Tips for Protecting Yourself Against Identity Theft
You may be asking yourself, “Why do I have to protect myself against identity theft?” Everyone is a potential victim of identity fraud, and if rates continue to rise, soon everyone will know at least one person who has been a victim of identity theft. This is the sad truth of the world today. Protecting yourself against identity theft just makes sense.
The mail comes every week day and seems innocent enough, a function of life. While most of the mail that you receive is from companies that you’ve dealt with for years, not all mail that you receive is on the up and up. You might get bills or invitations to participate in offers based on your hard-won credit rating. Thieves also target financially stable individuals with offers that look official but are really just an attempt to obtain your personal details.
The best way to minimize this danger and prevent identity theft from happening to you is to keep a close eye on the routine times your bills are mailed, as well as minimize the amount of information you receive in the mail. However, knowledge of the kinds of information that come from the postal worker is the best weapon against Identity Theft.
Many common bills that you receive – utilities, telephone, regular credit card statement – usually have your contact details displayed on them. This is the kind of information that an identity theif looks for.
Bank statements, pre-approved credit card offers and paycheck stubs are all gold-mines of information for criminals to turn you into a victim of identity theft.
All this information is dangerous in the wrong hands. Pre-approved credit card offers also give would-be thieves the upper hand, and paycheck stubs from direct deposits give away your employer’s name and address as well. Sometimes, even your pay rate and social security number will be included on the stub. Rather than crumple these documents and throw them away, invest in a shredder to fight against identity theft.
Thieves even go as far as digging through your trash — a practice called “Dumpster Diving” — to get that one little piece of information that could turn you into a victim of identity theft.
Many people throw out papers in the garbage, thinking no one would touch them amongst the food scraps. Think again. Do your best to remember to destroy any personal information and you’ll be doing your job in protecting yourself against identity theft.
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