check list to prevent identity theft online

Don't Be a Victim: A Checklist for Preventing Identity Theft
By Brian Grouzos

Imagine waking up one day to find that everything you work hard for is compromised.  Your finances, your home, your family, everything is at risk.  Someone has taken your identity and it may take years to recover.  Nobody is completely protected.  This nightmare is very real and you could be next.  The FTC estimates that over 9 million people are the victims of identity theft every year.  Are you taking the steps necessary to make sure that you don't become a statistic?  Use the following checklist and protect yourself from identity theft today!

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Separate your personal identity documents

Keeping all of your personal documents and credit cards in your wallet or purse while convenient makes life easy for criminals too.  Separate your personal identity documents and only keep the essentials on you.  Limit the number of credit cards you carry and leave your check book somewhere safe.  Most importantly, never keep your PIN with your credit and debit cards and never use something like your birthday.  It's right on your driver's license.

Shred all important documents

Anything with personally identifiable information is at risk.  This can include bank statements, credit card offers, medical claims, receipts, and benefits information.  Thieves often "dumpster dive" looking for this information.  Make sure it's in pieces when they find it.

Secure your mail box

An even better option for identity thieves is to steal your mail right from the source.  Make sure your mail box is secure, never leave mail overnight if possible, and if you're on vacation have someone collect your mail daily for you.

Watch for suspicious mail activity

Sometimes identity thieves will redirect your mail to another address to gain access to your important documents.  Be aware if your mail seems lighter than normal and important bills are missing.  Check with your post office if you suspect potential fraudulent activity with your mail.

Use secure mail boxes

When sending important information or sensitive documents, use secure mail boxes like the ones provided by the post office.  Never leave important mail out in the open for someone to walk by and steal.

Be alert to phishing emails

Never give out your usernames, passwords, account numbers, or other sensitive information through suspicious websites or emails.  Verify the URL, the information in the address bar at the top of the screen, to make sure that you are on the correct site.  Look for SSL encryption by verifying your browser security icon before providing sensitive information such as credit card numbers.  You can also check for third-party security verification such as VeriSign for confirmation that your information is secure.

Create strong passwords

Identity thieves love it when you make their life easy.  Never create passwords that are easy to break such as password, password1234, your name, or other easy to guess information.  Make your password as secure as possible by adding letters, numbers, special characters, and capital letters.  An easy to use method is making an acronym of your favorite phrase, song chorus, or other easy to remember piece of information.  Your password should look something like AnTr0@2! to make it impossible to guess and hard to crack.

Beware of social networking

Make sure you protect your social networking information.  Adjust your privacy settings appropriately to prevent unknown people from accessing your information.  Leave off anything that can be used to steal your identity such as full birthday, address, phone number, and even relationships with family members.  Be careful who you let access your network as well.  Many thieves pretend they are people you know to so be cautious if something seems off.

Monitor your statements

Keep a close-eye on bank statements, medical benefits, credit cards, and your credit report for unauthorized usage.  If you notice something suspicious tell the company immediately to confirm and take action.  Hesitation may mean a larger headache since most information doesn't post immediately.  Take action right away

Close unused accounts

Make sure to close unused credit and bank accounts to prevent someone from quickly charging up your limit without you knowing.  Monitor these accounts if you insist on keeping them open to make sure there is no suspicious activity as well.

Be cautious of promotional offers

Thieves often use promotional offers to secure personally identifiable information.  Make sure if you're giving your information to someone for any reason that you fully trust them and they are who they are representing.  If the offer sounds too good to be true, it just might be.

If you feel you have been the victim of identity theft, inform your local police department.  You will also need to contact any companies involved such as credit bureaus, banks, insurance companies, etc.  If necessary, file an identity theft complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.  Visit their website for more information about protecting your identity and the steps to take if you are a victim.

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Sure Ways of Preventing Identity Theft

12 Sure Ways of Preventing Identity Theft
By Ashif Rashid and Rashid Ace

Identity theft is one of the worst crimes happening all over the world. Thieves take over someone else's identity for some time in order to steal their money or use their credit cards.

