Who Would Want To Be Me?

Recently, both my Twitter and Facebook accounts were hacked.  A friend alerted me to the Twitter issue, which was great because I never go on there, so I had no idea.  Apparently I was sending spammy messages to my followers and had no clue.  When I logged in to check, there was a very nasty message from one of my followers, thanking me in some not so nice terms for my message to her.  You would think that if this person knew me at all they would know I would never do something like that.  Facebook sent me an email alerting me to the fact that someone in another country had signed into my account, so I was able to change my password quickly there.

This experience opened my eyes to how easy it is for someone to get your information.  I bank online, and I always worry that someone will try to access that information as well.  There are sites like IdentityHawk that help you protect yourself online, and I might just sign up for it.   I'm convinced, though, that anyone who tries to steal my identity will be shocked when they can't get credit in my name, and really, who would want access to the $3 I have in the bank?  But, having identity theft protection is still a really good idea.

Why Would Someone Want To Be Me?

I have never really given much thought to identity theft, mainly because I don't think anyone would want to be me.  I mean, my credit score is horrible right now, so getting credit under my name would be impossible.  I am working on improving my score, since I am now the only one responsible for it around here.  I have been trying so hard (and succeeding!) to pay all my bills on time.  Since everything is in my name only now, it is important that I start out on the right foot.

Once I do have my credit back where it should be, I will do everything I can to make sure it stays there.  I plan on keeping an eye on it using one of those free credit score sites to make sure no one tries to bring me back down. 

I lived my entire married life thinking our credit score didn't matter.  I realized quickly once I was on my own just how important it is.  When I first got my license, I needed car insurance.  I called around for quotes, knowing it would cost an arm and a leg because I was a new driver.  What I didn't expect was being turned down by several insurance agencies because of my credit score.  I had no idea such a thing would matter to them.

Thankfully I was able to get insurance, even though I do pay quite a bit for it.  Hopefully, once I establish some good credit in my own name, I can shop around for a better deal.

Protect Yourself

Now that I am a single mom, I am learning how to take care of myself.  Not that I didn't before, but now all the family finances fall on my shoulders.  I am proud to say that I am doing a great job so far.  I  know there are things I should be doing that I'm not, like worrying about identity theft protection.

I have heard so many horror stories about how easy it is for someone to steal all your personal information.  Recently, I heard that your credit cards can be swiped by someone while they are in your wallet.  That is a pretty scary things.  If you are like me, you do a lot of shopping and business with your back online, and that is another way someone can get your information.  It only takes a few facts about you for someone to use your identity.  You can use a service like IdentityHawk to find out where your identity is vulnerable, and protect yourself. 

I am working really hard to get my credit back on track, and I don't need someone else messing it up.  I may need a little of this protection for myself.  Life is hard enough right now.  I don't need to worry about someone stealing my identity.