Times Are Tough So Protect Your Identity

With the economy in bad shape, and more and more layoffs and foreclosures happening daily people are feeling all kinds of financial pressure. Because of this, there will be more than few online scams popping up on the Internet. Identity theft is one such scam. It will take on a new face with all the new sophisticated Phishing software that is now out there. Identity thieves have some new tools and ways to trick you. Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States today and can seem like a never-ending nightmare if it happens to you. You need to be really careful now when doing anything online.

Here are a few things you can do to lower your chances of becoming a victim:

Protect Your Personal Information. Do not give out personal info either over the phone or via e-mails that you receive. Businesses usually will not call or e-mail you asking for this information. If you have any doubt, tell them that you will call them back to speak to them. Find the number from their website or the phone book and call them back. This will ensure that you are not speaking with a thief who is fishing for your personal information.

Check all bank accounts, credit card, and other financial statements on a regular basis. If you notice that something does not look right, the sooner you catch it the better. The damage will be smaller and the problem will be easier to fix.

Buy a shredder and shred all documents that have important information such as your social security number, date of birth, and account numbers. Trash is public property and still a popular method for crooks to get a hold of your personal information so that they can steal your identity. You should be buying a cross cut shredder. If you feel you cannot afford a shredder, try to do things like putting your trash out as close as possible to the time it is collected.

Get a copy of your credit reports at least once a year. It is essential that you are checking your credit report to make sure that new accounts are not being unlawfully opened in your name. Report anything that does not look correct immediately. The law is that entitled you to a free credit report once a year. Get your credit from each of the 3 major credit bureaus.

Protect Your Mail. The easiest way for someone to steal your information is to take it from your mailbox. To prevent this, you should consider getting a lockable mailbox if you don’t already have one. You can get a box at your local post office for about $20/year. Always have the Post Office hold mail when traveling.

Being a victim of fraud is never fun. By taking the time to actively protect yourself will save you a ton of headache and financial worry in the future.