Following a few simple tips for identity theft prevention is the best way to avoid becoming a victim of this crime. If we think of the security measures being taken to protect our Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, and other vital information, it is quite alarming that criminals are still able to obtain this information and use it to steal from us!

Here are 12 solid ways of preventing identity theft:

Be smart online: Use encrypted or secure servers whenever you go online. Do not transact business with unknown websites. Do not open files sent to you by strangers. Make sure your virus database is regularly updated. Use firewall programs to block spyware and malicious advertisements from pop-ups on untrusted websites.

Choose your passwords wisely: Thieves can easily determine your passwords, especially for your online accounts. Avoid using birthdays, social security numbers or phone numbers in your password. Make sure your password is difficult to determine, use a combination of letters (upper and lower case) and numbers that only you will be able to make sense and remember.

Keep your records and personal papers in a safe place: Thieves can get into your home, and if they find your personal papers like loan applications, birth certificate etc., they can use these information to steal anything from you. Make sure these documents are in a safety deposit box where only you know its location. Or, place these in a safety deposit box in a bank.

Never give financial details over the phone: The usual strategy is for an identity thief to pose as a charitable foundation, or a telemarketer for some online store or TV shop, and then they ask for your credit card information. If you give them your details, then you can kiss your credit line and history goodbye. This is the most common way criminals steal your identity.

Learn to use credit cards properly: Do not sign the back of your credit card. If possible, always have a photo laminated into your credit card so that a thief cannot use it. Also, do not use your credit card in establishments like restaurants, where your card will be out of your sight. Do not give out any details regarding your credit card.

Photocopy both sides of your wallet's contents: Make sure that you have a photocopy of all contents of your wallet. If your wallet is stolen, you can easily report it to the proper authorities. This idea is the most overlooked and ignored but, it can save you a great deal of time and aggravation. Make sure you report the theft to the proper companies, (e.g. Social Security, credit card company etc.) as soon as possible to prevent the thieves from using your personals.

Store your PINs in a safe place: It is difficult to memorize the PINs of your ATM cards, credit cards, and debit cards. It will save you a lot of trouble if you store your PINs in a safe place that is away from your plastic cards. If a thief steals your plastic card, he will not be able to use it after a few unsuccessful attempts at your PIN, as the system will lock your card. It may be an inconvenience for you as well, but that will prevent your money from being stolen.

Put a lock on your home mailbox: If the mailbox you keep is readily accessible by anyone, better buy a lock. One root cause of identity theft is that strangers steal your mail, gather as much information as they can on you, then pose as you when doing transactions to get valuable things you own.

Rent a mail box from the post office: If you do not have a mailbox at home, or you are often away on trips, rent a PO Box from the local post office. Always have your mails addressed to your PO Box address to prevent others from having access to your mail. Deposit your outgoing mail to your PO Box. Also, request a vacation hold from the Post Office for your mail if you will be away for more than 2 days. This one precaution can help you a great deal in identity theft protection.

Opt for a private phone number: It pays to have your own private number. You will only get calls from people you know and choose to have your number. Make sure that you give your number only to trustworthy people. This will minimize telemarketers and other fraud artists from calling you and possibly stealing your identity.

Get credit card report annually: It is always a good move to have a monthly report regarding your credit card. You will never know what purchases may pop up on your bill. Call the following major credit bureaus to have your credit report (you are allowed one free report per year).

Have a good paper shredder: Make sure you have access to a powerful paper shredder, usually the crosscut type. Pre-filled charge receipts, copies of credit applications, insurance forms, physician statements, checks and bank statements, expired charge cards that you're discarding and mail credit offers should be immediately shredded, NOT TORN TO PIECES, when they will be discarded.
You can prevent identity theft easily if you keep the above things in mind.

