Stay Safe Now To Prevent ID Theft Later
When most people talk about the impact ID theft has had on their life, they talk about the incredible financial impact, but the most lasting scars from ID theft are often the psychological scars. Victims often talk about how violated they feel and that stress can manifest itself in a whole host of very real physical ailments. Unfortunately, there is no foolproof way to safeguard yourself from identity theft, however there are a few common sense things you can do in your every day life to significantly lessen the chance that your identity could be stolen.
Secure your environment.
If we should ever undergo the horrible experience of being robbed, we often run to check to see if priceless family heirlooms or valuable pieces of jewelry were stolen, but the truth is that the most valuable thing we own is our identity. More and more homeowners are reporting that important documents that contain credit card numbers, social security numbers and other vitally important pieces of information are coming up missing during home invasions. If you don't own a home security system, seriously consider getting one and make sure you lock your doors on your car and in your home, even when you are at home.
Secure your important documents
Making sure your front door is locked at all times is just the tip of the iceberg. If you don't already own one, consider getting a small safe that is too big to carry out of your home for all of your important documents. Key locks are often more secure than combinations but make sure you don't leave spare keys lying around that could be easily taken. You don't need a personal vault, but a small, locked away space will secure your vital records from prying eyes.
Moreover, be sure that you don't leave checks in your mailbox all day while you're at work. Take the check to the post office on your own or hand it directly to your mail person.
Buy a shredder and remember to use it
Most of us that are serious about protecting our identity have already gone out and purchased a shredder; the problem is that most of us forget to use it each time, every time. The other problem that many of are guilty of is that we go out and buy the cheapest model we can find which does a poor job of shredding the documents we want to keep secret. Make sure you pull apart the shredded documents before you throw them away to help scramble them even further and don't cheap out when buying the shredder you need.
Be careful as you shop online
There are many ways to stay safe while you shop online, but perhaps one of the most important is to use sites like PayPal that allow you to pay merchants without revealing your credit card information to that site.
Watch what you say on the phone
We have all heard of phishing schemes on the Internet, but some criminals are so bold that they try a similar trick over the phone. Americans from coast to coast have reported getting phone calls from men and women claiming to be from their local bank or credit card company who ask for social security numbers and bank passwords. To protect yourself, hang up and call the bank or credit card company directly to ensure that the request for information is genuine. If it is, the person you hung up on will understand.
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