How To Prevent Identity Theft
What can we do to prevent identity theft or lessen the opportunity for would-be theives? There a few basic and iron clad things people can do today to dramatically lower the incidence of any sort of criminals using your information.
Get and Check Your Credit Report
Now that we have the FACT ACT (“Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act”) which was signed by President Bush in 2003, consumers today can now obtain one free credit report once a year from each of the three credit report companies. By obtaining this crucial information, consumers can see and track all the purchases they have used on their credit card.
Don’t Carry Your SSN or PIN In Your Wallet
This is a no brainer but must be stated otherwise. Do not carry your SSN (social security number) around in your wallet or purse. As well, don’t carry your PIN number to your ATM card around. Tangible items such as a wallet or purse can be easily forgotten, misplaced or stolen.
Don’t Make Stealing Your Identity Easy!
Nowadays we have many passwords and PIN codes to remember. It is often easy enough to use your birth date, wedding date or home address for many of your passwords or PIN codes and then re-use them for other passwords or PIN codes. Things like this will make the would-be thief’s job much easier to solve. Instead, pick passwords or PIN codes with no rhyme or reason and change your passwords and PIN codes every few months.
Work Alongside Your Bank Or Credit Union
Most of us, if not all of us, have a bank account and a credit card. Banks and credit unions have measures in place to prevent identity theft but they still need your help. If you notice something is wrong like you never received your statement, contact the bank or credit union. It’s better to be safe and cautious with such crucial information.
Don’t Leave Important Papers Lying Around
Your work and your home are two of the places you may think wouldn’t matter if you left your credit card statement on the fridge or your receipts on your desk at work. No matter where you are, secure important papers in a locked filing cabinet and dispose of important paper with a cross shredder.
We can’t totally prevent identity theft but we can sure decrease the chances of it happening. Take these tips to heart and implement them today.
