HealthGuard’s President/CEO, Apolonio Garcia, was interviewed by WCPO’s Consumer Reporter, John Matarise about the Anthem breach that is estimated to affect over 80M customers and employees. Here is a link to the story and some tips for individuals on to prevent, detect, and respond to identity theft.
The full story can be viewed on WCPO’s web site.
Types of Identity Theft
Understanding how to prevent and detect identity theft, first requires you to understand the different types of identity theft. Identity theft expert, Jake Stroup, has identified eight types that you should consider:
- Financial Identity Theft
- Insurance Identity Theft
- Medical Identity Theft
- Criminal Identity Theft
- Drivers License Identity Theft
- Social Security Identity Theft
- Synthetic Identity Theft
- Child Identity Theft
Details can be found on about.com’s web page.
Tips To Prevent Identity Theft
There are a number of actions people should consider taking, even if you were not part of the Anthem breach. These include:
- Monitor your existing accounts
- Sign up for credit alerts and identity theft protection
- Sign up for fraud alerts
- File your taxes early
- Stay vigilant
Tips To Repair Your Identity
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provided several tips to immediately begin to repair your identity by tracking your phone calls and letters. These include:
- Creating a log of all telephone calls
- Sending letters by certified mail
- Creating a filing system for documents
- Making a timeline
Details can be found on the FTC’s web site.
