Your Identity Is Worth About 40 Bucks
We've reported before on what your identity is worth to a thief. The going rate seems to be about $40. That's forty lousy bucks to someone who sells them wholesale. How much time is it going to cost you to repair it?
We're not even going to mention the emotional costs… or the hidden cost of ruined credit.
That $40 was what identity thieves recently got for the names, SSN and DOB for 16 employees at Logan International Airport in Boston. The information was stolen by an employee who worked there. She then gave it to her aunt and uncle. What a nice family they must be.
No matter what you do or how careful you are to protect yourself, you can still become a victim of identity theft through no fault of your own. Your information is in databases all around the country in some form or another. Just think of everywhere you've ever had to fill out forms that asked for your social security number and date of birth.
The best way to protect yourself in the 21st century is to use an identity theft protection company to help keep you safe. There's no way you can absolutely protect yourself and no company can do it, either. But in today's electronic world, you need someone to watch your credit files and personal information and give you an early alert whenever your identity is used fraudulently.
