One of the easiest ways to hurt your credit report and scores is to have your identity stolen, and with rise of online shopping the risks are only growing greater.  Having your identity stolen allows others to take out credit cards and loans on your good name damaging your finances and your credit score.  Even someone from another country can take out a car loan on bad credit with your identity hurting you and you alone. 

Catching these malicious transactions early can help, but you still need to prove your innocence.  This can take a while and hold back your finances preventing you from making important purchases.   Really the best way to save your financial wellbeing and your credit score is to prevent your credit card from being stolen in the first place.  And the best way to do that is through online identity protection provided by MyCreditTree.com.