Identity Theft

These days most of us are aware of the need to prevent identity theft from messing our lives up in a big way.

So what do we do? Some may shrink from participating in modern life. They may refuse to use the internet, and deny themselves all of its benefits, through fear of having their ID stolen. They may try to live without credit so they do not have to give out their personal information.

Living that way may indeed reduce the chances of being a victim of identity fraud, but would certainly restrict their lifestyle choices.

Others may believe that it "only happens to the other guy." They live their life without taking the trouble to safeguard personal information and therefore put themselves at risk.

Neither of those two attitudes is the way to go. To enjoy the advantages of modern living you have to disclose sensitive information at times, you can't avoid it. On the other hand, being careless about your personal details only increases the chances of becoming a victim of fraud.

To do all that you can to prevent identity theft happening to you, without giving up living, you need to be aware of all the ways crooks could obtain access to your personal data. Then ensure that you take all reasonable steps to stop that happening.

Even in this electronic age criminals still go dumpster diving and sorting through trash, hoping to find juicy snippets of private info they can use. We accumulate so many documents, letters and forms containing personal details that we simply have to throw some out. Before we do however, we should take the precaution of shredding them, using a shredder that cross cuts and so reduces the documents to confetti.

How about your mailbox? Is it secure, can it be locked up so as to deny thieves easy access to your mail?

Phishing emails and phone calls are a constant threat. The email may look genuine or the phone call may sound convincing, but would your bank or credit supplier request details from you that they already have? No, if you think there is a chance the request is genuine, then pick up your phone and call them to find if they really sent the email or made the call.

Prevent identity theft online by keeping your security software and firewall up to date, you do have those, right? And never log on without your virus protection is running. It is also wise to always use the latest version of your browser.

How about the passwords that you use online? The longer the password that you choose, the more secure it is. If it is possible to do so, use a good mix of lower and upper case letters along with numbers and other characters. Never use real names, birth dates, names of pets etc. Change passwords frequently and do not use the same one for each site.

Enjoy social networking, but do be careful about what you post on your updates. A small piece of personal info here and there could give away a lot about your ID.

Be very cautious when using Automatic Teller Machines. If there is anything fishy, anything that does not seem right about the cash machine, don't use it. If there is anyone unnaturally hanging around, then find another ATM to use.

Doing all of the above will go a long way to prevent identity theft impacting your life. Remember also to check bank and credit statements frequently. If you spot something amiss, report it immediately.

Find out more about Identity Theft Prevention.

Martin Underwood writes about all aspects of home, personal and vehicle security. Read what he has to say about Medical Identity Theft.

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The truth is no matter what precautions you take or no matter how careful you are, there is no 100% way of preventing Identity Theft. The Federal Trade Commission, the U.S Department of Justice, and the U.S Attorney General's Office have all stated that there is no full proof method to avoid this crime. There is an upside however. By making yourself aware of the threat we are faced with and opening your mind to the way these identity criminals think, you can start minimizing the risk of becoming a target. There are proven steps and measures you could use that will definitely take you out of the spot a light and one step ahead of these crooks.

5 Steps That Will Minimize The Risk Of Becoming A Victim Of Identity Theft

Step 1: The first important thing consumers can do to protect their identity is to monitor their credit reports. By law, the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act requires each of the 3 major nationwide consumer reporting companies to provide you with a free copy of your credit report once a year. You can submit a request for a copy of your free credit report at freecreditreport.com or you can call 1-877-322-8228. They ask not to call the credit reporting companies directly because they only provide free reports through their web address and phone number. This will give you the opportunity to see if there are any unauthorized accounts opened in your name.

Step 2: Don't give out personal information over the phone, on the internet, or through the mail unless you first initiated the contact or are sure you know who you're dealing with. Identity thieves have posed as representatives of national banks, members of a charity, and even government agencies to get people to give out their account numbers, Social Security number, and other personal information. Before you share any personal information, always be sure your dealing with a legit organization. You can check an organization's website by typing its URL in the address bar. Do this instead of cutting and pasting it. Or you can call customer service using the number listed on your statement or in the telephone book just to ensure it is in fact them calling.

Step 3: Protecting your mail is very important. Make sure that every single piece of mail with any kind of personal information, even if it's just your name on it, is cross-shredded before you throw it away. Simply tearing it up into pieces is not going to be good enough. This only provides the thief with a puzzle that they can easily piece together. Drop off your outgoing mail in a post office collection box or at your local post office, instead of leaving it in an unsecured mailbox, especially curbside mailboxes. Always quickly remove any mail from your mailbox. If you're going to be away from home and can't pick up your mail, contact your local Post Office and ask for a temporary hold, or a vacation hold. They will hold your mail there until you pick it up or when you are finally home to receive it.

Step 4: Do not carry your Social Security card, credit/debit cards, or passports if you don't plan to utilize them. Carry only credit and debit cards that you need for the day. Same goes for any other personal identification. If you must have it on you, (i.e. Driver's License/I.D) ensure that it is secure. If you are at work, be sure to keep your wallet/purse in a safe place. Places of employment are known for having wallets or purses stolen. Do the same with any copies of administrative forms that might have your personal information on it.

Step 5: As a U.S citizen you have the right to ask about personal information security protocol or procedures at your place of work, other businesses, institutions that collect personal data, doctor's offices, schools, you name it. Find out about their disposal procedures for personal records and ask if your information will be shared with anyone else other than them. If your information is going to be shared, you should definitely ask what safety precautions they will take to keep your information confidential. If you have a problem with the place of business not being able to disclose that information or simply does not have an answer. It would be best to contact the F.T.C immediately to make them aware of the situation at that particular institute.

