20 Steps to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft

More and more people get victimized by identity theft. According to the publication Privacy and American Business, 14 million Americans fell prey to imposters. As early as this part of the year, $56.6 billion has already been lost to identity theft. Meanwhile in Canada, identity theft has cost over $8.5 million in losses. This is how serious the extent of identity theft has become and it is set to continue to grow over the next few years.

Moreover, identity thieves are also growing more cunning than ever. They would steal credit card information from bills and mail. They hack databases and even deceive you to give out your personal information by sending fraudulent emails to you, posing as your bank or financial information.

This grave crime does not seem to stop and thus you need to do whatever you can to prevent yourself from being victimized by identity theft. Here are some ideas that you can use to prevent identity theft:

1. Do business transactions only with merchants and financial organizations that you both know very well and trust.
2. When you are discarding bills, paperwork, and documents that contain your personal information, shred them first, instead of just throwing them away.
3. Do not click links embedded on email messages that come from unknown sources or even from seemingly legitimate companies. Criminals can pose as someone or some company that you trust and you might end up giving them personal information.
4. Keep your computer updated with the latest anti-virus and anti-spyware programs to make sure that you are protected.
5. Avoid using predictable passwords such as your pet’s name or your birthday because criminals might try using them.
6. Keep personal documents hidden in secure places away from the view of anyone but you.
7. Watch out for suspicious charges in your credit card bills and bank statements and immediately ask your bank if you see any discrepancy.
8. Report fraud to your bank and the authorities immediately.
9. Always collect your mail as soon as it is delivered so that nobody else may gain access to the information that it holds.
10. Avoid ATM machines in places with questionable security.
11. Check the slot of the ATM machine where you insert your card for any attachments that look suspicious, and if you see something dubious, report it immediately.
12. When you are using the ATM be aware of what is happening around you. Be sure to hide the keypad from other people’s view especially when you are entering your PIN.
13. Do not divulge much personal information online.
14. Shop only at reputable sites online. Make sure that their payment system is secure.
15. When you use your credit card while shopping in stores, always make sure that you can see where it is going. Always check the amount that will be charged to your account.
16. If you are going out of town inform your post office so that they may hold your mail while you are away, otherwise, have someone you trust collect your mail regularly.
17. Do your homework and probe people and companies that sell products for investment. You may do well contacting the authorities to make sure that such companies have licenses and good track records.
18. You should never give your passwords and other account information to anyone, even to people who claim to be working for your bank. Legitimate institutions would never actually ask for your password because you are usually the one who is supposed to type it into their online forms.
19. Be careful when engaging with international transactions because it is harder to investigate overseas dealings.
20. Enroll with one of the available identity theft protection/prevention services.

Follow these steps and you are somewhat sure to protect yourself from internet fraud. And if you do encounter problems contact the authorities immediately to avoid any untoward incidents. When it comes to an open channel of communications like the Internet, you can never be too careful.

Identity theft is a serious matter that you would definitely want to avoid. Otherwise you may compromise not only yourself, but your entire family as well. You can never be too careful in terms of your identity and you should always be alert anywhere you go and with anything you do. Identity theft is a clear and present danger, but it is possible to reduce the chances of it happening to you by following the steps outlined above.