subject: How Can Credit Monitoring Prevent Credit Fraud? [print this page] Credit monitoring alerts you to suspicious and significant changes in your credit, which allows you to detect identity theft and credit fraud early on. It has become essential due to the rising number of identity thefts committed per year. Millions of Americans have fallen victim to perpetrators that commit credit fraud that has caused them not only inconvenience but monetary losses. This is why agencies offer credit fraud alerts and regular summary credit reports that can aid you in identifying suspicious activities to prevent credit fraud.
However, it remains a concern for people who pay for these services if they are actually effective in preventing credit fraud. In its different forms, credit monitoring promises security and protection from identity theft. But do they really deliver the preventive service they intend to provide with the money you pay them? Are they really worth availing?
Types of Credit Fraud
Identity theft, identity assumption and fraud spree are just some of the few types of credit fraud.
Identity theft occurs when someone steals your personal information such as your name, Social Security number, or credit number to perform fraudulent activities or commit crimes without your authorization.
On the other hand, identity assumption is when someone takes on your identity or poses as you for a long time by using your name and other personal identification related to you.
Lastly, fraud spree is committed when purchases are charged under your existing accounts without your knowledge or authorization.
Credit Monitoring
As a service offered by various agencies to help you keep track of your credit, credit monitoring usually include standard services such as summary reports of your credit regularly and alerts for significant changes in credit. You can opt to personalize these updates based on the frequency you prefer. Agencies that offer these services usually charge a monthly fee while there are some that also offer a free trial period.
Guaranteed 100% Security?
Of course, there is no guarantee that no one will be able to steal your identity or use your credit without your authority. What most of these agencies emphasize is that their services are only limited to providing credit fraud alerts and notifying you of significant changes in your credit; it does not ensure that no perpetrator would be able to open new accounts under your name.
As with any prevention measure, credit monitoring is not foolproof but it does give you an adequate level of security by notifying you of significant changes which would alert you to possible cases of credit fraud committed against you.
As it helps detect the presence of identity theft and credit fraud early on, credit monitoring can minimize the resulting damage such criminal activities could do to your credit. However, it does not completely protect you from credit fraud.
