Prevent identity theft this holiday season simply by being smarter than your attackers. There is no better protection against identity theft than education on the subject and knowledge of ways to keep yourself protected. Whether you’re browsing Facebook or Twitter, or doing some holiday shopping online, it’s always important to know how to prevent identity theft.
Here are a few little tips to help you prevent identity theft during this busy holiday shopping season:
Beware of that keen eye that is waiting to take a look at your PIN number. Whether you’re buying something with your debit card and entering your PIN, or withdrawing cash to be a more responsible shopper, always be aware of your surroundings. This is the time of year when identity theft occurs almost every minute across the country, and if you can stay aware of your surroundings, you’ll be one step ahead of the game.
Problem: Identity thieves look over your shoulder to see your pin.
Solution: Always cover or try to hide your PIN number when you enter it. It might seem a little silly to some and feel a little silly to others, but if you’re in a sea of holiday shoppers waiting in line to get cash or make a payment, you can never be too careful.
If you are using your debit and credit cards this holiday season, please do not sign the back of the card. Yeah, you heard me, don’t sign the back of your card. To prevent identity theft, you must write “see ID” on the back of all your cards. This will hopefully ensure that at checkout you will be asked for your driver’s license. If they don’t ask for your ID, be sure to tell management that there is bound to be an identity theft problem at your store.
Problem: Use of debit and credit cards.
Solution: Always write ‘see ID’ on the back of all your cards.
Many of us take for granted the garbage collection system that occurs across the country. To prevent identity theft, it’s crucial that you know what you’re throwing away or recycling. Sure, it might make you feel wonderful to help the environment by recycling all your documents, bills, and receipts. You should feel this way, however, you should also shred everything first. Many local areas will have shredding marathons to help you get rid of all that sensitive information that absolutely anyone can see by rummaging through your trash. It may seem like dirty work, but it’s one of the most common ways identity thieves steal your information.
Problem: Throwing receipts.
Solution: Use a shredder… always!
Everything is done over the internet these days. We’d rather talk to each other on Facebook and Twitter than meet face to face for coffee. Complete strangers know more about us through our social updates than our own families. Times have certainly changed, so you need to change your online habits. While we’ve talked many times here about protecting your identity on social media, we should also point out that it’s imperative that you don’t store absolutely everything on your computer.
If your computer is infected with a virus created by hackers and identity thieves, they can easily read your sensitive information and use it to their advantage. To prevent identity theft on your computer, back up all your personal information to another hard drive that you can disconnect. You can buy another small hard drive to use, or you can use a flash drive.
Problem: Computer viruses that can read your confidential information.
Solution: Store your personal information on another drive.
Lastly, and most importantly, check your bank statements and credit reports often, especially during and just after the holiday season. This is prime time for identity thieves, and to prevent identity theft, it’s always best to be aware. Know where you’ve spent your money and know exactly how much you’ve spent. If there’s anything that doesn’t look right or doesn’t match up on your bank statement, don’t hesitate to call them and discuss the problem. In most cases, they will be willing to work with you to find out how that charge came to be on your account.
Problem: Reckless spending.
Solution: Always keep track of your bank statements and save all receipts until the statement and charge have been settled.
While these are just a few ways to prevent identity theft, I hope we’ve drawn attention to the multitude of ways identity thieves attempt to steal your personal information. This list could go on and on, and the only way to stay protected is to stay informed. If you would like more information on how to prevent identity theft, please visit http://www.idsafeusa.com for more information.