These days most of us are aware of the need to prevent identity theft from messing our lives up in a big way.
So what do we do? Some may shrink from participating in modern life. They may refuse to use the internet, and deny themselves all of its benefits, through fear of having their ID stolen. They may try to live without credit so they do not have to give out their personal information.
Living that way may indeed reduce the chances of being a victim of identity fraud, but would certainly restrict their lifestyle choices.
Others may believe that it "only happens to the other guy." They live their life without taking the trouble to safeguard personal information and therefore put themselves at risk.
Neither of those two attitudes is the way to go. To enjoy the advantages of modern living you have to disclose sensitive information at times, you can't avoid it. On the other hand, being careless about your personal details only increases the chances of becoming a victim of fraud.
To do all that you can to prevent identity theft happening to you, without giving up living, you need to be aware of all the ways crooks could obtain access to your personal data. Then ensure that you take all reasonable steps to stop that happening.
Even in this electronic age criminals still go dumpster diving and sorting through trash, hoping to find juicy snippets of private info they can use. We accumulate so many documents, letters and forms containing personal details that we simply have to throw some out. Before we do however, we should take the precaution of shredding them, using a shredder that cross cuts and so reduces the documents to confetti.
How about your mailbox? Is it secure, can it be locked up so as to deny thieves easy access to your mail?
Phishing emails and phone calls are a constant threat. The email may look genuine or the phone call may sound convincing, but would your bank or credit supplier request details from you that they already have? No, if you think there is a chance the request is genuine, then pick up your phone and call them to find if they really sent the email or made the call.
Prevent identity theft online by keeping your security software and firewall up to date, you do have those, right? And never log on without your virus protection is running. It is also wise to always use the latest version of your browser.
How about the passwords that you use online? The longer the password that you choose, the more secure it is. If it is possible to do so, use a good mix of lower and upper case letters along with numbers and other characters. Never use real names, birth dates, names of pets etc. Change passwords frequently and do not use the same one for each site.
Enjoy social networking, but do be careful about what you post on your updates. A small piece of personal info here and there could give away a lot about your ID.
Be very cautious when using Automatic Teller Machines. If there is anything fishy, anything that does not seem right about the cash machine, don't use it. If there is anyone unnaturally hanging around, then find another ATM to use.
Doing all of the above will go a long way to prevent identity theft impacting your life. Remember also to check bank and credit statements frequently. If you spot something amiss, report it immediately.
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