Protect Yourself From Identity Theft with Proper Measures

Identity theft is a form of fraud involving someone who has stolen or appropriated an individual’s identifying information for the primary purpose of stealing money or getting access to other benefits. For many, the aftermath of identity theft can involve a lot of time to repair their damaged credit rating and personal credibility.

Don’t let yourself be a victim of identity theft. Although by no means an all-encompassing list, the following tips can help you from being less vulnerable to the predatory tactics of identity thieves!

Shred and Destroy

When you’re disposing of unwanted documents, take a moment to sort through what you are throwing out. Anything that has personal information on it should be kept to the side in a box or bag and shredded/destroyed completely before being disposed of.

Bring In Your Mail

Don’t let mail pile up in your mailbox. Make a point to bring it in daily as utility bills, credit card statements and other items will contain confidential account and personal information

Lost Your Card? Report It!

Lose a credit or debit card? Report it lost/stolen and have a fresh card generated for yourself. Let your financial institutions know of your last known transaction so they can use that as a baseline indicator of any fraudulent activity on your card since it went missing.

Get a Receipt

If you make a transaction anywhere with your atm card or credit card, get the receipt and either take it with you or destroy it. It is never a good idea to just leave your receipt dangling from the atm or on the ground next to it.

Never Leave Home With These Documents

Your social security card and birth certificate should always be kept in a secure and safe place. Unless absolutely necessary, don’t ever let these two documents leave your residence. If they have to go somewhere with you, keep them at your side at all times.

Safeguard Your Card

A great trick to safeguard your credit or atm card is to write “SEE IDENTIFICATION” on the back of the card rather than signing it. A thief will find themselves thwarted when a merchant or retailer asks them to verify their identification while trying to use your stolen card.

Your Computer: The Fortress

Keep a minimum of personal information stored on your home computer or laptop. If you must, use a strong password or other encryption method to deny access to your hard drive should a thief make off with your computer. Attacks on your private information can come from within as well. Don’t ever open an email attachment, download or anything that makes you feel even remotely uneasy.

Applications from unknown sources can unleash nasty program applications onto your hard drive that allow thieves access to anything and everything you’ve got on your computer. Make sure all your internet security programs and options are kept up to date. Many popular anti-viral/malware programs can be regularly updated to keep pace with ever-evolving online threats.

Check Your Own Background

Did you know you have a right to see a copy of your credit report one time per year from all three of the major credit bureaus?  By law they have to provide this information to you and it’s a great way to make sure you haven’t fallen victim to any theft.  Include that annual credit check with a background check from IAmScreened.com to ensure a criminal hasn’t used your identity when involved with any criminal cases, thus destroying your reputation and employment opportunities.

Identity theft is a regrettable crime to befall, anyone but it’s preventable for everyone given that a few guidelines are followed and common sense is dutifully employed. Identity thieves operate best when they have people to deal with that are oblivious to their methods and tactics. By educating yourself and remaining alert, you deny them access to your information and ensure your life remains uncompromised.