Be aware that companies you do business with may sell your credit information. Now, many of the people buying the names and addresses of people who have given their credit information are legitimate marketing companies who are searching for a particular target audience. But lately, there is a rise of not-so-legitimate people who are buying your credit information to actually steal your credit profile.
We’ve all heard about identity theft, but how does it happen? Historically, it has usually been a case of the bad guys either rummaging through your garbage for old bank and credit card statements; or hacking a website where you entered info (like a credit card); or there have even been cases where bank databases were compromised. But, the sale of your information seems to be the most scary of them all. For between $40 and $80, would-be thieves can really mess up your credit and life.
True, most identity theft can be fixed, but it can take months – even when you hire an expert. Especially when you are looking to buy a home or even refinance it, months can be fatal.
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