Losing your personal information or identity is extremely violating and increasingly common.
Unfortunately, this is only getting more common with the widespread use of the internet. We think nothing of providing our bank account numbers, credit card numbers, and even social security numbers to sites online. What we rarely think of, though, is how far and wide those supposedly private numbers are traveling.
This leaves the sender with only the ability to hope it will land in the right hands. All too often, however, this information falls short of its location and rolls off into the hands of criminals.
How can you prevent this from happening? You need to rethink how and to whom you provide your personal and financial information.
Do you know how information gets stolen? Do you know the risky behaviors that can lead to theft? Take, for instance, automatic payments. These are popular because they’re so easy, fast, and convenient. But can they lead to identity theft?
They can. Thieves are easily able to intercept your banking information, and once they have this, they are able to begin making purchases with your money.
E-checks are also very convenient, but they contain all the valuable information that criminals need in order to make fraudulent purchases. To be safe, you can limit checks to in-store use only.
Also, instead of checks, you should consider using the online bill pay option on secure websites. This is set up to be more secure, so identity thieves do not have easy access to your information.
Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the country, and it is sure to only rise as the economy worsens. Now is the time to take action to protect your personal and financial information.
In addition to online security, pay attention to your paper mail. Criminals are not above rooting through trash to obtain mail with sensitive information. In fact, this is one of the more common means through which identity thieves obtain information.
Credit card and bank statements are gold to identity thieves. They contain all the information they need to make purchases, apply for more cards, and more. Before you throw anything of this nature away, shred it. The few seconds you spend on this are well worth it to protect your identity and privacy.
When you do make purchases or provide your information online, make sure you are doing so through a secure site. You can tell by the little lock icon on the address bar. Check your bank and credit card statements regularly so you can detect any unauthorized activity. Also, as a precautionary measure, check your credit report now and again to make sure there aren’t any fraudulent accounts or charges.
You will easily and quickly spot any irregularities that may be caused by identity theft. Take advantage of your free annual credit report for this purpose. You can also opt to receive monthly updates or alerts when something changes. For a minimal fee, it provides great peace of mind.
Also, by knowing which secured sites you use, if your information is stolen, you can contact them immediately to retract your information. You must be proactive to protect your identity.
