Avoid Being a Victim of Identity Theft

 Avoid Being a Victim of Identity Theft

Identity theft is currently the most rapidly increasing crime in the nation, according to certain law enforcement officials. The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse's helpline receives more calls regarding identity theft than any other topic. The vast majority of victims have no idea where the criminals obtained their private data.

Up to 25% of annual credit card fraud losses may be attributable to this type of theft. Unsurprisingly, nearly half of identity theft victims(49%) don't think they know enough to keep themselves safe from cybercriminals.

How Can You Protect Yourself From Identity Theft?

1. Report on Credit

Get a copy of your credit report once a year from the three main bureaus. Be sure to review your credit reports thoroughly to make sure they are accurate and free of any signs of fraud. This includes things like unauthorized accounts, inquiries, charges, defaults, and delinquencies, as well as credit applications and charges that you did not initiate. Pay close attention to personally identifiable information (personal details), such as your name, address, and Social Security number, and verify its accuracy in your credit report. Inspect your file thoroughly to ensure that you are familiar with all of the information lines.

2. Report on Social Security

If you want to double-check that your social security earnings are accurately recorded, you can get your earnings and benefit statement once a year. A possible explanation for the inflated figures could be that someone is applying for jobs using your Social Security number. Note: All eligible workers aged 25 and up now receive these statements each year in the mail from the Social Security Administration.

3. Examines

If you have any doubts about who wrote a given check, you should contact the people named on the check. Whoever you wrote the check to is known as the payee. You must cancel your checking account due to identity theft, so notify all of your payees of this fact. Request that all payees exempt you from paying any late fees or returned check costs. After that, cease payments on the old check and send a new one to each of the payees drawn on your new account. Include a note with each new check that explains the situation and reminds the payee that they have agreed to waive the late payment or returned check fee.

4. Email

Stopping mail delivery at the post office is a better option than leaving your mailbox unattended while you're away. Someone may have stolen your mail if you haven't received your credit card statement or a new or renewed card by the due date. The post office may have posted a change of address if you find that your mail is decreasing in volume. Make sure you've notified your creditors of your move if you haven't already done so through the post office. Prevent the theft of your mail. Do not leave departing mail in an unattended mailbox; instead, use a collection box or visit your local post office. Get all of your mail out of your mailbox right away. If mail theft is a problem where you live, you should secure your mailbox. As a result, mail theft will be less likely to occur.

5. Accurate Documentation

If you want to be prepared in case your credit cards are stolen or lost, have a list of all the numbers, expiration dates, and customer service and fraud departments' phone numbers handy. Keep this list in a safe place, away from your wallet or purse. Gather all of your financial cards and write them down or make copies of them. Make sure you record the following details for every card: account number, expiration date, credit limit, and customer support and fraud department phone numbers. Also, keep the account details and a list of all your bank accounts in a safe place.

6. Misplaced or Taken

Either a criminal or the buyer could end up without their wallet or purse. The criminal may then open credit accounts in the victim's name using the stolen PII.

7. Gathering

If creditors or collection agencies contact you for an account that you do not have or have paid in full, ignore them. Someone may have added charges to an existing account or created a new one in your name without your knowledge or consent. Unauthorized transfers or withdrawals will show up on your bank statements. A creditor contacts you by phone to inform you of a credit approval or denial even though you haven't submitted an application. Also, you can receive statements for credit cards that do not belong to you. Credit is denied to you despite your best efforts, and the reasons given have little to do with your actual financial situation.

Keeping Records 8.

There is a wealth of valuable information stored in laptops and notebooks. Always use a strong password to secure important data. Keep your personal identification numbers (PINs) and passwords (passwords) free of obvious details that a criminal could use to access your account, such as your Social Security number, date of birth, middle name, spouse's name, child's name, pet's name, mother's maiden name, address, phone number, or a string of consecutive numbers. Go over the password-software.com article for some pointers on creating secure passwords. Never enter your credentials again after using an automated login function, and remember to log out whenever you're done.

9. Credit/ATM Cards

Cancel your ATM card immediately in the event that it is stolen, misplaced, or compromised in any other way. Renew your card and set a new PIN. Take prompt action by contacting the provider's fraud and customer service departments in the event that you suspect unlawful use. Never give out sensitive information over the phone, such your Social Security number, bank account details, or credit card number, unless you initiated the call and have a solid business relationship with the company. Verify all financial, banking, and phone accounts using a password. The last four digits of your social security number, your birthdate, your mother's maiden name, a string of consecutive numbers, or your phone number are all examples of information that should be avoided. If you don't want your credit report to show that you have any "open" or "active" accounts, cancel the ones you don't use. While using a phone calling card or an ATM, protect the keypad or ATM from accidental drops or scratches. To keep track of your statistics, some shoulder surfers utilize binoculars or video cameras. Never reveal your access code (PIN) to anyone and always cover the PIN entry when using automated teller machines (ABMs) or point-of-sale terminals. Because you could face legal consequences if you use a PIN combination that includes your name, phone number, date of birth, address, or Social Insurance Number (SIN), it's important to choose a PIN that is difficult to figure out. Never give out your PIN to anyone, even if they appear to be from a bank or the police. Keep all of your credit card, debit card, and ATM receipts on hand at all times. You should never dispose of them in a public trash can. When you're done with them, either ear them or shred them at home.

10. Garbage

What is wasteful to one person can be valuable to another. Before disposing of papers, shred them. Prior approval forms, credit card statements, bank records, and any other documents containing personal information should be shredded. Make a note of every single password and PIN. Retain them confidential. One way identity thieves get your personal details is by "dumpster diving" through your trash or recycle bin.

Eleven. Information Available to the Public

Some identity thieves get their hands on public documents by searching public databases, including obituaries published in newspapers, public phone books, and publicly available records of professionals' certificates. You could want to think about leaving your home phone number out of the phone book altogether, or you could want to list just your name and number without the address. Think twice about including your title or affiliation (such as "Dr.," "Atty.," or "Ph.D.") with your name and phone number.

12. Banking Through the Internet 12.

To prevent hackers from gaining access to the information you entered when you logged out of a website or completed an online banking transaction, sign out of the site and delete your Internet data and caches. The "security" section of most banks' websites will have advice on how to empty the caches. A secure connection is active when you see the "https" in the URL header and the padlock icon in your Internet toolbar at the bottom of the screen. Select Tools, and then Internet Options, in Microsoft Internet Explorer. Press the Delete Files, Delete Cookies, and Clear History buttons on the General tab.

13. Taking photos

Never give out personal information to a stranger who calls. Creditor, landlord, or employer impersonation is a common tactic for identity thieves looking to steal sensitive information.

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