by Damien on August 27, 2010 in Uncategorized
Identity theft is a growing problem and one that can have far reaching and devastating consequences for the victim. Most of us may think that identity theft is mostly about using a SSN number to check out books at the library or similar, but that’s not the case. Identity theft may result in someone using your identity to scam you out of all your belongings, put you in debt and commit crimes in your name. Stay safe always with these tips:
Be careful with your ID
The most common way of identity theft is someone posing as an employee of a bank, government office, police or similar in order to get hold of your SSN or credit card information. Be careful with divulging personal information over the phone or internet. Someone who has a legitimate reason for asking for your information will have the ability to prove their identity. Never allow yourself to be bullied into giving away your information
Keep your mail and trash safe
It’s not only private eyes who go trough other people’s trash. Your trash may reveal a lot about you, particularly if you don’t destroy your mail. Most important information is still sent by regular mail, even in these days of the email. Never assume that you can just dispose of this mail in the trash. If you have a letter with confidential information, make sure to completely rip it or burn it, because discarding it.
Check your balance and credit reports
You may not even know that you have become victim to identity theft, because the criminal will rarely take full advantage early on. Instead, it’s common for the thief to try and charge your credit card with a small unauthorized purchase. If you don’t respond to this, then he or she may go for the big score. In the same way, you should be careful with preapproved credit card offers, which are common hunting grounds for criminals and scammers.
Ask questions always
While some attempts at identity theft may seem crude and amateurish, the more advanced scammers will likely not be obvious. That is why it’s a good idea to always ask questions when someone is requesting your personal information. Any government employee for example would be prepared for this and have ways of verifying his identity. Also be very careful about what software you install and the websites you visit.
Stay safe online
There are many ways a criminal can get access to your personal information online. The most common way is by using so called phishing websites. These are websites that mimic other authority websites. They may ask you to change your password or similar. Then when you click the link in your email you will be taken to the false site, where the criminal will gain access to your password. Other ways of online identity theft includes scammers installing software on your computer without your knowledge, so called Trojans.
Stay safe with ID theft protection from http://www.protectyouridentity.org.
August 27, 2010 | No Comments Posted in Uncategorized
