Ways to Protect yourself from Identity Theft
Identity Theft is a hot topic. Here's some simple ways to cut the chance of it happening to YOU.
Identity theft isn't new but it is certainly becoming a lot more prevalent and in the modern world where what computers say about you must be true, criminals are finding it all too tempting. Whilst it's bad enough with the short term risk of financial loss due to someone cleaning out your accounts, trying to regain your identity again is the real problem and it is far from uncommon to take a year or more reclaiming yourself. After all, how do you prove you are the real Mr Smith when your driving licence, credit cards and tax records say you live somewhere else?
Here are some ways you can help protect yourself against this horrendous event happening. We'll start by looking at some simple things you can do at home.
- Always tear up or better yet shred receipts, bills, copies of credit applications, insurance forms, doctors statements, cheques and bank statements, expired debit and credit cards and any credit or insurance offers received in the post.
- Where possible, put passwords on your credit card, bank and phone accounts. Make sure it's not something obvious though such as your mother's maiden name, your birth date, or your phone number.
- Be aware of your card and utility billing cycles. Follow up any if your bills don't arrive when expected.
- When ordering new cheque books, ask if you can collect them at the bank rather than having them posted.
- Try to take any outgoing post to a post office rather than your nearest post box.
- Make sure any personal information in your home is locked up so anyone working at your house can't find it.
- Don't give out personal information on the phone unless you initiated the contact. If someone calls you, don't tell them your code words or any other details you would usually use to identify yourself to them. If necessary, call them back using a number you obtained from their web site or a telephone directory. Do not call back using a number they give you.
- When online, if you provide personal information (e.g. when accessing your bank website), be sure that the SSL Secure (yellow lock) icon is present at the bottom of your browser. The lock icon indicates that your web connection is secure.
- Confirm you are dealing with a legitimate organization, before providing any information.
- Check an organization's website by typing its URL, rather than cutting and pasting it from an email you have received.
When at work, you can do other things to help protect yourself:
- Make sure you keep your personal belongings locked in a safe place.
- Ensure your PC has up to date virus protection. This also applies to PCs you may use at home.
- Check your firm has a firewall, if not, use a personal firewall on your computer.
- Never open files or launch attachments sent to you by an unknown person or even someone you know, unless you were expecting them. This too goes for home - if you didn't expect it, don't open it. An innocuous joke game might be a trojan program that records all your passwords.
- Password protect any personal financial information stored on your computer.
- If you change jobs, make sure you delete all personal information stored on any computers you have used.
As long as you stick to the above rules, you should be reasonably safe. Constant vigilance is the key and awareness of the value of information you have around you and how it could be used by someone as the first step to taking over your identity.
