10 Tips To Avoid Being An Identity Theft Victim Did you know that in 2006 alone, more than 9 million Americans lost their money amounting to $5.5 billion? The reason? Identity theft! If you’re not one of these people, then consider yourself lucky. However, that is no reason to let down your guard. Identity theft still continues to be a number problem not just in the US but in other countries as well. With the popularity of online shopping and online businesses ever increasing, cases of identity theft fraud are also on the rise. The strategies used in stealing identity are also becoming more advanced as identity thieves make use of technology to their advantage. As a consumer, how can you prevent identity theft? Consider the following tips: 1) Get a copy of your credit report. All consumers are entitled to get a free copy of their credit report once a year from any of the three major credit bureaus. Grab this opportunity to make sure that there are no unauthorized charges made in your account. In case there is, you can contact the credit bureaus immediately to set things straight right away. 2) Make your PIN codes unique. Do not use easy to guess references for your passwords. Birthdays and names of persons are what most people use because they’re easy to remember. However, identity thieves are smart and they can easily guess such codes. 3) Do not provide your personal information. Some identity thieves call their victims over the phone by asking them to “confirm” their bank information. You may also receive e‐ mails asking you to confirm the last four digits of your SSS or your bank account number. NEVER give out any information without calling your bank first for confirmation. 4) Use filters online. If you can afford it, investing on anti‐virus, anti‐spyware, and phishing filter is worth your money. Phishing is a tactic used by id thieves to deceive internet users. A website can look exactly like your trusted website when in truth, it is a false one. A user can enter important details on the site thinking it’s safe without realizing that the site is actually a fake. 5) Regularly check your bills. Keep track of your credit card bills to make sure that all charges to your account are accurate. 6) Dispose your credit card receipts and bills correctly. Never throw receipts, bills, or bank statements in your trash without shredding them to small pieces. If you have old credit cards, do no just cut them into halves. Make sure they are cut into small pieces before throwing them out. 7) Do not give out your Social Security number unless absolutely necessary. If you are asked to provide your SSN, make sure that the company has a Privacy Policy. Better yet, request to use another type of identification aside from your SSN. 8) Check the security of the website. Secured websites begin with https:// and has a padlocked icon on the bottom right corner of the browser. Make sure that the merchant uses a 128‐bit encryption to protect your information from getting hacked.
9) Do not write your personal information in pieces of paper. A piece of paper can get easily misplaced or stolen. Make sure that your personal details are kept in safe place that only you know. 10) Keep an eye on your credit card. When using your credit card, especially when dining out, do not let your credit card out of your site. Instead of handing your credit card to the waiter, insist on taking the credit card yourself to the cashier and keep a close eye on it.
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