I can't believe National Protect Your Identity Week is almost over. I mean, it's almost like it didn't even happen this year. Such a shame. I did make a noble attempt to keep the holiday spirit alive by wishing some random people in the grocery store a "Merry Protect Your Identity Week" last night, but I wasn't feeling the love. All I received in response were some awkward stares and a completely empty aisle to compare my cereal options in peace. Come on people! Don't you care about identity theft?
The good news is we've got some doozy holiday celebrations lined up over the next few months to make up for the lack of excitement that Protect Your Identity Week has brought us. Starting with Halloween, then my personal favorite, "gorge yourself with turkey and gravy" Thanksgiving, and of course the most popular of all— Christmas. And what do all these holidays have in common? Each of us will likely be breaking out the credit cards a bit more often to buy extra food and junk we generally don't spend our money on throughout the rest of the year. There will be countless hours of mall hopping, more online shopping, and frequent trips to the ATM as well. It's just a fact of life, and the identity thieves know it. Trust me, they'll be on the prowl in droves. But don't fret! You've got one last chance to celebrate National Protect Your Identity Week before it ends on Sunday. Here's how… Check out the NFCC's site at ProtectYourIDNow.org, take the ID theft quiz to see if you're at high risk to become a victim, and resolve to make some changes that will help protect you from becoming one of the 10 million plus victims of identity theft this year. Then crack open the bubbly and celebrate in real style.
