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Society > Crime > Identity Theft > Preventing Identity Theft > Still More Identity Theft Prevention Tips
Still More Identity Theft Prevention Tips
Submitted 2005-12-21 09:52:06 by psiolent
Rating: 5 (1 votes) | 1026 Views
Section: Preventing Identity Theft
Found an article with some more good tips for preventing identity theft. Most of these are tips we've heard before, but there is no reason not to reiterate them to drive them home.
The number one tip listed in the article is to use a shredder. This is most definitely one of the most important things you can do to protect yourself. Buy one of those powerful diamond shaped shredders that can shred old credit cards.
The rest of the tips from the article:
- Be careful about sharing personal information. Do not give account or credit card numbers over the telephone or Internet.
"Unless you have initiated contact with a business or entity, you should be very leery of giving out information about yourself," Marin District Attorney Edward Berberian said. "When a third party is coming to you and asking for your information, your first reaction should be 'I am not going to provide that.'"
- Be careful when providing personal information in public, whether giving it verbally or entering account numbers in an ATM machine.
"Be aware of shoulder surfers," said Vallejo police Sgt. Ken Weaver, supervisor of the identity theft unit of the Northern California Computer Crimes Task Force. "When you use your credit card, shield your information from prying eyes."
- Carry just one or two credit cards in your wallet or purse and leave the rest at home. Do not carry your Social Security card with you.
"You do not need all five credit cards in your wallet at the same time," Weaver said.
- Put passwords on accounts.
- Remove your name from mailing lists.
- Secure information on your home computer by installing a firewall which can prevent unauthorized access.
- Monitor all bank and credit card statements regularly for accuracy. Periodically request copies of credit reports and review for unauthorized accounts or changes. Correct mistakes in writing. |
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