Identity Theft: How to Protect Yourself from Scams and Fraud
Identity theft is one of the most common crimes in the world today, and thieves use many different tricks to steal your personal information. If you’re not careful, you can easily fall into a trap that results in the theft of your identity. By being aware of these potential traps, you can protect your personal information and maintain your credit history.
Suspicious Emails
One of the most common methods identity thieves use to obtain your information is through fake emails. For example, you might receive an email from your bank claiming that you need to log in and update your password. The email may appear legitimate, prompting you to enter your login and password information into the provided form. Once you do this, the thief has your details and can use them to access your account.
As a general rule, avoid entering personal information into emails or following links from suspicious emails. If you didn’t initiate contact with your bank or another organization, don’t engage with the email. Legitimate companies will never contact you to request sensitive information.
Accessing Your Trash
Another common way identity thieves gain access to your personal information is by rummaging through your trash or dumpster. If you’re in the habit of discarding important documents without shredding them first, you’re making it easy for thieves to steal your identity. Before tossing out financial records, bills, or even junk mail, make sure to shred or destroy them.
If you don’t take the time to properly destroy your mail, an identity thief could simply pick up an empty credit card application and fill it out with their own address, using your name. This could negatively impact your credit history. If you don’t own a shredder, at the very least, tear up your mail before throwing it away.
Protecting Your Credit
One of the best ways to safeguard yourself against identity theft is by signing up for a credit monitoring service. LifeLock by Norton, for example, is one of the most popular providers of this service and can significantly help protect your credit profile. If someone attempts to open credit in your name, LifeLock will notify you to confirm whether it’s you initiating the request. If it’s not, they will block unauthorized access to your credit.
