{"id":105,"date":"2019-12-04T09:20:00","date_gmt":"2019-12-04T09:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solowealth.com\/blog\/?p=105"},"modified":"2020-06-29T02:00:39","modified_gmt":"2020-06-29T02:00:39","slug":"its-the-most-wonderful-time-of-the-year-for-identity-thieves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solowealth.com\/blog\/its-the-most-wonderful-time-of-the-year-for-identity-thieves\/","title":{"rendered":"It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year…for Identity Thieves!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Target<\/strong><\/a><\/span>,\u00a0Yahoo<\/strong><\/a><\/span>,\u00a0Equifax<\/strong><\/a><\/span> ,\u00a0Marriott\/Starwood<\/strong><\/a><\/span> are among the many major corporations who have all suffered major data breaches. The next attack is not a question of “if” but “when” and “whom.” If you’ve been online for the last 10 years or so, it’s likely that your personal information has been compromised in some way. According to the credit bureau TransUnion, nearly 75% of online shoppers who have had their personal information stolen, were victimized during the months of November and December – prime online shopping season. We know the problem, now here’s what you need to know…<\/p>\n

How can it affect me?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Identity theft is a nightmare scenario. If your personal information is stolen, according to\u00a0experian<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0it can be sold to other criminals ranging from $1 to $2000, depending on the type of information stolen.\u00a0 The criminals can then build a financial profile, including credit, in your name. They can steal from your bank account, ruin your credit score or commit fraudulent crimes in your name that can have serious financial drawbacks for you, even when you’re none the wiser.<\/p>\n

What can I do about it?<\/span><\/h2>\n

The best method to protect against identity theft is to ensure it never happens. These five steps will help you safeguard your personal information:<\/p>\n