Tips for Preventing Identity Theft
In the not so distance past, identity theft was a crime that was given little regard in criminal court. Identity theft has literally ruined lives by destroying credit and leading to false arrests. Victims are not even typically aware that their identities have been stolen until they go to apply for special licensing or credit somewhere and are denied based upon a bad background check or a bad mark on their credit report. More often than not, there are steps that could have been taken by the victim to help prevent the theft of their personal information. Just how can we as individuals protect our good names and credit?
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1. Examine your credit report - By examining your credit report one to two times a year, it is easier to notice any unusual and fraudulent activities. There is a website that allows you to examine your credit report from the three major credit agencies once ever 12 months FREE of charge. Take advantage of it! You can also request your credit history from any or all of these agencies at any time if you're willing to pay the price.
2. Report unusual activity - If you start receiving strange phone calls about receiving services that you don't remember, find that police may be questioning you about events that you had nothing to do with, receiving mail about services that you never applied for, or notice strange things with your financial institution or credit history, immediately notify your banking institutions, at least one of the credit reporting agencies, and the police. The credit agencies can put a 90 day to 7 year fraud alert onto your credit report.
3. Too much information is a bad thing - Do not provide your driver's license, state identification number, social security number, or birth certificate to anyone when it's not needed. If you are applying for jobs, keep in mind that many other people may handle that job application before it reaches human resources. This gives anyone who an access it a chance to write down. Provide this information only at the time that you fill out other necessary taxation and hiring forms. This will help assure that your information remains on a need to know basis.
4. Don't voice your information in public - When dealing with certain agencies or while on the phone in a public place, you may be asked for personal information. If you can, write it down and give it to the necessary party. Ask them to tear it up when they are finished. If you're on the phone, let the person know that you are in a public place and do not feel comfortable giving up such private information in a public forum.
5. Burn important documents before discarding them - Many people buy paper shredders and use them regularly. This step alone is not an effective one, especially against a determined thief. A good thief can extract information through shredded documents simply by digging through refuse and taking the time to reassembling the pieces, much like a puzzle. When you burn paper, it turns ash and becomes relatively unreadable.
6. Lock down your computer - If you do a lot or even the smallest amount of online banking, installing anti-virus software protection is important. Make sure that it takes measures against malware programs or install one for that as well. Most viruses destroy computer systems by corrupting data, launching applications in a hidden manner, or by monitoring system activity. Malware (short for malicious software) are hidden programs that often collect information and then transmit it to a specific source. Malware can be used to gather your precious banking information or anything else that you might enter online such as your driver's license or social security number.
7. Ditch the checks, go plastic - When you order checks through the mail, they are at risk of being stolen. Most companies make no effort to hide the fact that there are checks being delivered; they're sent in boxes that are about five inches long, three inches wide, and about three inches tall. If they come directly from a banking institution, the bank's name may be affixed to the return shipping label. The same applies for mail order check printing companies. Any alert thief knows these packages and will be on the lookout for them. It's also best to leave your driver's license or identification number OFF of the checks. Only provide them in person and when you are asked for it. The lack of them being printed on a paper check should prompt cashiers to actually check your identification when presented with the check. The best option is simply to ditch the paper and go with the plastic. While debit and credit cards are just as likely to be stolen, they often don't have your driver's license or identification number available.
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