ways you can avoid becoming online identity theft victim

Ways to Prevent Identity Theft
By Ryan Franklin

Over the past five years 27 million United States citizens have become victims of identity theft. That means that nearly 10% of the total population has been a victim of this crime. An identity thief can strike anyone at anytime. If you think it could never happen to you then you are exactly the type of mark these criminals are looking for.

With all the new technologies available it is incredibly easy for someone to get your information, if they want it. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to prevent identity theft. 

Read Our Cybersecurity and Cybersafety Guides Here. 

Prevent Identity Theft by Protecting Your Trash

While most people are concerned about protecting their information from the high tech identity thieves, there are still many that practice the technique called "dumpster diving". If you just throw away important statements and documents you might as well be handing the criminals your ID on a silver platter.

You should invest in a high quality crosscut shredder. Put every document that has even the smallest bit of personal information through your shredder before you trash it. This includes bank and credit card statements, old bills, credit card offers, and ATM receipts, and even simply documents with your address on them.

Prevent Identity Theft by Protecting Your Mail

Many people go out of their way to shred their mail, but they do not even think about someone stealing their identity from the mail in their mail box! Stolen mail is one of the main ways that criminals can get your information. If you leave important documents in your outgoing mail, they can simply open up your box and take it. The criminal will surely thank you for not making them go through your trash to get that info.

When you are mailing out important information (such as bills or applications) drop them off at the post office, instead of leaving them in your mail box before you go to work. That little red flag you put up tells any crook that there is something good inside. When you go out of town have your mail stopped, and never leave mail in your mailbox overnight.

Prevent Identity Theft by Protecting Your Computer

This is the area people worry about the most. We hear a lot about how easy it is for hackers to steal all our information, and how it is unsafe to use credit cards online. The truth is, the internet is probably the safest place for your information if you apply the proper precautions.

I feel safer using my credit card online than I do in the store. Reputable online stores provide secured check out pages that encrypt your personal information. Also, unlike using your card in person there isn't anyone looking at your card (or making a physical copy) that you need to worry about.

Every computer connected to the internet needs to have a high quality internet security system. These programs are constantly updated and do a good job of protecting you from anyone trying to make an assault on your information. Do not skimp on this purchase and make sure you program is constantly update.

Prevent Identity Theft by Protecting Your Information

If you are quick to give away your private information then none of these other tips will matter. Keep your private information a secret unless it is absolute necessary to give it out. Fake phone surveys are an easy way for a thief to easily get you to hand over private info.

If you get a letter or email that looks to be from your bank, asking to give someone a password or other information always be skeptical. Many crooks will doctor up documents or websites that look official, just to steal your information. It is always better to be too cautious than too loose with your private information.

Prevent Identity Theft With Identity Insurance

While all the above tips are a great start for stopping an identity thief, the truth is it might not be enough to stop a determined criminal. The thieves are getting smarter everyday, and law enforcement is still 10 years behind in protecting you from this crime. Some companies have seen the need for this sort of protection, and have gotten into the identity insurance business.

Read Our Cybersecurity and Cybersafety Guides Here. 

For only the price of a movie ticket each month you can be sure that your good name will be safe. This protection is even backed by a $1,000,000 guarantee. If you would like to sleep easy at night knowing you and your family are safe from identity theft just Click Here>> [http://www.squidoo.com/identityinsurance]Identity Insurance.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?5-Ways-to-Prevent-Identity-Theft&id=1628897] 5 Ways to Prevent Identity Theft

 

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Identity theft is becoming an increasingly frequent problem among people of all shapes, sizes, ages, and nationalities, who are living in locations spread across the world. The theft of one's identity is non-discriminating, as clever criminals find new and improved ways of profiting off of another's loss and misfortune.

In the end, a complete invasion of privacy often takes place, where identity thieves are able to drain entire bank accounts, steal credit card numbers, use driver's licenses to commit crimes; and steal important information from computers. To prevent identity theft, it is highly recommended to follow a few simple procedures to boost your protection level against such a widespread crime.

Identity theft criminals use a wide-range of techniques to steal private information for their own personal use and gain. One of the most talked about forms of identity theft is executed across the Internet, as individuals trick others into downloading a wide range of spyware, which is then used to transmit information stored on a computer. This may include the usernames and passwords associated with online banking accounts. With this information, a thief is then able to intercept bank transactions and steal money from unsuspecting victims.