In Conclusion...

There are between 10-15 million people affected by Identity Theft Each Year. 10% of those victims are children. That means every 3 seconds a new person has their identity stolen. There are other ways to ensure the safety of you and your family's identity. You just have to become aware of the threats around you and what you can do to avoid them. One of the most important steps a person can take in the fight against Identity Theft is to practice awareness for you and family.

Julius C. Rocha is a professional identity theft resource advisor, and has assisted many families in practicing awareness on Identity Theft all across America, to learn more about Julius, see Helping Others Today

To Learn more on how to prevent Identity Theft from happening to you and your family or to learn ways on how to minimize the risk of becoming a victim, Check out, Safety For Your Identity

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Identity theft has become a widespread occurrence. It has victimized many people as well, severely affecting them for life. Identity thieves are all over and they continue looking for ways to victimize more people in order to gain from them through extremely illegal means. With a single mistake, an innocent individual can fall into the hands of the wicked criminals. While the situation is a very alarming one, anyone can prevent identity theft and avoid becoming a casualty. An excellent means to do this is to have identity theft protection. Such services are now readily available to help people from becoming identity theft victims.

A lot of people are often lax in their ways. They think that they are not prone to be singled out by identity thieves. Due to this, they tend to become careless with their habits, even doing things that jeopardize their sensitive information. It is this negligence that causes unfortunate incidents. This is the kind of rashness that perpetrators of identity theft are constantly watching for. Most often, these thieves follow-up after the heedlessness of those people with sloppy habits. One concrete example is improperly discarding documents containing sensitive information. For some people, this does not present any problem. For the identity thieves, this is an opportunity.

Fortunately, that particular habit can be changed for the good. The most obvious solution would be to acquire a shredding machine. However, when people perform financial transactions without verifying if the site is secure, they are also putting themselves at a high risk. Sending out private data like social security numbers and credit card information recklessly is tantamount to personally giving away valuable information to strangers. When this happens, it is certain that this unsuspecting giver of information will be on the course to suffering the consequences of irresponsible actions. But if he has adequate identity theft protection, it is most likely that he can be forewarned of any suspicious activity involving his sensitive data. With this, he will be able to prevent identity theft.

Having the right kind of security can help people steer clear of identity thieves. Likewise, it is a step in the direction of a safe and secure lifestyle, with no fear of having unwanted attention on private information. Through the system adapted by many identity theft protection companies, consumers have better ways to protect themselves and their lives from the ruin that has been inflicted on many people who had little or no security for their identities at all. In other words, anyone can have someone that can be trusted to help monitor illegal activities involving their accounts. Doing so can help provide further protection and, thus, less sleepless nights.

Anyone who wants to prevent identity theft instinctively knows the things that need to be done. Signing up for effective identity theft protection services is one method of stepping up security. Another is to improve personal habits. Side by side, these two are powerful lines of attack to keep away from the unwelcome attention of identity thieves. Complement these by acting promptly to protect confidential data.

If you want to prevent identity theft, then strengthen security for your sensitive information through offerings created to keep them off the hands of identity thieves. Find out ways to intensify defense with the credit report monitoring offered by TrustedID at http://www.identitytheftlabs.com/.

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If you use the internet frequently, chances are you may be presenting yourself as a possible victim of online identity theft. One in every five people will have their identity stolen at some time in their lives. Not all become victims due to activities on the internet but nonetheless, internet identity thieves are becoming more and more elusive in their tactics. Because of this we need to keep our guard up now more than ever before. Here are some tips to help prevent becoming a victim to this deceitful crime.

1. Do not give out your personal information to people you don't know.

This may seem rather obvious to most people but it is surprising how trusting some people are. If something about a situation doesn't seem quite right, then go with your instincts.

2. If you are asked to update information from a financial institution by email, don't do it.

Identity thieves have been known to send spam emails made to look like they came from financial institutions. By clicking the link you are directed to a separate webpage identical to that of your financial institution. By entering your information, you are giving the identity thief full access to your account. Whenever you want to visit the webpage of your financial institution, make sure you type the address into your internet browser rather than using a link.

3. Do not make online purchases unless you are on a secure, trusted site.

Many people who are new to online purchasing fall for this one. Any time you are making a purchase and you are asked for your credit card information, look at the internet browser's address bar. Secure web addresses begin with "https". If it shows "http" do not enter your credit card information.

4. Select "difficult-to-crack" passwords.

Especially do this for highly private accounts like banks and financial institutions. You should consider using passwords with a mixture of capital and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. Passwords should be at least 8-10 characters long but the longer the better. Also, make sure you are not using the same password for every site. A password cheat sheet can be created to help you remember the passwords and usernames for every site. Keep the cheat sheet in a secure but accessible location and do not save an electronic copy on your computer.

5. Make sure your computer protection software is up to date.

This day in age it is extremely important to have a good antivirus, anti-spyware and firewall installed on your computer and always kept up to date. There are many good free ones available but most of the time the free versions do not update automatically. It is usually a worthwhile investment to purchase a good internet security system that constantly updates by itself. This way you can set it and forget it.

Now that you know the top 5 tips for protecting your identity online, it's time to apply them. Remember, try to be aware at all times to whom you are giving information to. Only enter credit card information on secure websites and immediately delete strange emails. Also, do not get lazy with your password selection and computer protection software. They may someday save you a lot of financial and emotional burden and prevent you from becoming the one in five.

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