In a world where identity theft plagues consumers, what are you doing to stay safe?
As many people have found, successful identity theft can rock one’s financial health. While many people overcome the financial road block, others are not so fortunate. For those in the latter group, they can lose a lifetime of savings.
That said there are barriers you can place between you and identity theft thieves. In doing so, you make it much more difficult for them to compromise your identity.
So, is it time for you to review what steps you should be taking to stay a step ahead of criminals?
Staying a Step Ahead of Criminals
To keep the upper-hand against identity theft thieves, keep these pointers in mind:
1. Commonsense – Often, commonsense will keep you protected. That said some fail to use commonsense in giving out their personal financial info. If something sounds too good to be true, it more than likely is. Don’t fall for online scams (see more below), scams over the phone, and scams via regular mail.
2. Protection – Have you thought about using an identity theft protection program? There are a variety of I.D. theft protection services out there. You can do an Identity Force review or a review of any other companies with protection services. Those services can offer notifications when fraud is present. This includes monitoring of credit cards, bank items, and public records. In all, whatever protection plan you select could be what you need to keep criminals away.
3. Internet – Pre-Internet, thieves relied on regular mail and credit card receipts for info. Flash-forward to the worldwide web and there is a whole new ballgame. That said make sure you are cognizant of all your online activities. This means not giving out your username/password to others to get into your computer. You also want to steer clear of being too social on social networking sites. Never give out details such as where you bank or where your retirement accounts are at.
If Trouble Strikes
In the event you are the victim of identity theft, don’t panic.
There are resources like your bank, credit card companies, and police to assist.
It is important that you keep a calm head and try to work through the problem.
Yes, there is a good chance you have been saving money for years. That said you have to rebound so that you can go on living your life and in the process paying your regular bills.
Assuming you are able to get back on track with your finances, what should you take away from the experience?
To start, review your daily habits. If you do any of the following, these need to change:
· Don’t shred financial paperwork when throwing it into the garbage
· Don’t leave credit card receipts sitting around in public
· Don’t leave your computer on at work with personal financial information for all to see
· Don’t give out personal financial info over the phone unless you know who you are talking to
In doing your best to not compromise your identity, will you stay a step ahead of identity theft thieves?