How to protect against identity theft
How to protect against identity theft
Identity theft continues to dominate the news, whether it’s Yahoo’s billion hacked accounts or the Russian government’s hacking of the Democratic National Committee – American’s are rightly concerned about the growing threat of identity theft. So we decided to write this article so you know how to protect against identity theft.
And here is what you should do if your identity has already been stolen.
Fear not, you can take steps to protect your identity in the areas under your control. Here is a list of tips for how you can protect against identity theft.
1. Protect your Social Security number
The Social Security number is is the holy grail for identity theft – hackers can use it and along with your other information like name, address and birthdate to open accounts in your name like credit cards or even get government benefits like medicare.
The first step to protect your identity is to never carry your Social Security card with you in your wallet. In fact, don’t carry any documents that contain your Social Security number.
And if you don’t think a company you are doing business with needs your social security number then hit the pause button. Walk away and do some research about why they need your social security number. It’s far better to delay a purchase than rush into one and give your social security number to the wrong folks.
2. Don’t fall for phishing scams
One of the top ways that people get their identity stolen is through phishing scams. Identity thieves may try to call or email you claiming that the are representatives from your bank, the IRS, your local utility and request your personal information or even a payment. If you don’t think the message is legitimate, then don’t respond. And never click on links in a suspicious email. Research the email address or phone number. Consider calling the organization directly through their main phone number. And remember that the IRS and most other reputable organizations don’;t send you emails asking you to confirm your information that way.
Again, one of the best ways to protect your identity is to never download a file or click on a link in an e-mail or text message unless you are confident it’s coming from a safe source. Clicking on a suspicious link could infect your computer or device with malware.
3. Use strong passwords and change them regularly
Another very basic way to protect your identity is to use strong, complicated passwords. When you create your passwords use combinations of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. And create unique passwords for each account so that if you do get one account hacked, the hacker can’t use it to log in to your other accounts.
Change your passwords regularly
This is especially important for the most sensitive accounts – email and bank accounts. Make sure you change your passwords regularly. And where possible, use two-factor authentication, which involves entering an additional piece of info – for example a code sent to you via text message after an attempt to log in on an unfamiliar device.
4. Secure your mobile devices
Another basic when it comes to protecting your identity, is locking your phone’s home screen with a password or fingerprint. And make sure that you can track your phone remotely and remotely wipe the data in case your phone gets lost or stolen.
And it’s not just your smart phone that needs protecting. Make sure all your devices including tablets, laptops, and PCs all have a password and antivirus sofware installed.
5. Shred your unneeded documents
Most people skip this step, but it is critically important when it comes to protecting your identity. Rather than throw out old statements and other personal documents be sure to shred them. Identity thieves are still stealing peoples information the old fashion way – by digging through the trash. At minimum you should be shredding your unneeded paperwork that includes your Social Security number, insurance information or bank and credit card account numbers.
