Steps Against Identity Theft
Step One – Buy a Shredder
One of the main ways in which thieves get hold of their victims personal information is by rifling through domestic rubbish for any carelessly thrown away documents such as bank or credit card statements, household bills, receipts and pre-approved credit offers, so you can reduce the risks of becoming a victim of identity theft by buying a good cross cut shredder and making sure you shred everything (including old credit cards and check books if the machine is suitable for this) before throwing it away. Get id theft protection.
Step Two – Be Safe Online
Make sure you have the latest, up to date ant-malware software in place on your computer before you use it for surfing the Internet, and if you can afford it invest in a good firewall as well, as this will help protect your computer against direct attacks from hackers. Avoid visiting websites by clicking on links from banner ads, chat rooms, forums or unsolicited emails as these can often lead you to fake websites that are loaded with malware. You should also be very careful about opening unsolicited emails in general, as they can often contain scams and infected attachments, so if you are unsure about the email just delete it without opening it. Remember your bank or credit card company would never contact you via email to request personal information from you, so if you do receive any requests like this do not reply as it is almost guaranteed to be a scam designed to trick you into revealing your identity to a fraudster.
Step Three – Keep Your Plastic Cards Safe
Try and limit the amount of plastic cards you own, as this will make it easier for you to keep a track of them. Only carry them around with you if you really need them, and make sure you check the bills thoroughly each month for any suspicious charges. When you are paying for goods or taking money out of the ATM machine make sure you cover the keypad as you type in your PIN and make sure no one is stood to close to you, and if you are paying for goods or services online or over the phone then double check you are talking to a legitimate person or using a secure encrypted online payment portal before you hand over your card details.