What are the best ways to prevent or reduce the risk of identity theft? This is a somewhat complex subject so for now we’ll just touch on 4 things you can do to right now to limit your risk.
As a career banker I cannot begin to recall how many times I’ve seen credit negatively impacted by identity theft. It is just a fact of life these days - it can and does occur with increasing frequency.
Here’s an actual account of the nightmare one former client of mine endured:
http://www.renterrecords.com/reports/rbranham
What Can YOU Do About It?
First of all, protect yourself by never carrying more sensitive information on you than you positively need. For example, if you have multiple visa cards, do you actually need to have all of them with you when you go to the grocery store? Of course not! You shouldn’t carry more than two credit cards on your person at any given time.
This recommendation is even more critical for your social security card. Unless you are having to show your social security card for a specific purpose such as a job application, it should always remain in a secure place in your home.
Secondly, do not give your ATM or credit card information out over the telephone or web unless you are positively secure the site is secure. This is one of the most important ways to stop ID theft. Some services such as PayPal have developed specifically so little merchants can offer card options without breaching security. If a merchant that you don’t know doesn’t offer such an option, pass on the purchase.
Third, shred all documents that contain identifying info. It isn’t enough to tear them up - bin divers are more than willing to piece individual torn up papers back together. A shredder is an inexpensive investment that will look after your life! Another alternative would be to burn these items (just do so carefully please).
The final component is to stay on top of your identity/credit picture regularly! You can do this by subscribing to a reputable service that provides this information to you for a small monthly fee. The thinking here is the same as with anti-virus protection for your computer - you take proactive steps to monitor and guard against attacks on your pc, so why would you not do the same thing with your identity? Do not put off this last step; should any problems arise you want to know about them as soon as possible.
Click on THIS LINK to get started right now!
