How Can I Avoid Being a Victim of Identity Theft?
Proactively Protect Yourself against Identity Thieves
The best way to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft is to make it as hard as possible for a potential thief to obtain your personal information. The harder you make it for an identity thief to obtain and use you personal information, the less likely you are to fall victim to this fast-growing crime.
According to CBSnews.com, "Every 79 seconds, a thief steals someone's identity, opens accounts in the victim's name and goes on a buying spree."
The top 10 things you can do now to
safeguard your identity are:
1. Protect your Social Security number
Don't carry your Social Security card in your wallet. If your health plan (other than Medicare) or another card uses your Social Security number, ask the company for a different number.
2. Don't Carry Too Many Credit Cards
Cut back on the number of cards you carry. Don't routinely take your Social Security number, birth certificate or passport with you.
3. Don't Get Scammed
Scam artists pretending to be banks, stores or government agencies may call you, e-mail you, or send you regular mail asking you to verify such personal information as your account number or password. Don't give out your personal information - unless you made the contact. Don't respond to any requests to verify your account number or password. Legitimate companies never request this kind of information in this way.
4. Shred rather than Trash
Don't just throw away papers that contain any personal information -- shred or tear them up first. Shred credit card offers and "convenience checks" that you don't use.
5. Check your Bills and Bank Statements
Open and review your credit card bills and bank statements right away. Report any unauthorized charges or withdrawals immediately. Call if your bills fail to arrive on time. This could mean that someone has changed your contact information to hide fraudulent charges.
6. Stop Pre-Approved Credit Offers
Pre-approved credit offers make a tempting target for identity thieves who steal your mail. Have your name removed from credit reporting agency marketing lists. Call toll-free 888-5OPTOUT (888-567-8688).
7. Question Inappropriate Requests for Information
Ask questions whenever you are asked for personal information that seems inappropriate for the transaction. Ask how the information will be used, if it will be shared, and how it will be protected. Consider taking your business elsewhere if you're not satisfied with the answers.
8. Monitor your Credit Reports
Check your credit reports once a year from all three credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Request all three credit reports at once or order a report from a different credit reporting agency every four months.
9. Shield your Computer from Viruses and Spies
Create strong passwords to protect your personal information on your home computer. Passwords should be at least 8-characters long, with a combination of letters, numbers and symbols. Make them easy for you to remember but difficult for others to guess. Use firewall and virus protection software that you update regularly. Avoid spyware by downloading free software only from sites you know and trust. Don't install any software unless you know what it is. Set your Internet Explorer browser security to at least a "medium" level. Don't click on links in pop-up windows or in spam e-mail.
10. Use Caution when Shopping Online
Be careful before you enter your credit card number or other personal information on a website. Read the privacy policy and look for opportunities to opt out of information sharing. Shop elsewhere if no privacy policy is posted. Only enter personal information on secure Web pages. Secure Web pages have "https" in the address bar and a padlock symbol at the bottom of the browser window. The information that you enter on a secure Web page will be encrypted or scrambled to protect it from hackers.
