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| Identity theft hurts more than credit |
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| Harry Eskew |
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3/30/2009 - Although the first thing many of us fear with identity theft is the financial distress, theft of our medical information is potentially much more dangerous, even putting our lives at risk. With medical identity theft, blood types have been changed on medical records along with other key indicators for care. With so many people no longer covered by medical insurance, this crime has risen exponentially and conditions are ripe for continued growth of medical identity theft.
For several years I have been studying identity theft and speaking to churches and other organizations in Macon and adjoining cities on the topic. A very common misconception is that identity theft is only about credit cards.
There are actually five common types of identity theft: driver’s license, Social Security, medical, character or criminal, and financial. Only 28 percent of identity theft is credit card fraud.
Identity theft is a crime that none of us can effectively deal with by ourselves. Most of the services advertised on TV and in magazines are like the fire department telling you your house is on fire and not doing anything to put the fire out. The company may refund your money, but you are left to set your records right and restore your good name.
To be effective, an identity theft service must include: analysis of one’s credit and credit score, 24/7 monitoring of credit with e-mailed notification of possible problems, comprehensive identity restoratio, and affordable access to attorneys. It’s difficult to believe that Macon is No. 22 in the nation in identity theft.
Harry Eskew is a resident of Macon.
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