subject: How To Protect Against Identity Theft [print this page] Are you one of them? The number of people who have fallen victim to online crimes continues to soar as more sophisticated techniques of identity theft are being developed. You may have purchased a single item online once, and then found out that your credit card has been used by unknown people. You may have clicked something or entered your information in a website that you thought was secure, but afterwards, your bills, financial information and other cards have all been hacked.
These are all cases of identity theft. The sad thing is, they have become common in the Internet scene especially with more people opting to purchase online. This crime occurs when a cyberspace criminal uses another person's information and pretends to be him or her. This can be done with your Social Security Number or SSN, credit card, bank statements, and more.
What's more, this crime is actually more complicated as it seems. It has four categories which include financial identity theft, where the criminal uses your name and SSN to buy goods; criminal identity theft or posing as another person when apprehended for a violation or crime; identity cloning, where the person adopts your information as his or her identity in everyday life; and, the business or commercial identity theft, where the criminal gets credit by charging it to another's business name.
If you know how these criminals work and what means they use to hack information from you, you can avoid falling into their trap and adding to the number. Here are some tips for you to protect yourself against identity theft.
First, protect your SSN. It is safer not to carry around your SSN card as having access to this number can let the criminal know your credit history, bank account, charge accounts, and utility accounts. The person, once he or she gets hold of these, can open new credit or accounts, and even obtain a driver's license. Avoid giving out your SSN to people you are dubious of.
Another tip is to fight phishing. It is the act of sending email where the criminal pretends he or she is from a legitimate enterprise or company in order to "phish" for private information that can be used for identity theft. The email can lead you to bogus websites that ask for private information like passwords and card information. Ignore this and don't give out anything. In addition, guarding your personal computer against viruses and spies is a must. Try to use difficult and strong passwords for your email or any other account. You can also use firewalls, spyware protection and virus protection software. Your browser security must also be set to at least "medium".
If you think you have just been scammed and "phished" or just suspicious about something, it is always best to report to officials such as to SSN Fraud hotline. You can also directly contact your credit card issuers, banks, or any financial outlet concerned. Be cautious and protect your identity.
