5 Tips For Protecting Your Self From Identity Theft

Looking for 5 tips for protecting yourself from identity theft? The world is a wealth of information so guarding your identity, at all times, is essential. These 5 tips for protecting yourself from identity theft will help you make sure you never compromise the safety of your personal information.

1. Protect your financial details. Many people that use the internet do not realize that email is not secure. A number of people send their credit card or banking details via an email. By engaging in this behavior, you are risking your identity and personal information to someone who might be lurking in order to abuse your financial information. Do not send any bank, credit card, or financial information via email.
2. Watch out for crooks via email. Protecting yourself from identity theft means keeping one-step above the criminal. Often a thief sends a mass email claiming they are from a specific company, and they need you to click the link to change your login information. Never follow a link in an email, companies do not ever ask you to change your login information via email. When you follow the link and change your details, the new information is sent directly to the crooks that can gain access to your personal information.
3. Check your mailbox frequently. You should know how much mail you receive on a regular basis such as bills and financial statements. If you find you have not received mail for several days in a row, contact your local post office immediately. One way of protecting yourself from identity theft is to make sure your mailbox has a lock on it. Often thieves rummage through mailboxes without locks attempting to gain access to your identity.
4. Keep your social security card safe. Do not carry your social security card in your wallet or leave it in your vehicle's glove box. This is a great way of protecting yourself from identity theft. A prized possession or thieves, gaining access to your social security number is a thieves jackpot.  If they gain access to your social security number, they can esesentially "become" you and wreak havoc on your credit. Additionally, never give out your social security number to anyone unless you know the company or person is reputable.
5. Know what’s in your credit reports. Protecting yourself from identity theft is getting your annual credit reports and making sure the information is yours. In other words, all of the accounts listed, you should recognize as yours. If you do not recognize an account, immediately dispute it with the credit bureau. Make sure to get annual credit reports from all three major bureaus.

Sources:

Federal Trade Commission