your accounts and change any information that was taken.
3. Check your account statements and credit reports at least every three months to ensure no further thefts have come about. The greatest way to get your credit back is to protect it actively for many years to follow.
   I hope these information will help us gain back whatever we have lost.