subject: How Can You Stop Identity Theft? [print this page] Identity theft crimes continue to grow as a huge problem throughout the world taking millions of victims under its influence. There were billions of losses incurred by identity theft victims just in the United States during the 2006 financial year and the instances for this crime from across the world are increasing every year.
Most of the people even dont realize that their identity has been stolen until they witness a major incident in either their financial records or their personal status. The majority of identity thefts are for financial reasons but there are also criminal and medical identity thefts.
About identity theft
The criminals who engage in these identity theft activities today make use of highly advanced equipments in order to easily steal peoples identities. Some of the most common methods include hacking into database, phishing and also by the use of malware and spyware. However this is also combined by some traditional methods such as shoulder surfing, credit card thefts, rummaging through trash bins and by snatching wallets and handbags to be successful in stealing your personal and financial data.
Despite this, there are some easy ways to stop identity theft and most of them are simple to undertake on your daily chore. These steps have been effective in stopping id theft criminals from accessing your data and causing you both emotional and financial distress.
1. Be careful of shoulder surfers
When you are providing crucial credit card information or typing passwords online make sure you are cautious of those spying over your shoulder. You should also be careful when sharing information through the phone by keeping your voice level lower.
2. Shred disposable data
Whether they are papers or digital data you should be very careful when disposing them. It should be done in such a way that all your important information about your identity and your financial data is not available to anyone searching through your trash. There are several cases where criminals scan through the recycle bin and computer hard disk for information which you might have left when selling your computer. Therefore be careful to shred all the documents and completely remove all your personal records from the system.
3. Keep computer hacker proof
This means you can use intricate passwords, firewalls, anti hacking software applications and several other programs to prevent hackers gaining access to your sensitive data stored in the computer. Your computer operating system must also be updated frequently to prevent any technical loopholes for the hackers to benefit from. Make sure to check any authenticity of websites.
4. Protect your ID and social security number
Your photo ID and social security number are the most important pieces of data any individual can have. Therefore you should keep a track of who you are providing the number to and also keep a record of the purpose it is provided. Even if you get a hint of the information being compromised, you should instantly report it to the local police and the concerned authorities.
5. Analyze bill statements and credit card information
Make sure you check all your transaction records every year in your credit accounts. Your bill statements must be guarded against all the frauds which are used on a regular basis and carefully check your credit card information and credit reports.
