Minimize Your Identity Theft Risk

Minimize Your Identity Theft Risk

People are most vulnerable to crime when they have a lax attitude about simple daily habits. Learn to take a more proactive approach to protect against identity theft statistic.

Mailbox Mishaps – Bank statements, credit card offers, investment reports and driver’s license renewals are sources of personal identification that can be found right in your mailbox and may make you vulnerable to identity theft. Being alert to the potential threat is the first step in protecting your identity.

•  Invest a few dollars on a document shredder and shred all of your mail and documents intended for the trash.

•  Be aware of the time of month that you receive your financial statements. If you know what to expect and when, you can spot a problem early on. If you realize that a bill is late, contact the company and tell them of your concern.

•  Consider signing up for a post office box, especially if your mailbox is easily accessible to the public.

•  Credit card solicitations are targeted by identity theft crooks. Consider opting out of credit card offers by calling 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688).

Personal Identification Theft – Your social security number is no longer just a government program identification number or a requirement for federal tax purposes. Protecting yourself from unknown parties stealing your number is of critical importance, as it is essential for almost every situation that involves money – mortgage applications, auto loans, credit cards, bank accounts, etc. It may be affiliated with your health insurance, child support, alimony and many other programs that require proof of an individual’s identity.

•  Never give your social security number to anyone you have not personally contacted. Thieves make a living tricking people to give up their personal information over the phone. Legitimate companies never ask for personal details by phone or email.

•  Shred all documents that contain any personal information including account numbers, etc., and keep your personal papers in a secure environment, safe or safety deposit box. Crooks have been known to riffle through trash to gain access to identification numbers.

When Surfing the Net – Every year, more and more people use the Internet to perform everyday services, making it vitally important to use safe practices.

•  Be careful when clicking on email links. Only open those that you are positive have come from a reliable source. Phishing scams, fake websites posing as major institutions to trick people into giving out their personal information, are on the rise. Reputable institutions will never ask for personal information via email.

•  Be creative with your passwords. Use terms and numbers that would be impossible for someone to guess. Generally you want to use at least 8 characters with a combination of numbers and both capital and lowercase letters. Create multiple passwords and change them regularly. Never use obvious information like your name, birth date, etc. as a password.

Always review your bank and credit card fraud policies. Not all banks and credit cards are created equal, and some may have better fraud policies than others. Look for automatic fraud detection services. Understand your liability in the event there is fraudulent activity on your account?