Ways to Protect Yourself Against Identity Theft Online
Identify theft is on the rise and showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Identity thieves are more knowledgeable and using more sophisticated means to obtain your personal information, making them more dangerous than ever. However, you can still protect yourself from becoming an identity theft victim by following a few safety tips.
1. Shred all financial documents before throwing them in the trash. Identity thieves will search through your garbage for anything containing your personal information, such as credit card slips, utility bills and bank statements.
2. When you withdraw money from an ATM, rip up the receipt before tossing it in the trash can.
3. Regularly monitor all of your bank and credit card account activity. Notify your bank or credit card company of any unauthorized withdrawals or suspicious charges and file a police report.
4. Check your credit reports. You can get a free credit report from each of the three credit major credit reporting agencies. Look for any credit inquiries from companies you never requested credit from, accounts you never opened or addresses where you’ve never lived.
5. Immediately contact the credit reporting agencies if you suspect that your identity has been used to fraudulently open an account. File a fraud alert and request a security freeze on your credit file. Depending upon the state you live in, a security freeze can remain on your report until you request in writing that it be lifted, or for as long as 7 years.
6. If you shop online, use PayPal or some other internet payment processor to pay for your purchase. Using PayPal eliminates the need to enter your credit card information each time you make a purchase and their site is secure. If you don’t use PayPal, make sure that the site where you enter your payment information is secured before entering your information.
Staying vigilant about protecting your identity will keep you one step ahead of identity thieves.
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