 Wysłany: Nie 14:21, 13 Mar 2011 Temat postu: 5775 |
|
| Tips To Protect Yourself From Identity Theft
Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes of this century, and the biggest problem behind it is that people are too free with their personal information. That does not mean you should turn into a hermit or a recluse, but you MUST use some common sense about revealing your personal information and virtually ANY information that could be used by someone to steal your identity. In brief, identity theft occurs when someone opens accounts in your name, using your name, social security number, etc. Then THEY get the credit card based on your good credit rating, they charge it to the hilt, and then disappear. The first you learn of it is when you get a call from the Visa or MasterCard company asking when you intend to make a payment. Tips to protect you from identity theft are listed below. 1. Guard your personal information. The most important thing to do to prevent identity theft is to be careful about sharing personal information. If you are asked to give personal information, ask how it will be used and why it is required, and who it will be shared with. NEVER write your social security number on your personal checks. 2. Don't leave personal info in the open. When you are out and about or at a party or other social gathering, keep a hand on your purse or wallet, or be sure to put it in a place where you know it will be secure. This also applies to your workplace, where you might put your purse under your desk, but then you take a break or go to the restroom and leave it unattended. 3. Shred, shred, and shred some more. Those pre-approved credit card offers you get in the mail? Don't just tear them up, shred them. Also shred bank statements and credit card statements that you don't need to keep. Many identity theft crimes come from dumpster divers who find these nuggets of personal information in people's trash, and a bit of scotch tape can put it all together again. 4. Very few places need to know your Social Security number. Unless you are dealing with the government or your employer or your bank, nobody else needs to know your Social Security number. 5. Protect your credit card. Never loan your credit card to someone, and if you lose it, make sure you notify the card issuer immediately, don't just think "oh it's around here somewhere, it will turn up" because you will forget about it. Never give out your credit card number in a voice message or to someone over the phone unless you are 100% sure of who they are, and perhaps not even then. 6. Protect your PIN. Cover your hand when you are entering your PIN number at an ATM or department store or gas station. If you suspect something may be wrong, purposely enter the wrong PIN and see if the machine accepts it, and if it does, you can be sure that this machine has been compromised. These things, and others, can help protect you from identity theft. If you are a victim of identity theft, the amount of damage done, plus the expenses it will cost you, plus the amount of personal time it will take to straighten it out is far worse than taking logical and sensible steps to protect yourself. For more information about how to Protect Yourself From Identity Theft please visit our web site at http: //www. identity-theft-info. comTopics related articles： article3878 8265 article329 |
|
