Family protection from fraud & theft

Fraud and identity theft occur more often than most people expect, and it can happen to anyone. Anyone who's experienced them can understand how traumatic and frustrating it can be to be victimized by fraudsters and identity thieves.

What is fraud?

Fraud is the intentional use of deception or illegal means to illegally acquire assets, services, or money from another person. It can happen when someone steals and uses your personal information such as credit or debit card numbers for unauthorized purchases or other malicious activities.

Fraud can have serious consequences for the victim. Victims of fraud may lose money or other assets, face legal and financial penalties, and suffer emotional distress and trauma due to being taken advantage of.

It is important to be aware of the signs of fraud and protect yourself or your family from becoming victims. Common signs of fraud include suspicious activity on bank accounts, unexplained charges or withdrawals, and receiving unexpected items or services that you never ordered or signed up for.

What is identity theft?

Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information, such as your name, Social Security number, or credit card number without your permission to commit fraud or other crimes. It is a serious crime that can wreak havoc in the lives of victims for years. Identity thieves may use your stolen identity to open bank accounts, charge purchases to existing accounts, apply for loans, or even file taxes in your name. Identity theft can cause financial losses and damage to your credit rating, as well as emotional distress. It is important to understand how identity theft happens, what steps you can take to protect yourself from becoming a victim, and what you can do if you are already a victim.

What can I do to prevent fraud and identity theft?

By taking some simple steps, you can help protect yourself and your family from becoming victims. Here are some things you can do:

Keep your personal information safe. Be careful about whom you share your social security number, credit card numbers, and other personal information. Only give out this information when you are sure it is safe to do so. This applies to online payments and face-to-face transactions, only transact with individuals or companies whom you know will not compromise your information. It is also important to take steps to protect yourself online by using strong passwords, avoiding giving out personal information, and being aware of online scams.

Shred any sensitive documents that contain sensitive and personal information before throwing them away. This includes things like old bills, credit card statements, bank statements, and credit reports. Identity thieves have been known to go through people's trash to steal documents that they could use to commit identity theft.

Be careful about what you post on social media. Don’t share too much personal information about yourself or your family. This includes things like your address, phone number, age, and birthdate. ID thieves use these to pretend to be you, commit fraud, scam, and steal more information.

Check your credit report regularly. You are entitled to one free credit report per year from each of the three major credit reporting agencies. This can help you catch any suspicious activity early on.

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Monitor your bank accounts and credit card statements closely. Credit card fraud is one of the most common types of fraud. Seasoned fraud perpetrators would do a small test charge to check if your card is still active, once they verify it is active, they would then use it for actual larger transactions. So look closely for any unauthorized charges, and report them right away, no matter how small the charges are.

By taking these simple precautions, you can prevent identity theft, and protect yourself and your family from fraud.

What can I do if I am a victim of fraud and identity theft?

If you are a victim of fraud and identity theft, here are things you should do to stop the identity thief and minimize the repercussion:

Change your passwords. Avoid using the same password for different services or accounts.

File a police report.

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Notify your financial institutions about your situation. Your bank and credit card companies may need change file a security fraud report and change your cards to secure your accounts from being used for (further) unauthorized transactions.

Inform the three major credit bureaus, so that they can put up a fraud alert. This alert will require banks and other financial institutions to contact you in case unauthorized new accounts or fraud leases or loans are opened under your name.

File a report with the FTC. If you find out you’ve been a victim of identity theft, you can file a report with the Federal Trade Commission at identitytheft.gov or by phone at 1-877-438-4338.

Why choose Voiply's Protect Your Home and Identity?

If protecting your family from fraud and identity theft is your top priority, Voiply's Home Title Protection offers you the most comprehensive protection available. By monitoring the public records for changes, we can help you guard against identity theft, fraud, and other risks. And if something does happen, our team of experts will be there to help you resolve the issue as quickly and efficiently as possible.

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Most identity theft protection services and credit monitoring services cost as much as $8.99 to $34.99 per month. However, Voiply's Protect Your Home and Protect Your Identity Services provide the same quality services but for a fraction of the cost.

To activate Voiply's Home Title Protection, simply log in to your Voiply Portal today.

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‍Final thoughts

I hope this article has expanded your knowledge on how to protect yourself and your family from identity theft and fraud, and what you can do if you are already a victim. By being aware you have already a step ahead.