Hello and welcome back to Money Girls Quick and Dirty Tips for a richer life.

I'm your host Laura Adams. This episode is about how to prevent identity theft and stay safe from cybercrime.

I just hate that preventing identity theft and cyber crimes are topics that we even need to discuss.

But unfortunately, there are lots of bad guys who choose to use their time and talents for evil purposes.

Theft in cyberspace is growing and no one seems to be immune, not individuals, businesses,

or governments.

Fortunately, I have so many tips and tools to help you prevent identity theft and win the war against cybercrime that I needed to break the topic up into two shows.

Identity theft is a serious crime that happens online as well as offline.

It's estimated that about 25% of all cases are internet related.

Identity theft happens when someone steals your personal information and uses it to commit

fraud or other types of crime without your knowledge.

A thief could use your name, Social Security number, driver's license number, or various bank or credit card numbers, for instance, to wreak havoc in your life.

And once your identity is jeopardized, getting it cleared up can cost time and money, not to mention you'll be left to deal with a really botched credit score.

In order to prevent identity theft, it's helpful to understand how the thieves do what they do.

They have a variety of ways to get your confidence. and how the thieves do what they do.

They have a variety of ways to get your confidential information,

like your Social Security number,

and you can be sure that they're scheming up new methods all the time.

One way they get your information is by stealing it from businesses.

Perhaps they work for a company that has you listed in their database.

Maybe they hack into a business's records or bribe someone who has access to them.

Or they take information from your credit reports by abusing their employers authorized access.

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