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Guidelines on how to prevent online identity theft

How To Prevent Identity Theft
By George Dodge

What was once considered no more than a minor inconvenience, identity theft is now a prominent issue for individuals and law enforcement agencies alike.  Practicing pro-active and commonsense routines when conducting financial transactions by any means other than cash can go along way in preventing identity theft.

Identity theft is an insidious crime that has expanded exponentially throughout the globe.  Far from being a victimless crime, identity theft can have a serious, detrimental impact on your life and can lead to months, and even years of frustration and humiliation. 

 Read and Share Guide On Private/Individual Cybersecurity and Cybersaftey Online Here.
When someone uses your personal identification documentation in order impersonate you for any reason, this is known as identity theft.  Professional identity thieves are proficient at assuming any given identity and the rapidity with which they can destroy another life is mind boggling, to say the least. Should you fall victim to this criminal element, your life can become a living nightmare. By being vigilant in all your financial dealings, you can protect yourself from these identity kidnappers; however, the onus is on you to make sure you are taking all the steps necessary to protect yourself from identity theft.

Identity thieves are constantly on the lookout for the seemingly innocent transaction that, in reality, offers a goldmine of personal information that can be used to assume another's identity.  Protecting yourself from identity theft should be uppermost in your mind at all times and you should always be vigilant in protecting your identity.  The following is a list of things you should consider in order to prevent identity theft:

o    Always make sure you retain all copies of your credit card receipts when presenting your card for payment.  Avoid handing your card over to a server in a restaurant.  Ask that the transaction be completed in plain sight so you can keep a careful eye on your credit card information.  Adept identity thieves can procure all kinds of personal information about you with little more than one credit card number.

o    Don't let mail accumulate in your mailbox.  Identity thieves are constantly on the lookout for mailboxes that may contain pre-approved credit card offerings; these offer easy pickings to a skilled thief as the application can be completed (with a change of address), mailed in to the credit card company, and voila, instant access to your credit. You will be oblivious until the bills for purchases you never made start to roll in.

o    Always cross-shred any documentation showing your personal information before throwing it in the garbage.  Dumpster diving has become an easy and lucrative method of obtaining personal information and, again, you will not even be aware that you have been victimized until the bills catch up with you. 

o    Never leave documents containing sensitive, personal information (like payroll receipts) lying around in plain sight. Although credit card fraud is the most common method of identity theft, skilled scam artists can capture your identity in a variety of seemingly mundane ways.  Once these unscrupulous characters get access to your social security number, look out - the identity thief now has all the information he needs to merrily rack up thousands of dollars of debt in your name.

o    Use caution when releasing personal information to third parties.  Never give out your banking information or social security number over the phone or on the Internet.

o    Never reply to any email, no matter how official looking, that requests banking or financial information. There are teams of criminals in cyberspace who make their living from unsuspecting users who reveal sensitive information obtained through fraudulent emails.  This is called pshishing and can sometimes be so elaborately constructed that most people think it's the real McCoy.  Reputable, legitimate business will never ask you to disclose sensitive information either over the phone or in an email.  

o    Never reveal the password of your banking cards to anyone.

o    Change the password for your banking information regularly. This includes your Internet banking, as hackers have been known to access this information by "mirroring" keystrokes and reproducing them for their own gain.

o    Keep personal information to a minimum when signing up for any online offers.  

Protecting yourself from identity theft is one of these things that will probably never cross your mind unless and until it happens to you or someone you know.  Don't wait to become a victim.  By practicing some commonsense safeguards and remaining vigilant at all times, you will be able to protect yourself from the ever-growing contingent of identity thieves who thrive on taking advantage of others.

 Read and Share Guide On Private/Individual Cybersecurity and Cybersaftey Online Here.
George Dodge is author and webmaster of   Identity Theft Defense at http://www.Identity-Theft-Defense.com where you can discover more about the various forms and methods of Identity Theft and how to protect yourself from becoming an [http://www.identity-theft-defense.com/How-You-Can-Avoid-Becoming-A-Victim-Of-Identity-Theft.html]Identity Theft Victim.

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