According to TechNewsDaily, “Identity theft in the United States rose to a three-year high in 2012, with more than 5 percent of the adult population, or 12.6 million people, falling victim to such crimes. That's up from 4.9 percent in 2011 and 4.35 percent in 2010.”

Your identity is one of your most important assets, and identity theft is on the rise due to public or corporate data breach. Violation of your identity is frightening and can be costly, but many people think it will not happen to them. If you were a victim, would you be able to pay the expenses for lost wages, legal fees, fees for reapplying for loans, any criminal or civil judgment entered against you, etc? There are insurance solutions, and Wren Insurance Agency can provide you with options for your identity theft risks exposures.

Here are a few you can do to protect yourself from identity theft:

1. Consider adding Identity Theft endorsement to your insurance policy when available, this averages about $25 annually.
2. Create a PIN that is not too easy to crack, i.e. don’t use “(yourname)123”
3. Don’t give out your Social Security number to people you don’t know.
4. Consider reducing the number of credit cards in your wallet. Only travel with what you need. 
5. Shred all financial statements before placing in trash.
6. Check your credit report annually.
7. Don’t put your birthday on your social media site.
8. Be careful about opening links you find in emails, know the source.
9. Destroy digital data.
10. Be diligent about checking statements. Review all transactions monthly.

Remember that just being aware of these things can reduce the possibility of identity theft. Call the Wren Insurance Agency today for more information regarding Identity Theft.