Fifteen Easy Solutions to Avoid Being a Victim of Identity Theft
Identity theft usually happens when a certain person unlawfully gains access to your personal data like your Social Security Number, credit card accounts, driver’s license Number and other information about you. The person who obtains your personal information utilizes it for his or her loan or credit card application, which goes forward under your name. The thief also uses it to do unlawful purchases or to use any of your active financial accounts.
Identity theft is very rampant today, but there are significant guidelines you can follow which will help you lessen the potential of becoming an identity theft victim.
1. Do not give any of your personal details such as your birth date, social security number or account numbers over the telephone, no matter who asks you for it.
In addition, do not give it through email unless you are the one who initiated the contact/process and you know the person who will receive your information.
2. Tear up, or better yet shred, papers that have your personal data before disposing of them. These papers include credit card bills, checking account material, utility accounts, bank accounts, insurance papers, or financial statements of any kind.
3. Have current, accurate records of all your credit cards and write down the person and/or phone number to contact should an ything turn up missing or stolen. If possible, make copies of your credit cards and put the customer service number on the copies.
If you are not using your credits card now, make sure to store them in a safe place under lock and key.
It is also smart to store your unused checks, social security card and bank statements in a safe place. Consider investing in a small safe.
4. You should also make credit card receipt copies when buying something. Moreover, confirm if your credit card was returned to you and make sure it is your name on the card. This may sound ridiculous, but some cards do look alike. Perhaps a card was set aside earlier that day that looks like yours. Suppose you are handed the wrong card and don’t notice until you arrive home. (This HAS happened.) You’ll have to scramble to get back to that store and get YOUR card.
5. It is necessary to monitor your credit report once a year (at the very least). There are three main credit card reporting offices, which can help you: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. These three reporting agencies allow you to have a free credit report annually. If you want, you can visit their websites and ask for a free report.
6. You should also ensure that when you are withdrawing from any ATM machines, inside or out, there is no one at your back who could freely see your PIN number. Also, be sure that no one hears you when you are giving your credit card number or other personal data about you to someone on the telephone or in person, say, in line at the bank or grocery store.
7. When buying something online, ensure that the website is safe and that all data is encrypted.
8. When using your personal computer, use firewalls and virus protection. Apple Macintosh computers (operating OSX) have built-in firewalls. Macs are a little more expensive, but you get what you pay for. You can also make use of a password that consists of alpha-numeric characters (letters and numerals) and symbols, if allowed. Remember not to use passwords that come from your birth date, anniversaries, current pet names, or phone numbers. If necessary, memorize your passwords. Never write them down if you can avoid it. We all have so many passwards anymore that sometimes it’s just imnpossible not to write some of them down. If you have to write them down, don’t describe what they’re for. Use cryptic nicknames; you can develop your own naming system for your various accounts.
9. Do not reply to any emails that request your personal information for an “update” or some such nonsense. Contact the credit card office or the bank directly to update your personal information. Credit card companies and banks do not ask for personal information via email and do not provide links for such tasks in emails. They will always tell you to go, on your own, to their site and log in to make any changes or verify information. So, beware of those frauds that ask these things from you in an email.
10. If you notice many pre-approved credit offers in your emails, call the credit card company and request to have your name taken off of the promotional lists they use to advertise.
11. Post all your mail at the Post Office rather than leaving it in your mailbox for the mailman to pick up. You are giving the identity thief a chance to steal personal information from you this way.
12. Make sure that you pick up any newly issued checks from the back in person. Do not permit them to be sent to you by mail.
13. Put passwords in all your accounts for your safety. Again, use the combination of letters, numbers or symbols when making a password. Then create a mnemonic device to remember them.
14. You can always apply for an identification theft insurance policy or protection plan. Credit card companies often offer these and these programs can often protect all your accounts, not just that particular credit card account.
15. You can also register to any credit watch offices. This type of office makes checking of all your credit reports simpler by automatically informing you when something has changed in your report. This way, it will be possible for you to know if someone attempts to obtain credit in your name.
By simply following the suggestions above, you are almost sure to protect yourself from being a victim of identity theft.
Category: Identity Theft