Would you ever consider driving in rush hour with a blindfold on? If you do I'd like to know where you're driving please. Protecting yourself from identity theft is equally as important. Don't think just because you're educated or poor that it couldn't happen to you. It happens to people from all walks of life. According to The President's Identity Theft Task Force, there can be as many as 10 million victims of identity theft yearly. You can however, learn to protect yourself by using common sense and it won't cost you a thing.
Know Your Credit Report
Obtaining your annual credit report is probably one of the best things that you can do for yourself. You can obtain these free credit reports yearly from Equifax, Transunion or Experian. You can also go on line to AnnualCreditReport.com. This will enable you to see if there are any disputable transactions your accounts may have or if a loan has been taken out in your name. The earlier you can find a discrepancy, the earlier you can try to fix it.
Keeping track of your monthly credit card or bank statements is a must for determining any questionable entries.
Stay Alert
Your driver's license, Social Security card and laptop are as valuable as any cash you might have to someone looking for information. Keep them with you at all times when you are not at home. Leaving them unattended even in a locked car is not an option.
Dont Get Hooked By Phishing Emails
If you get an email looking for personal information such as account numbers or passwords that you think may be from your bank, it's likely that it isn't really your bank emailing you but someone looking to gather information. These emails can be made to look as realistic as needed in order to seem legitimate. The best thing that you can do is not even respond to these messages. But if you happen to realize after the fact that you have replied to one of these sites mimicking another such as eBay, contact eBay immediately and change your password and freeze your account. Hopefully nothing will happen other than learning a valuable lesson in identity theft.
Know Your Credit Report
Obtaining your annual credit report is probably one of the best things that you can do for yourself. You can obtain these free credit reports yearly from Equifax, Transunion or Experian. You can also go on line to AnnualCreditReport.com. This will enable you to see if there are any disputable transactions your accounts may have or if a loan has been taken out in your name. The earlier you can find a discrepancy, the earlier you can try to fix it.
Keeping track of your monthly credit card or bank statements is a must for determining any questionable entries.
Stay Alert
Your driver's license, Social Security card and laptop are as valuable as any cash you might have to someone looking for information. Keep them with you at all times when you are not at home. Leaving them unattended even in a locked car is not an option.
Dont Get Hooked By Phishing Emails
If you get an email looking for personal information such as account numbers or passwords that you think may be from your bank, it's likely that it isn't really your bank emailing you but someone looking to gather information. These emails can be made to look as realistic as needed in order to seem legitimate. The best thing that you can do is not even respond to these messages. But if you happen to realize after the fact that you have replied to one of these sites mimicking another such as eBay, contact eBay immediately and change your password and freeze your account. Hopefully nothing will happen other than learning a valuable lesson in identity theft.
About the Author:
Worried about identity theft and other types of internet threats? Learn how to set up solid internet security so you don't get taken on the net. Get more tips and safety information at http://www.securitymanor.com
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