In order to efficiently prevent identity theft, it is important for people to recognize all of the techniques a criminal may use. Some individuals steal postal correspondences and fill out credit cards under another's name. A stolen wallet also serves as the perfect gateway for thieves, as driver's licenses, credit cards, birth certificates, Social Security cards, job identification, and other photo ID are common tools of identity theft. There are even criminals who dig in dumpsters and garbage cans for discarded bank statements, credit card bills, and other identifying pieces of information.
To prevent identity theft, it is highly recommended to follow some of the suggestions listed below:

1. Prevent identity theft by installing an effective anti-spyware program that creates barriers between your personal information kept on your computer and third party intrusions.
2. Changing your passwords is often a good way to prevent identity theft because it is less easy for thieves to lock onto or guess frequent changes. It is also suggested not to use the same passwords. Also, it is not advised to select passwords that can be directly connected to you, such as your last name. Use passwords that contain both upper and lower case letters, as well as 1 or 2 numbers.
3. It is important to quickly remove mail from the mailbox, as criminals are known to forge signatures on credit applications. If you find you have stopped receiving mail, call the post office because someone may have signed a release for the forwarding of your mail to another location.
4. Over the telephone, you never know who is calling you; therefore never give your credit card number, Social Security number, or other personal information to an unsolicited caller.
5. Once you are done with credit card receipts, unused loan applications, and other paperwork containing personal information, tear them up or use a shredder so thieves rummaging through the garbage are unable to retrieve personal details.
6. Make it a habit to review your credit report and check for false accounts and other information. When you spot an error, you should immediately report it to the credit bureau.
7. Do not delay in reporting stolen credit cards.
8. You may prevent identity theft by carefully analyzing your credit card and bank statements to make sure there are no mistakes on your bills.
9. When a relative passes away, it is important to properly shred unused checks and other personal documents because identity thieves also take advantage of the misfortune of the deceased. Entire accounts have been wiped out, loans taken out in their names, and new credit cards issued. 
10. It is important to exercise extreme caution when dealing with PIN numbers, especially those attached to ATM machines. When these numbers fall into the wrong hands, individuals are able to withdraw money without being detected. It is suggested to memorize your PIN number and when you must write it down - never choose your card or leave the reminder in your wallet or purse. And never use your birthdate as your PIN, as that will be the first one that the thief will try.

For more insights and to get more information on how to Prevent Identity Theft [http://www.identity-theft-info.com] as well as getting identity theft insurance, please visit our web site at [http://www.identity-theft-info.com]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jon_Arnold/41272

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guide on how to prevent online identity theft fraud and scam

Prevent identity theft this holiday season by simply being smarter than your assailants. There is no better identity theft protection than education on the subject, and knowledge of the ways to keep you protected. Whether you're cruising Facebook or Twitter, or doing some holiday shopping online, it's always important to be aware of how to prevent identity theft.

How to Be Secured Online Here: CyberSecurity and CyberSafety Guide 

Here are a few little tips to help you prevent identity theft during this busy holiday shopping season:
Watch out for that keen eye that is just waiting to catch a glimpse of your pin number. Whether you are purchasing something with your debit card and entering your pin, or taking out cash to be a more responsible shopper, always be aware of your surroundings. This is the time of year when identity theft occurs nearly every minute around the nation, and if you can stay aware of your surroundings you will be one step ahead of the game.

Problem: Identity thieves glancing over your shoulder to see your pin.
Solution: Always cover or attempt to hide your pin number when entering it. It might look a little silly to some, and feel a little silly to others, but if you are in a sea of holiday shoppers waiting in line to take out cash or make a payment, you can never be too careful.

If you are using your debit and credit cards this holiday season, don't sign the back of the card. Yep, you heard me, don't sign the back of your card. To prevent identity theft you should write "please see ID" on the back of all of your cards. This will insure, hopefully, that as you 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 sure to be an identity theft issue at their store.

Problem: Using debit and credit cards.
Solution: Always write 'please see ID' on the back of all of your cards.
Many of us take for granted the system of garbage pick-up that occurs throughout the nation. To prevent identity theft, it is crucial that you are aware of what you are throwing away, or recycling. Sure, it might make you feel wonderful to be helping out the environment by recycling all of your paperwork, invoices, and receipts. You should feel that way, however, you should also be shredding it all first. Many local areas will have shred-a-thons to help you get rid of all of that confidential information that absolutely anyone can see by digging through your trash. It may seem like a dirty job, but it is one of the most common ways that identity thieves will steal your information.

Problem: Tossing out 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 some coffee. Complete strangers know more about us through our social updates than our own families do. Times certainly have changed, which is why you have to change your habits online. While we've talked about protecting your identity on social networks many times here, we also need to point out that it's imperative that you don't store absolutely everything on your computer.

