Statistics say that there were over 14 million recorded identity thefts in a span of 2 years (January 2001 to middle of May 2003) in the US alone. Imagine what the statistics are like worldwide. United States Victims ended up shedding a total of $4 Billion out of their own money. The number has only gone up since then. By reading this article, I hope you will learn how to avoid being another identity theft statistic. Here are some things you can do to protect your credit and your identity from thieves. Remember that you can never 100% protect yourself against identity theft as we use our personal information to purchase stuff everyday. However, you can definitely mitigate the risks.
1. Be careful of people nearby who look like the are snoopy. These are people who try to take a peek at what you are doing over your shoulders Always be alert of your surroundings when you are working in a public space. Try to have a privacy screen when you are working in public, such as a library. Always remember the more people there are at any one place, the bigger the chance that there is an onlooker.
2. Destroy all sensitive data, paper or digital. If it is a paper document, shred it until it is unrecognizable. If it is digital, thoroughly erase all information. If you are not giving it away or selling it, I recommend destroying the hard drive with a hammer. If you are giving away your computer or selling it, always use top of the line software to wipe your data completely. Experts recommend going over your data twice to make sure nothing is left on.
3. Always protect your digital devices (such as laptops and phones) with a password. Internet access is abundant and so you definitely do not want unwarranted access to your stuff. Speaking of which, also always protect your home network with a firewall and a password. People who pry on open networks can steal personal information on your system. On my mobile phone, I have a password to unlock the phone and another password to unlock my sensitive apps.
4. Have an alarm system at home and in your automobile. Criminals very rarely break into anything with an alarm because once it is set off, the chance of them being identified skyrockets. Additionally, alarm systems are really a hassle to disam and are usually not worth it for the criminal.
5. Make sure to enroll in a credit monitoring service such as TrueCredit. These services will alert you of any odd happenings on your credit report. It is also helpful to have fraud protection with your credit card issuer and checking account. They are very good at identifying unusual purchases and will alert you of such. Also be sure to get fraud protection on your credit cards if you do not have it already.
Use the above tips to safeguard yourself against identity theft. If you take the precautions above, you may be one of those people who have never gotten their identity stolen. I am a huge e-commerce guy so my credit card information is all over the place. But I have never gotten my identity stolen. If you take the advice I have given above, you can greatly reduce your chances of becoming a victim.
1. Be careful of people nearby who look like the are snoopy. These are people who try to take a peek at what you are doing over your shoulders Always be alert of your surroundings when you are working in a public space. Try to have a privacy screen when you are working in public, such as a library. Always remember the more people there are at any one place, the bigger the chance that there is an onlooker.
2. Destroy all sensitive data, paper or digital. If it is a paper document, shred it until it is unrecognizable. If it is digital, thoroughly erase all information. If you are not giving it away or selling it, I recommend destroying the hard drive with a hammer. If you are giving away your computer or selling it, always use top of the line software to wipe your data completely. Experts recommend going over your data twice to make sure nothing is left on.
3. Always protect your digital devices (such as laptops and phones) with a password. Internet access is abundant and so you definitely do not want unwarranted access to your stuff. Speaking of which, also always protect your home network with a firewall and a password. People who pry on open networks can steal personal information on your system. On my mobile phone, I have a password to unlock the phone and another password to unlock my sensitive apps.
4. Have an alarm system at home and in your automobile. Criminals very rarely break into anything with an alarm because once it is set off, the chance of them being identified skyrockets. Additionally, alarm systems are really a hassle to disam and are usually not worth it for the criminal.
5. Make sure to enroll in a credit monitoring service such as TrueCredit. These services will alert you of any odd happenings on your credit report. It is also helpful to have fraud protection with your credit card issuer and checking account. They are very good at identifying unusual purchases and will alert you of such. Also be sure to get fraud protection on your credit cards if you do not have it already.
Use the above tips to safeguard yourself against identity theft. If you take the precautions above, you may be one of those people who have never gotten their identity stolen. I am a huge e-commerce guy so my credit card information is all over the place. But I have never gotten my identity stolen. If you take the advice I have given above, you can greatly reduce your chances of becoming a victim.
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