4 Sites to Help You Prevent Identity Theft [video]

These four US Government sites have helpful information on how you can protect you identity from being used illegally.

I know: "You want me to visit sites written in 'government speak?' ... yuck!"  But, it's not that way.

These are sites written for you and me -- as short articles, in plain, easy English. Some videos can be seen, too. These might not be the most entertaining sites you've ever visited, but there's important information for you to know.

Identity theft and identity fraud are crimes that are punishable under the law. Recovering your credit and clearing your good name may take a lot of effort and time.

So, before you have a problem, visit these four sites for some great tips on how to spot the bad guys and how to avoiding their evil tactics:

1. US Department of Justice - Information about identity theft and identity fraud, and what to do if you are a victim.
2. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency - Specific information about financial crimes like counterfeit documents, unauthorized banking. And how businesses may fight fraud.
3.  Office of the Inspector General - Medical fraud and ID theft are explained here.
4.  Federal Trade Commission - Contains lots of information about identity theft and what steps you can take to recover.

And, also from the FTC.gov site, here are some videos that contain information about common scams aimed at senior citizens and others.Search Amazon.com for id theft

10 Million people are victims of ID theft -- Avoid giving criminals the opportunity to steal your info. A few of the videos provided by FTC on YouTube:

Con Artist Fraud -- "You can earn a lot of money. I'll show you how!"

Job Scams:

Phishing Scams -- at home, in a store, at the office:

Foreclosure scams:

File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission

Phone fraud: