Guarding Yourself Against Identity Fraud

The crime of identity theft is not only financially devastating, it also invades every aspect of your life, making you feel unsafe and afraid. Unfortunately, this crime is on the rise.

Unfortunately, this is only getting more common with the widespread use of the internet. We think nothing of providing our bank account numbers, credit card numbers, and even social security numbers to sites online. What we rarely think of, though, is how far and wide those supposedly private numbers are traveling.

This leaves the sender with only the ability to hope it will land in the right hands. All too often, however, this information falls short of its location and rolls off into the hands of criminals.

How can you prevent this from happening? You need to rethink how and to whom you provide your personal and financial information.

Begin by recognizing potential trouble spots. For instance, automatic payments are increasingly popular because of the ease and convenience they offer. But are they safe for you to use?

They can. Thieves are easily able to intercept your banking information, and once they have this, they are able to begin making purchases with your money.

E-checks provide thieves with all the information they need to make fraudulent purchases. A good policy may be to limit your use of checks to stores you visit in person.

You should also utilize the online bill payment option on secure websites. This is much safer than using checks and provides identity thieves fewer opportunities to steal your financial information.

Because everyone is experiencing a money crunch in this tumultuous economy, identity theft is only going to grow more prevalent. If you haven’t been taking active measures to protect yourself, now is a good time to start.

Do not assume that if you throw away material with personal information, no eyes will ever again look upon it. One of the most common methods of identity theft is rummaging through trash.

Credit card and bank statements are gold to identity thieves. They contain all the information they need to make purchases, apply for more cards, and more. Before you throw anything of this nature away, shred it. The few seconds you spend on this are well worth it to protect your identity and privacy.

Lastly, make sure that the information you divulge online is protected by a secure website and that you check your credit score often.

You will easily and quickly spot any irregularities that may be caused by identity theft. Take advantage of your free annual credit report for this purpose. You can also opt to receive monthly updates or alerts when something changes. For a minimal fee, it provides great peace of mind.

Also, by knowing which secured sites you use, if your information is stolen, you can contact them immediately to retract your information. You must be proactive to protect your identity.

Tagged with: fraud • identity fraud • identity theft • identity theft protection • internet crime • internet fraud • Reference & Education • theft

Filed under: Reference & Education

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