Identity theft usually happens when a certain person unlawfully
gets your personal data like your Social Security Number, Credit
card Accounts, Driver’s Licence Number and other information
about you.

The person who obtains your personal information utilizes it to
his or her loan or credit card application, which is under your
name. The thief also uses it to do unlawful purchases or to use
any of your active financial accounts.

Identity is very rampant today, but there are significant
guidelines you can consider which will help you lessen the
potential of becoming one of the identity thieves.

1. Do not give any of your personal details such as your birth
date, social security number and accounts numbers on the
telephone especially when someone asks you for it.

In addition, do not give it through email except if you are the
one who started the contact and if you know the person who will
receive your information.

2. Tear into pieces the papers that have your personal data
before disposing them. This papers includes credit card bills,
checking accounts and bank accounts

3. Have correct and present records of all your cards and include
the person to contact when they are missing or stolen. If
possible, make copies of your credit cards and put your service
number on the copies.

If you are not using your credits card now, make sure to store
them in a safe place and have it locked.

It is also nice to store your unused checks, social security
card and bank statement in a safe place.

4. You should also ensure to make credit card receipt copies
when buying something. Moreover, confirm if your credit card was
returned to you.

5. It is necessary to monitor your credit report every year.
There are three main credit card reporting offices, which can
help you do it.

These three reporting offices allow you to have a free credit
report annually. If you want, you can visit their websites and
ask for a free report.

6. You should also ensure that when you are withdrawing from any
ATM machines or stores, there is no one at your back who could
freely see your PIN number.

Also, be sure that no one hears you when you are giving your
credit card number or other personal data about you to someone
on the telephone.

7. When buying something online, ensure that the website is
safe.

8. When using your personal computer, be able to use firewalls
or any virus protection. You can also make use of your password
that consist of not purely letters, purely numbers and purely
symbols.

It should be a combination of at least letters and numbers,
letters and symbol, symbols and number or else a combination of
the three.

Remember not to use passwords that obviously come from your
birth date, anniversaries or phone numbers. If necessary,
memorize your passwords. Never write them down somewhere.

9. Do not reply to any emails that request your information
update. Contact the credit card office or the bank directly to
update your personal information.

Keep in mind that bank and other financial or non-financial
institutions do not ask for information update through email.
So, beware of those frauds that ask it from you.

10. If you notice many pre-approved credit offers in your
emails, call the credit card company and request to have your
name out of the promotional lists they advertise.

11. Place all your mail at the post office rather than leaving
it in your mailbox. You are giving the identity thief a chance
of stealing personal information from you this way.

12. Make sure that you pick up your new issued checks personally
from the bank. Do not permit them to be sent to you by mail.

13. Put passwords in all your accounts for your safety. Again,
use the combination of letters, numbers or symbols when making
passwords.

14. You can always apply for an identification theft insurance
policy.

15. You can also register to any credit watch offices. This type
of office makes checking of all your credit reports simpler by
automatically informing when something has changed in your
report.

In this way, it will be possible for you to know if someone
attempts to make credit under your name.

By simply following the solutions below, you are surely avoiding
yourself from becoming a victim of any identity theft.

About the author:

Author: Josiah Walter

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