January 23, 2008
How To Guard Against Identity Theft in 5 Easy Steps
By Dana Joseph
Stories of people who have experienced identity theft are everywhere today. Selling people tools to help them avoid becoming a victim of identity theft has become a growing industry. Credit companies provide services that alert customers to any suspicious activity in their names. Insurance agents have even started selling insurance policies to help combat the effects of identity theft.
Although the type of products offered to customers are very effective at flagging identity theft and cleaning up its mess, in this case an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure. No action is guaranteed to eliminate the risk of identity theft, but there are some ways you can reduce the risk.
1. Be picky about the way that you use your social security number. You shouldn’t make a habit of carrying it with you, whether on your social security card or another piece of identification. You should also avoid giving your social security number to anyone on the phone. Companies that you regularly deal with may ask for a portion of your social security number to verify whom they are speaking to, but you shouldn’t be asked to give out the entire number.
2. Inspect your credit card receipts to be certain that they don’t disclose your entire credit card number. Most businesses have moved to printing only the last four numbers on receipts, but you should be on the lookout for those that haven’t made that adjustment just yet. Mark through all but the final four numbers if they appear on the receipt. Retailers don’t need the additional numbers, and you’ll keep anyone who has custody of the receipts from having custody of your credit card number.
3. Purchase a shredder. More inexpensive than ever, a small personal shredder will allow you to safely dispose of unnecessary paper without giving out personal records. In addition, many shredder models now have the ability to shred expired credit cards.
4. Only shop on secure internet sites. Most websites have a link to their security information; make sure that any website you shop on has enlisted the latest security tools to safeguard your personal information.
5. Be on the lookout for bogus emails requesting your personal information. These emails appear to be from trusted websites like Ebay or Paypal, but they’re just ploys to gather your private information. The emails will say things like “Your account is in jeopardy. You must follow this link to our site and verify your information.” When you do as you were directed, you really end up visiting their website and giving them your information.
Remember that the best way to determine if the email is genuine is to open your browser and go directly to the website in question. If there really is a problem with your account, you should be able to get to the same message without following any email links. Otherwise, you can be fairly certain the email was fraudulent. To be certain, consider forwarding the email to the actual company’s fraud department. They will verify that the email isn’t from them.
Tips like these and a little common sense are certain to help you avoid exposure to identity theft. By being careful about what information you release to others and when you do it, you can sleep soundly knowing that you’ve lowered your risk.
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Topics: Identity Theft |
4 Responses to “How To Guard Against Identity Theft in 5 Easy Steps”
Comments
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January 23rd, 2008 at 10:05 am
Fantastic list of steps for a very relevant problem. ID theft is a growing challenge for financial institutions, credit bureaus, and individuals.
I’d invite you to read about my experience with identity theft at
http://www.thewisdomjournal.com/Blog/my-identity-was-stolen/
January 24th, 2008 at 9:38 am
Ever wonder why credit card companies sent out millions of ‘pre-approved/just sign and mail’ offers, then turn around and want to sell you credit card protection?
I bet identity theft would plummet if the credit card companies stopped sending their junk mail.
January 26th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
Some other things you can do:
- keep track of your credit report, and look for unusual activity
- Don’t carry your SIN, password or birth certificate in your wallet or purse
- change your passwords often and use secure passwords for online banking and other financial websites.
February 2nd, 2008 at 9:23 am
[...] How To Guard Against Identity Theft in 5 Easy Steps at Not Made of Money. My favorite tip: Inspect your credit card receipts to be certain that they don’t disclose your entire credit card number. [...]