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Identity
Theft Protection Tips
January 2005
Identity
theft is when someone uses your unique information
such as your name, credit card number, social security
number, address and other information without your
permission and then proceeds to commit fraud. Identity
theft victims sometimes have to take months, even
years to resolve the havoc created by identity
theft!
You
should take preventative steps to make sure identity
theft doesn't happen to you.
- Keep
an eye on your credit card receipts. They can
contain your full account number and expiration date.
Take them home the day you get them and put them in
a box instead of keeping them in your wallet or purse.
- Get
a shredder and shred any financial information
you don't need anymore such as credit card and ATM
slips and bank statements.
- Make
sure you shred those credit card offers you get
in the mail every day. Thieves dig through trash and
send these offers in to get credit using your good
name. To help limit this potential area for fraud
and also stop these pre-approved credit card offers
from ever reaching your mailbox, you can opt out by
calling 1 (888) 5-OPTOUT (888-567-8688).
- Watch
your bank statements. Make sure you get your statement
in the mail every month and if you have online
banking, log in a few times a month to keep an
eye out for suspicious transactions.
- Order
and review your credit report at least one time
every year. Not only will you be able to head off
any errors, but you will also be able to spot any
potential fraud activity. You can review
your credit report online at myFico.com
- When
shopping online, make sure that your transaction
is secure (look for the padlock symbol on the bottom
of your web browser and make sure the web address
starts with https://, not http://.
- Look
for security related information when shopping online,
such as a privacy policy and special seals and symbols
from Trust-E, Better Business Bureau, and Verisign.
- Never
click or respond to any emails from trusted online
sites such as eBay, America Online, Paypal or Amazon.com
asking for you to provide personal financial information
such as a credit card number even if it looks like
it is coming from their web address. It is their
policy not to request this information in an email.
One of the most common ways for identity theft to
occur online is through unsolicited emails requesting
your financial information.
- Protect
your computer from spyware and other hacking tools.
This is becoming a major problem over the last year.
If you have popups all over your computer when you
surf, download and install free programs such as Adaware
and Spybot.
A program that I personally use is Giant
Anti-spyware because it is very highly rated and
provides real-time protection to stop spyware from
even being downloaded to your PC in the first place.
- Don't
carry your Social Security Card with you.
- Use
only a few credit cards. This way it is easier
to keep track of them.
- If
you are mailing your bills, don't put them in or on
your mailbox for your mail carrier to take. Take
them to the mailbox or the post office. Believe it
or not, it has become quite safe to pay
your bills online instead of mailing them in the
old fashioned way. Fewer people will have the opportunity
to process your payment if you pay your bills online.
- Never
provide your personal or financial information
to anyone who calls you on the telephone unsolicited.
I hope
that these identity theft prevention tips are helpful
to you. If you can think of any other useful ideas
I would love to hear them! Send me an email at [email protected]
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