Page 28 - Delaware Medical Journal - April 2018

Complete Exposure Assessment is First Shield Against ID Theft
Kathleen Kennelly
Many people do not realize just how easily criminals are able to obtain personal data without
ever having to break into a home.
Whether it’s sifting through trash
bins for bank account and credit card statements, looking over a victim’s shoulder to glean sensitive information off their mobile devices, or through high-tech methods such as phishing, identity theft is committed in many different ways. In 2014, there was a
new identity theft victim in America every two seconds as identity thieves lifted a total of $16 billion from 12.7 million consumers, according to a study by Javelin Strategy & Research. While credit monitoring and protection systems are helping to catch and deter criminals, identity theft and fraud remains widespread although underreported. Indeed, many new ID theft cases are not reported and more than half of victims do not realize until years later that their personal information has been stolen.
PREEMPTIVE SOLUTIONS
Many types of identity theft can be prevented. One way is to continually check the accuracy of personal documents and promptly deal with
any discrepancies. At USI Insurance Services, personal risk specialists have developed aggressive and comprehensive processes to tackle identity theft risks.
124 Del Med J
| April 2018
| Vol. 90
| No. 4