If your computer is infected with a virus that was created by hackers and identity thieves, they can easily read your confidential information and use it to their advantage. In order to prevent identity theft on your computer, back up all of your personal information onto another hard drive that you can unplug. You can either purchase another small hard drive to use, or you may 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 your credit reports frequently, 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 stay on top of it. Know where you've spent your money, and know exactly how much you've spent. If there is something that doesn't look right or 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 figure out how that charge on your account came to be.
Problem: Reckless spending.

Solution: Always stay on top of your bank statements, and keep all receipts until the statement and charge has cleared.

While these are just a few was to prevent identity theft, I hope that we've brought to attention the multitude of ways that 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 want more information on how to prevent identity theft, visit http://www.idsafeusa.com for more information.

Kandice Day is the founder of http://www.LinwrightDesign.com, a content marketer and web designer.

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Say No to Identity Theft - Things to Look Out For to Prevent Identity Theft Crimes
By Tina L Douglas

It cannot be stressed enough how important is vigilance in the your drive towards evading identity theft. Constant vigilance is the key in reducing the risk of you becoming prey to these criminals. You can't rely on luck nor can you rely on skills.

Read+Share How to Prevent Identity Theft by Discovering the hackers behind Phishing e-mails and phone calls.

But what should we be vigilant about? Here are some points that need your constant vigilance:

Your Credit Reports.

You need to constantly monitor your credit report from all three credit bureaus. The law provides that each individual consumer can request for one free credit card report every year. As these reports are updated quarterly, you have to request for your credit reporting in between then. What you can do is to request one credit report from one bureau, and after four months, request another from another bureau until you have requested one copy from each credit agency after every four months. This will allow you to monitor your credit report thrice a year, as compared to other consumers who do so only once. If something fishy happens with your credit report or if there are unauthorized entries in your credit report, you will be able to detect it immediately as compared to people who have to wait for the following year to request for another copy of their credit report.

If in any case your identity is stolen and the identity theft criminal has contacted various firms to apply for a loan, these firms will definitely run a credit check on you. Their names then would be reflected in your credit report, as firms that are performing background checks on you. If you monitor your credit report closely, you will immediately detect if another person is inquiring in your behalf so you can immediately put a stop to it.

If you are a military personnel and you need to go out of the country for a long period, place a fraud alert or a security freeze on your social security number with any of the credit card bureau. This will ensure that no new credit cards will be opened while you are gone as well no new loans, mortgages, and even jobs will be applied for under your name.

Read+Share How to Prevent Identity Theft by Discovering the hackers behind Phishing e-mails and phone calls.

 
Your Credit Card Statement.

You also need to closely monitor your credit card statement. You have to first know at what time of the month does it usually arrive and it should arrive at approximately the same time every month that will follow. This will ensure that your credit card statement is being sent to you directly and no one is taking a peek at it before you do. Other than that fact, you should also keep the receipts that you incurred whenever you make any purchase or payments with your credit card. These receipts should be cross-checked with the charges that you incurred for that billing month. If there are any other charges that you do not recognize, then you need to immediately contact your credit card company and report the discrepancy for a potential identity theft crime.

Tina L. Douglas is a skilled writer from California. With numerous experiences in the field of writing for several financial institutions, she is greatly qualified across a variety of economic issues. Her notable pieces of writing involve identity theft protection [http://5identitytheftprotection.com/].

Read+Share How to Prevent Identity Theft by Discovering the hackers behind Phishing e-mails and phone calls.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Say-No-to-Identity-Theft---Things-to-Look-Out-For-to-Prevent-Identity-Theft-Crimes&id=4355121] Say No to Identity Theft - Things to Look Out For to Prevent Identity Theft Crimes

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Preventing Online Identity Theft Through E-mail, Phone-Number Background Checks

Background Checks and How it Can Help Prevent Identity Theft
By Toddy Martin
Finding the right credit card can be tough. You will need to do background checks and other measures just to make sure that you will not lose your money. But there is one very important background check that you will need to do that can definitely save you and your money.

Checking whether or not the personal information you give out is safe with a certain credit agency is the most crucial part in deciding where you should start up an account. The reason why this is so important is because there are a lot of cases of identity theft cases all over the world that have happened and are in fact still happening at this very moment, as it is said that in every 3 seconds, one account is hacked and one person is victimized.


Read+Share How to Prevent Identity Theft by Discovering the hackers behind Phishing e-mails and phone calls.


What exactly is identity theft?

Identity theft is a crime that can happen to anyone with an account in fact not only over the internet, but also in basic accounts such as medical insurances, driver's licenses and the like. As long as you put out personal information then you are at risk.

Identity thieves will use your name and pretend to be you so that they can use and eat up all the benefits they can get under your name. This will not only eat your money up, but it can also leave a bad impression under your name. Just as with your driver's license. If an identity thief gets a hold of your license and the thief is a traffic violator, then of course all the ticket will be charged under your name and the bad record belongs to you.

