The BBB wants you to know that while reports of identity theft decreased in 2010, "friendly fraud" is on the rise; the number of victims targeted by relatives, friends or roommates increased seven percent.
According to the 2011 Identity Fraud Survey Report by Javelin Strategy & Research, the demographic most affected by this type of fraud were ages 25 to 34; of these, 41 percent claim their Social Security numbers were compromised.
Five most dangerous places to store Social Security numbers according to the BBB:
- Wallets or purses
- Vehicles
- Computers, cell phones, and PDAs
- Offices or cubicles
- Unsecured dorm rooms and shared living spaces
- Exert caution when giving out your Social Security number. Who are you giving it to? What’s it going to be used for?
- Never store Social Security cards in unsecured locations
- Monitor your credit reports and financial statements regularly. Request your free annual credit report at http://www.annualcreditreport.com/
- Before throwing away documents - shred the ones that contain personal information