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ID Theft Prevention and Detection
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| Identity
theft occurs when someone steals your
personal information and uses it to commit
fraud and/or other crimes without your
knowledge. Identity theft can happen to
anyone, especially with the growing number
of ways we use our personal information.
There is no foolproof method of identity
theft protection. This page will give you
some easy ways for identity theft
prevention. |
Ten Easy Ways to Prevent Identity Theft
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1) Be a minimalist
with regard to identity theft prevention:
Only carry the personal information you need
with you - this includes your Social
Security card, your passport, and your
checkbook.
2) Use common
sense:
To aid in identity theft prevention and
protection, use caution when choosing
passwords and PIN numbers. Don't use
predictable numbers like your Social
Security Number, credit card pin code, or
anything else easily detectable (pet's name,
mother's maiden name, etc.). Perpetrators of
identity theft are often acquaintances of
the victim - don't make it easier for them
to steal your identity.
3) To help yourself
with identity theft prevention, pay
attention to the mail:
If you are expecting a new credit card,
driver's license, or other sensitive
material, watch the mail closely and contact
the issuer immediately if it does not arrive
when expected.
4) Are they who
they say they are?
One of the more well-known rules to follow
for identity theft prevention is to not give
out your credit card number over the phone
unless you have an existing business
relationship with the company and you
initiated the call.
5) Shred the
evidence:
Make sure your account number doesn't appear
in full on your receipts. If it does, shred
it before throwing it away.
6) Keep your Social
Security number to yourself:
An excellent identity theft protection rule
is to give your Social Security number out
only when absolutely necessary.
7) Pass it on, or
don't:
Request that look-up companies remove your
information from their databases for
purposes of identity theft prevention.
Contact Lexis-Nexis at (800) 227-9597 and
Information America, Inc. at (800) 235-4008.
8) Computer Safety
101 - The first step in online identity
theft prevention:
Install a firewall on your computer to keep
internet hackers from accessing your data
and avoid using generic words like password,
userid, username etc… that are easy to
detect while saving identities in text
files. Make sure the website is SSL secure
before committing transactions to avoid
identity theft.
9) Inquiring minds
don't need to know via e-mail:
Do not send confidential information over
e-mail and never respond to any e-mail
request for such information.
10) Neither do
inquiring web surfers:
Visit online directories, like the
following, and remove yourself from them
(directions in parentheses):
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ID Theft Protection & Early Action
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If you do become a victim of
identity theft, the best thing
you can do is detect it soon
after it happens. The less time
a thief has with your identity,
the more damage you can prevent
- that's why we are available 24
hours a day, every day of the
year for your identity theft
protection.
Some
easy ways to detect identity
theft:
Order your credit report
periodically from at least one
of the three major credit
bureaus (Trans Union, Equifax,
or Experian).
Each month review your credit
card statements and phone bills
for unauthorized charges.
Take
these steps now to make
recovering from identity theft
easier:
Keep a list of photocopy of all
credit cards, account numbers,
expiration dates, and customer
service/fraud department
numbers.
Memorize all your passwords.
Never keep a list of them in
your wallet, purse, card, or
desk at work. If you have a
lockbox, keep a list there. |
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