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Identity theft—wise up with prevention
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Identity theft cannot be completely prevented. However, there are some preventive steps that one can take to lower the chances
of becoming a victim.
of becoming a victim.Do not carry any identification or card in your wallet or purse that has your social security number printed on it. Yes, this means do not carry your social security card, Medicare card, and health insurance cards. See What’s in your wallet—a social security
Minimize the number of credit cards that you carry. The more you carry the greater the risk that you will be a victim of existing account fraud should your wallet or purse be lost or stolen. The more cards you carry the greater the potential financial damage and complexity of your case.
Shred all documents that contain your name, social security number, date of birth, or account numbers before you discard them. Check that junk mail doesn’t contain your personal information, and if it does, shred it first, especially those preapproved credit card offers and credit card checks. Every household should own an inexpensive paper shredder—make sure it is the crosscut or confetti variety. Strip shredders don’t “cut-it!” If you have many documents such as tax returns, pay stubs, old bills, etc. find a “shred fest” in your area where you can shred bulk documents for free.
Protect your outgoing and incoming mail. Outgoing mail, which can be stolen, often contains your account numbers and other sensitive information. It is best to deposit your outgoing mail inside of your local post office so there is no chance for it to be stolen from your residential mailbox or from U.S. Post Boxes. Never leave your outgoing or incoming mail unattended. For example, don’t put your mail in the outgoing mail bin at work where everyone has access to it. Monitor your mail—a missing monthly credit card or bank statement may be a clue that mail has been stolen and your personal information contained in the mail is being misused.
Monitor what is inside of your mail too. Do you see unexplainable charges or items on your credit card, bank and medical statements? If so, it may be a clue that someone is misusing your identity or account numbers. Take action quickly. Look for clues in email too, for example, today I received an email notice from my multimedia communications company (telephone, Internet, TV) confirming that I recently changed my on-line account password. However, I didn’t make a change, so I immediately contacted them by telephone to resolve the unauthorized account change. (This email notice could have been a phishing scam too!)
Don’t be lured. Be careful of email, phone calls and snail mail that request your personal information. Don’t fall for phishing or vishing scams or other social engineering schemes.
Use basic on-line computer security and safe-surfing techniques. Use hardware and software firewalls; use anti-virus, anti-spyware and anti-malware security software regularly and keep them up-to-date. Keep your operating system (Windows, MacOS) and software application security updates current. Never conduct e-commerce on a website unless it is secure. The website address should begin with "https://www. . . " The "s" means secure. Look for the closed lock on your browser's
address bar.
address bar. Is that it? No. I could go on, but here is one last tip to help you prevent identity theft.
Use common sense. Be aware, be careful and act sensibly. Be A Wise Old Owl when it comes to YOUR identity.
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For a fourth time, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has delayed enforcement of the Red Flags Rule, an identity theft law--now until June 1, 2010. …
- Ask Dr. Privacy
- Consumer Red Flags
- FTC's Identity Theft Site
- Take Charge: Fighting Back Against Identity Theft (FTC Pub.)
- Victims--Follow These Steps: Fraud Alert, Close Accounts, Police Report, FTC Complaint
- File an Identity Theft Complaint with the FTC
- Pre-approved Credit Card Offer Opt Out (888-567-8688)
- Credit Reports--Official Free Annual Credit Report (877-322-8228)
- Medical Information Bureau--Free ANnual Report (866-692-6901)
- Social Security Administration--Annual Statement (800-772-1213)
