How To Protect Yourself From Identity Theft

Identity theft is a severe crime that is growing each year. If you’re a victim of identity theft you might spend months, potentially years, attempting to mend a ruined credit file. A seriously damaged credit file may compromise your opportunities of acquiring a new career, a bank loan, insurance or even renting a house. It’s even possible to be arrested for a crime you didn’t commit if an individual has utilized your identity to break the law.

Sadly, many of the means that crooks use to steal identities are out of your control to shield against. Although it is seldom, even store clerks have been known to utilize their position to send along information to identity thieves. There are certain measures you can take, however, that will make it more difficult for a criminal to swipe your identity.

Safeguard Your Credit Card Number When Buying Items

After you make a purchase and your credit card or debit card has been processed through a credit card machine, inspect to be certain that the printed receipt disguises every number but the last four digits of your credit card account number (often there will be X’s in place of the 1st 12 digits). Some machines still print receipts that display all 16 digits of an account number, and might even have the expiration date too. After your card is swiped, you’re permitted legally to conceal the 1st 12 digits of your account number on the copy of the receipt that the seller retains. Utilize any marking pen that can do the deed.

When you dine at a restaurant, it is primarily crucial to be sure that the first twelve digits of your credit card number are concealed on your receipt. You may be in the habit of endorsing it and then forgetting the restaurant’s copy on the dinner table after your meal. A criminal can easily swipe the signed duplicate receipt before the waitperson comes back around to pick it up from the dinner table. Do not take any chances.

Do You Really Need To Offer Your Social Security Number?

Additionally, an important way that you may safeguard against identity theft is to avoid giving out your social security number except when it is definitely required. Although you have to share your social security number upon applying for credit or for a bank account, occasionally a business or an organization will need to utilize it as an identification number, just to identify you inside their network. This is a familiar practice even though the law states that social security numbers aren’t to be maintained as identification numbers. In this situation, use your common sense. There’s generally another option if you inquire.

Destroy Forms That Contain Sensitive Personal Information

Purchase a paper shredder and apply it to terminate forms you’re getting rid of which contain personal data such as credit card numbers, social security numbers, phone numbers and dates of birth. This is important to do both at home and at work. Identity thieves aren’t above going through someone’s trash to acquire valuable personal data that could help them get credit in your name.

If The Worst Occurs

If you do turn into a victim of identity theft, take the following measures immediately:

* Call your credit card companies, terminate your accounts and seek to have brand new cards issued to you.

* Put a fraud alert on your file with any 1 of the 3 major credit bureaus. The other 2 will be notified automatically.

* Put in a police report. You may need it to show to creditors as confirmation of the illegal act.

* Put in a complaint with the FTC, which preserves a database of identity theft cases used by legal agencies for their investigations.

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