YUCATAN PENINSULA MEXICO

Along the Yucatan Peninsula, there are many historic sites built by the ancient Mayan people. One of the most popular is Tulum which is a well-preserved 13th century walled city situated on tall cliffs overlooking the Caribbean Sea. It is easily accessed from Cancun. Visit El Castillo, the temple of the Frescoes and the Temple of the

Descending God or explore the underground caverns of LabnaHa Eco Park and consider snorkeling in the caves of Cenote Dos Ojos.

A day trip from Tulum takes you to the city of Chichen Itza, another of the new Seven Wonders of the World. It is one of the largest and best preserved architectural sites in the world. There are many ancient Mayan structures including the famous El Castillo pyramid which dominates the center of the site. It is 98 feet tall. There is also an ancient sports arena, the Osario Pyramid and the Temple of the Warriors. The city was built over centuries going back as far as 600 ad and grew until the 1600’s when it was conquered by the Spanish.

Along with the historic sites on the Yucatan Peninsula, there are wonderful places to stayCancun for a city feel and Playa del Carmen for a small-town vibe and there is no shortage of allinclusive beach resorts.

Identity theft is when someone uses your personal or financial information without your permission. They might steal your name and address, credit card or bank account numbers, Social Security number or medical insurance account numbers. The information could then be used to make purchases, get new cards in your name, open a phone, electricity, or gas account, or even steal your tax refund or medical benefits

No one wants to be the subject of identity theft. If it happens to you, there are steps you can take, and the government is there to help at Identitytheft.com.

The important thing is to take all the necessary steps to prevent it.

Keep your financial records, Social Security and Medicare cards and any other documents that have personal information in a secure place. If getting rid of them, be sure to shred them.

Do not give out your Social Security number other than to the IRS, your bank, and your employer without asking why they need it. If they have a valid reason, try offering just the last 4 digits.

If you are logging in to an online account, use a strong password.

Do not give your personal information to someone who calls, emails, or texts you. They could be a scammer trying to steal your information.

In addition to taking steps to protect your information, there are things to do to detect identity theft.

Track what bills you owe and when they are due. If you stop getting a bill, that could be a sign someone changed your address or other information

Review your bills for charges that don’t belong to you

Check your bank account for withdrawals not made by you

Get and review your credit reports, as accounts you don’t recognize could be a sign of identity theft.

Many companies sell identity theft protection services that may include credit monitoring, identity monitoring, identity recovery services, and identity theft insurance. These services may be offered by your bank or credit union, credit card provider, employer’s benefits program, or insurance company. Also, there are credit monitoring services like Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion that offer these services as well.

Identity monitoring services may notify you of a change of address request, court or arrest records, orders for new utility, cable or wire services, application for a payday loan, information on websites that sell stolen identity information.

Most will not notify you if someone uses your information to file a tax return and collect your refund, get Medicare benefits, get Medicaid benefits, get welfare benefits, claim Social Security benefits, or even claim unemployment benefits.

If you discover that someone is misusing your personal information visit:

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