10 ways to protect yourself from identity theft
Who should read this article:
Anyone over 18 with a good credit history should learn to protect themselves against identity thieves.
Introduction:
Identity theft is a very widespread problem, especially since the advent of the Internet. It’s very easy for identity thieves to find you, your credit card numbers, your social security number, and other personal information.
Let’s learn how to make it difficult for a thief to steal your identity and possibly ruin your credit rating.
Ways to protect yourself against identity theft:
Disconnected:
1. If you use your credit card in stores or gas stations, be sure to take the receipt home with you. Break it up (or better yet, shred it) and dispose of it properly. Most credit card receipts no longer show your full credit number, but you still don’t want to leave anything with your name lying around.
2. If you receive credit card offers in the mail, destroy them immediately. If an identity thief gets hold of this offer, they can pretend it’s you and charge your new credit card.
3. Discourage your credit card company from sending you blank checks. This is especially true if you have an unlocked mailbox. What can stop someone from breaking into your mailbox and finding those blank checks? If your credit card company insists on sending you blank checks, simply shred them and discard them upon receipt.
4. Give serious thought to becoming a member of a credit protection agency. We are members of Lifelock. You have probably seen their commercials on television. Besides Lifelock, there are three or four other reputable companies that you can consider. Just type “Lifelock” or “credit protection” or “protect your social security number” into your favorite search engine. There are some sites that will give ratings of each company. Just keep in mind that the site owner is not an affiliate of every credit protection company!
5. Never provide personal information over the phone or online. If someone sends you an email with an offer, but you have to provide personal information first, don’t do it! If you have a telephone attorney on the line, ask them to send you something in writing. Don’t buy anything over the phone.
6. Never carry your social security card in your wallet. If stolen, your SSN can now be used to identify someone else! I am surprised that social security cards do not have a photo of the holder, like driver’s licenses. Keep your social security card in a fireproof box at home. The same goes for your passport, if you have one.
Online:
7. Beware of ANY “something for nothing” offer in your email. You’ll be easy prey if you lose your job and “business opportunities” start pouring into your email account. Take it from someone who knows – I’ve fallen in love with a lot of these online “money making opportunities” and none of them have worked yet. Of course, no matter how rich the seller says he has become, he still has to charge you. If you buy your “success kit”, keep in mind that you now have your credit card number.
My credit card number has been stolen twice online: once from someone in Brazil and once from Russia. I had bought each of them something and they thanked me by buying computers, clothes and a nice watch for themselves using my credit card number!
8. If you are trying to be an online affiliate marketer, make sure the affiliate owner has an account with Clickbank or Commission Junction. That way, every time you sell something, Clickbank or Commission Junction, two reputable affiliate networks, pay you. Neither will have your personal information.
9. Make sure you have a good virus and phishing protection program on your computer. I have Windows Live One Care. This program came with my computer and it is excellent. It fully protects against viruses and phishing sites without interfering with what you are doing or slowing down your system. If I go to a site that shows a red flag, Windows Live will try to prevent me from accessing it and help me clean my system right away.
10. Along the same lines, you may want to consider restricting “cookies” from websites you don’t know well or trust. Cookies can help the website track where you connect online and you may not want this. In Internet Explorer, simply click on “Tools”, then “Internet Options”.
Now click on the “Security” tab. Click on “Trusted sites”. Now click on the “Sites” button and enter the addresses of the websites that you know you can trust. Make sure your security level is set to “medium” as a minimum.
Then click on “Restricted Sites”. If you are not sure which sites can harm your computer, set the security level to “High”. Setting your security level high will give you the maximum guarantees and security features.
Third, click on the “Privacy” tab. Make sure it is set to “Medium” at least. A medium setting will block third-party cookies that:
For. I don’t have a privacy policy
B. Save the information that will be used to contact or track you without your consent.
On this same tab, make sure the “Enable pop-up blocker” box is checked.
Conclusions:
Use your common sense and good judgment, especially online. Do not provide personal information except your credit card number if you are buying something. When buying something online, make sure the site has a Verisign safety rating. If in doubt, please do not buy the item from that site.
You can restrict your purchases to well-known stores with an online presence, such as Sears, Old Navy, Borders, and the like. There are also internet stores with just one online presence that you can feel comfortable with, places like Amazon.com and HSN.com. No reputable online website or offline store with an online presence can afford problems with their customers.
Online or offline, remember not to volunteer any personal information that someone doesn’t need to know. That includes your home address, your social security number, where you work, how much you earn, etc. If someone tells you that they need your credit card number or social security number for “verification” or to “verify your identity,” hang up immediately.
For more information on how to protect your child’s identity, read the two blog links below.
