Identity theft starts at home!
Using the Internet does NOT increase your risk of identity fraud. Rather, 63 percent of identity-fraud cases involved wrongdoing by friends or family, lost or stolen wallets, credit cards, or checks, breached home computers, or stolen mail or trash.
See Consumer Reports Money Adviser for the best ways to protect yourself!
...Act fast. Report the loss to your credit or debit card companies immediately. Here's why: If you report a lost or stolen credit card before the card is used, your liability is zero.
But, if you wait longer than two days to report a lost debit card, you could be responsible for up to $500 per card. And, if you wait more than 60 days, your losses could be unlimited. In other words, you could lose everything linked to the card, including any lines of credit. For more ways to protect yourself, send for the current issue of Consumer Reports Money Adviser.
