So your old dear grandmother, who is in the nursing home, bought a new Harley and seems to have gone on a road trip down to Daytona. Yeah, I think not. Identity theft is a major concern for many people, and rightly so. Stealing someone's identity is easier than ever because of online shopping, more sophisticated to glean information of credit cards means, and the ignorance of people about how little information is needed to to steal your identity. According safeidentityprotection.com, your name and address or date of birth is really all an identity thief needs to get started on the misuse of your personal financial information
There are many ways that identity thieves can obtain personal information about you. The easiest way is to find a wallet or credit card lost or stolen these objects of an unsuspecting victim. Thieves also through garbage for financial records or other documents containing sensitive information on them. Other ways thieves get this information includes call unsuspecting people and pretend to offer deals on vacation or loans at low interest rate, but require personal information in order to proceed. There is also a practice known as "phishing", where the thief uses malware to comb your computer to obtain personal information. In other cases, tricks "phishing" victim to provide personal information on what appears to be a "legitimate" website or other electronic correspondence. In some cases, thieves have a handheld scanner that can be used to simply slide your credit card - it gets all the information on the card to a new card can be produced using the information of your account
. So what can you do to protect yourself? The FBI website offers several preventive measures for people to take.
- received credit card Shred old bank statements and other financial documents. If you do not have a shredder so make sure you cut these with scissors to help deter thieves.
- Never give personal information by phone, email, or mail unless you initiated the contact with the entity requesting the information.
- always store your personal information in a safe place.
- Protect PIN and passwords. An Excel spreadsheet protected by password is a good way to keep track of all your passwords and login information.
- Carry only the minimum amount of identifying information (never carry Social Security cards on you).
- Remove your name from all mailing lists for cards and pre-approved credit telemarketers.
- Order and carefully consider the biannual copies of your credit report and review your monthly bank statements.
- request that the DMV to issue an alternative license number if you currently use your social security number.
- BE AWARE!
If you are a victim of identity theft, be sure to contact your bank / credit card companies to notify any unauthorized charges. If new accounts have been set up in your name that you have not authorized, be sure to immediately contact the companies and notify them by phone and in writing of fraud. Also contact the police in the community where it is believed that the identity theft took place. Make sure you document the names of people you talk to, and a summary of the call and when the call took place. Some insurance companies offer coverage for legal fees and fees for the filing of documents to get your credit restored. Check with your insurance agent to see if you have coverage and application.
For more information please visit the FBI website. Have you been victim of identity theft? Please share your experiences and tips with us!
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