Identity Theft Justin Vickery received a call from Blockbuster who told him he owed over $400 in late

fees. Vickery was out of state for work at the time. It is not uncommon in todays world to be a victim of identity theft. ettin! that ominous "hone call from a debt collector for an e#uberant amount of money that you suddenly now owe. $ou have become the victim of someone elses malicious actions and will now be held res"onsible for the debt. The holiday season is stressful enou!h and com"oundin! that stress with fraudulent char!es on your credit cards is unconceivable. In %0&0' (ississi""i alone )uartered &'**% fraud and identity theft victims. +ouisiana calculated %',*- victims and .labama saw /'//* in the same year' accordin! to the overnment 0ensus website. The 1ederal Trade 0ommission e#"lains that on a national avera!e' the total monetary amount re"orted was $&.2 billion in %0&%. That would be enou!h to su""ly It has actually decreased / hundred million since %0&0' which is a dro" of %&3 annually. +ucius (oore works as +oss 4revention for one of the de"artment stores here in 5attiesbur!. 67ur cashiers are obli!ated to check our customers driver s incenses when they use their debit or credit cards'8 says (oore. 69ven when our customers use our com"anys char!e cards' our cashiers must "rove the customers identity before anythin! is char!ed to that account. To take it further' only family members who are listed on that s"ecific account can char!e to it. If they are not then we a"olo!i:e and ask them to "ay for their items another way.8 But what ha""ens when you are out of state due to work and someone else o"ens an account in your name and char!es u" said account; Justin Vickery had his own dealin!s with identity theft. The cul"rit had his <ocial <ecurity =umber and his >ob code from his "lace of em"loyment. Vickery received a call from Blockbuster Video askin! him to "ay $400 in late fees. . father of four children' Vickery does not have money >ust lyin! around his house. 7ver a course of several weeks and threats of law suits' the re"resentative from Blockbuster eventually for!ave the debt after Vickery asked them to review the ta"e and "roved that he was not in (ississi""i at the time the movies were rented. <tatistics from the Identity Theft .ssistance 0enter shows "arents

usin! their childrens <ocial <ecurity =umber to obtain credit on their behalf' run u" the debt' and i!nore the calls when "ayment is due. The childrens credit is ruined before they know the im"ortance of a credit score. Those that were re"orted' the number of child identity fraud in the ?nited <tates "eaked at 2-3. 7f that 2-3' %@3 already knew which cul"rit was res"onsible. ABeCre here to "rotect this country from threats'A said Daniel (c(ullen' <"ecial .!ent of the 1BI branch in Jackson (ississi""i. A4rotection is still the 1BICs to" "riority.A There are many ways to "revent identity theft or fraud. 1irst and foremost' you must "rotect your social security number and bank information. 0han!e your "asswords on your accounts often and never share them with family or friends. <hred your mail instead of throwin! it in the trash. By shreddin! you mail' this "revents someone from di!!in! in your trash. .fter all' one mans trash is another mans treasure. Justin Vickery and his wife are now on the lookout when it comes to their identity. They shred all the mail they receive no matter hoe trivial. They also chan!e their "asswords once every other month and they re)uest their credit scores from all three financial credit bureaus on a re!ular basis. These are >ust a few ste"s that anyone can do to "rotect their identities. Bhat are you doin! to "rotect your identity;