Read+Share How to Prevent Identity Theft by Discovering the hackers behind Phishing e-mails and phone calls.

One of the most dangerous things a credit identity thief can do is to have control of your credit card account and information. This will definitely cost you a lot of money as they can easily give out your credit card number and buy anything they want over the internet. This is very dangerous as once it is not stopped; it can even lead to bankruptcy.

Another thing is using up your medical insurance benefits and not leaving anything for you. Medical insurance can be a bit pricey because nowadays, medical services are very expensive. But once identity thieves get control of your medical insurance, everything you paid for will go to waste or to someone else. So always be sure to check regularly your credit account to make sure that none of these will happen to you, and if it does happen, you are able to stop it immediately. [http://www.free-credit-reports.com]Reporting identity theft is not an easy task to do especially when you are still struggling with ways of how to get [http://www.free-credit-reports.com]identity theft protection. For more information about credit identity fraud, visit Free-Credit-reports.com.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Background-Checks-and-How-it-Can-Help-Prevent-Identity-Theft&id=3423976] Background Checks and How it Can Help Prevent Identity Theft

Read+Share How to Prevent Identity Theft by Discovering the hackers behind Phishing e-mails and phone calls.

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Find Out How To Prevent Identity Theft
By Jon Arnold

Read How to Prevent Identity Theft by Discovering the hackers behind Phishing e-mails and phone calls.

If you haven't done so recently, you should invest a minor bit of time and effort into getting yourself a copy of your credit report.  It is free once a year in most states, and you need to get a separate copy of it from each of the "big three" credit reporting bureaus, which are Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian.  Some creditors report to only one of them, some report to a couple of them, and some even report to all three of them.  The key point is that the data maintained by each one is not necessarily the same, and in fact, is probably vastly different.

Why is the data different?  With the hundreds of millions of credit reports that these companies need to maintain, errors are almost inevitable.  Interestingly enough, studies have shown that the MAJORITY of consumers have at least one or more inaccurate or erroneous piece of information in their credit report.  The scary part is that, contrary to popular belief, the errors will NOT be corrected automatically.  In fact, if you don't alert the credit bureau of the errors, then the errors will be carried forward with your record, year after year.

Please be aware that while identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes of this century so far, it is not limited to just online activities.  Granted, with the advent of the ease of shopping online and being able to purchase something at a great price with just a couple of mouse clicks is attractive for many, there are steps you should take to ensure that you have done everything responsible that you can do to avoid your information from getting into the wrong hands.  One of the first places to start is to get yourself a copy of your credit report, and look especially for accounts that you are not aware of, which is the first sign that you may be a victim of identity theft.

Online identity theft is a serious crime that can clean out your life savings and leave you with a damaged credit history that may take years to repair. Unless you're familiar with the person with whom you're dealing, or are filling out an official form for a legitimate personal or business purpose, information such as a social security number, bank account numbers, credit card numbers and other types of data that might have a bearing on your individuality should never be divulged. If you've ever used a credit card to order take-out food over the phone, you're leaving yourself wide open to identity theft.

Congress passed the Fair Credit Reporting Act several years ago in an attempt to smooth out some problems in the credit reporting industry. The presence of this alert requires any creditor to verify the identity of the borrower prior to granting credit in his or her name. If your credit report shows that you have a low score, lower than what you deserve, that can negatively impact a huge number of areas of your life.  You may want to visit [http://www.credit-help-center.com]Raise Your Credit Score for tips on how to improve your credit score.

When you travel, regardless of how you book your reservations, your personal information will still end up on the company's computer and stored in their databases. Many companies, including some large major corporations, do not protect your personal data the way they should.

Many people ignore the importance of protecting their personal and financial information against identity theft until they become a victim of it. The amount of goods and services purchased with fraudulently obtained personal identity was more than $50 billion dollars last year.

If you purchase merchandise online frequently, you may want to use a separate credit card that you obtain just for that purpose.  Always use ONLY that credit card.  For the junk mail that you receive regularly saying you are approved for a new credit card or mortgage loan, don't just simply throw it in the trash.  Instead, invest in a shredder and take the time to shred those letters.  Many cases of identity theft occur because the thief has gone "dumpster diving" to find those pre-approval letters, and opens an account in your name.

Jon is a computer engineer who maintains web sites on a variety of topics based on his knowledge and experience. You can read more at his web site at Preventing Identity Theft and Protecting Against Identity Theft [http://www.identity-theft-info.com].

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Find-Out-How-To-Prevent-Identity-Theft&id=424373] Find Out How To Prevent Identity Theft

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