Temp asked:
In the world of identity theft prevention, staying safe is much more difficult today than it was 30 years ago. The influence of the Internet on our society has made people become slightly lax in terms of how much personal information they are willing to give out. One danger is the youth-oriented trends of Facebook and Myspace. But you don’t need to be a student, either- mothers filling out coupons, young professionals entering information on online resumes, etc are all sharing their private details in a public domain.
When you consider that identity theft is the quickest growing form of fraud, identity theft protection begins to seem a lot more important. The age range with the fastest growing rate is 18-29, so it would seem that these networking sites may be doing more harm than good. After all- a large spread of people posting such detailed information as full names, addresses, birthdays, phone numbers, etc is pretty much an identity thief’s dream come true.
Your awareness is probably the best thing you have going for you in terms of protection. Know when to expect your financial statements and bills. If you don’t receive something you’re expecting, let someone at the institution know. The same goes for any charges you can’t account for or any sudden spikes in your interest rate. Use this same awareness in the personal sphere- don’t let people get close enough to you to see credit card numbers or your PIN number at a checkout counter or an ATM.
Always delete your personals from a shared computer and never use a computer for finances that does not have up-to-date virus and firewall software. Take measures to protect your own computer- traveling laptops especially. You should always have up-to-date virus and firewall protection. Know that anything you post on the Internet can be seen by everyone- thieves and prospective employers alike.
Be smart- don’t pick obvious passwords. The names and birthdays of loved ones or pets are about as obvious as it comes and basically amount to inviting thieves in. Similarly, don’t carry your Social Security card on your person. Shredding any mail that includes personal details is also a wise idea. If you receive mail with an incorrect name or address- contact the sender to see how the information came to be incorrect.
Don’t give out information via the phone or email to companies you do not know for a fact to be legitimate. Most companies that ARE legitimate will not be asking for such information in the first place, especially not unsolicited.
Your credit report can be your gauge for how you are doing. Always look closely at your report for inaccuracies, including names, accounts or addresses that are not your own. Use certified mail to dispute all such inaccuracies. Errors in your credit report happen at a surprisingly high rate (about 1 in 4). Both identity theft and an errors alike can ruin your credit rating, so it’s best to keep a close eye.
To receive free, annual credit reports call this toll-free automated number: 877-322-8228.
Anthony
In the world of identity theft prevention, staying safe is much more difficult today than it was 30 years ago. The influence of the Internet on our society has made people become slightly lax in terms of how much personal information they are willing to give out. One danger is the youth-oriented trends of Facebook and Myspace. But you don’t need to be a student, either- mothers filling out coupons, young professionals entering information on online resumes, etc are all sharing their private details in a public domain.
When you consider that identity theft is the quickest growing form of fraud, identity theft protection begins to seem a lot more important. The age range with the fastest growing rate is 18-29, so it would seem that these networking sites may be doing more harm than good. After all- a large spread of people posting such detailed information as full names, addresses, birthdays, phone numbers, etc is pretty much an identity thief’s dream come true.
Your awareness is probably the best thing you have going for you in terms of protection. Know when to expect your financial statements and bills. If you don’t receive something you’re expecting, let someone at the institution know. The same goes for any charges you can’t account for or any sudden spikes in your interest rate. Use this same awareness in the personal sphere- don’t let people get close enough to you to see credit card numbers or your PIN number at a checkout counter or an ATM.
Always delete your personals from a shared computer and never use a computer for finances that does not have up-to-date virus and firewall software. Take measures to protect your own computer- traveling laptops especially. You should always have up-to-date virus and firewall protection. Know that anything you post on the Internet can be seen by everyone- thieves and prospective employers alike.
Be smart- don’t pick obvious passwords. The names and birthdays of loved ones or pets are about as obvious as it comes and basically amount to inviting thieves in. Similarly, don’t carry your Social Security card on your person. Shredding any mail that includes personal details is also a wise idea. If you receive mail with an incorrect name or address- contact the sender to see how the information came to be incorrect.
Don’t give out information via the phone or email to companies you do not know for a fact to be legitimate. Most companies that ARE legitimate will not be asking for such information in the first place, especially not unsolicited.
Your credit report can be your gauge for how you are doing. Always look closely at your report for inaccuracies, including names, accounts or addresses that are not your own. Use certified mail to dispute all such inaccuracies. Errors in your credit report happen at a surprisingly high rate (about 1 in 4). Both identity theft and an errors alike can ruin your credit rating, so it’s best to keep a close eye.
To receive free, annual credit reports call this toll-free automated number: 877-322-8228.
Anthony
