Value your Identity

I will not beat around the bush. Your identity is the most valuable possession that you have. Most people will claim their loved ones are their most valued possessions, but they can hardly be your POSSESSIONS. Your identity on the other is most definitely your possession, but it is not so uniquely. Identity theft is growing and you should take all the warnings very seriously.

Identity theft is nothing new. It has existed since dawn of consciousness and will continue ad infinitum. The more complex we make identities to be stolen, the more ingenious those who wish to hijack our identities become. This is a vicious circle and it will get worse. The important thing to remember is that your identity is your most valuable possession. If it is stolen it will affect you, your family, your community AND your fellow citizens in adverse ways. I am not exaggerating these repercussions. They are very real.

Guarding your identity is difficult and complex, however, you can make an immediate positive step towards keeping your identity safe by the application of 2 fundamental qualities that you already possess, namely COMMON SENSE and CAUTION. These are things I cannot teach you. You already own them. What I will do is help you with the remaining bits that will help keep your identity safe.

Unfortunately, there is no single panacea available to combat identity theft. In fact, the identities of deceased people have been used, reused and abused. Furthermore, it is not confined to the Internet alone. Your household garbage bins hold a plethora of information about you and all other members of your household. What would you do if the identity of your children is stolen?

What makes matters worse is that in most countries, you are still responsible for all the mischief created using your identity. So here is the first bit of advice that you should follow! Purchase some comprehensive identity theft insurance as soon as possible. Make sure that this insurance covers the following

• ALL your credit, debit and store cards
• ALL your travel documents (passports, identity cards/documents, driver licence, etc.) and certificates (birth, marriage, driving licence, etc.)
• Confidential records (employment, hospital, education, etc.)
  
• Any other items that the above did not cover
• Ensure that your insurance give you access to proper legal aid/advice
  
• And above all ... ensure that this insurance covers you against all liability due to a misuse of your stolen identity and assigns a case worker to deal with it all on your behalf.

Be cautious and always use your common sense!