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So what is identity theft?
Identity theft is when someone uses your personal details such
as your social security number, your bank credit card number,
your driver's license number or any other form of identity without
your knowledge or permission and then use it as if it were you.
Most people do not realise that their information has been stolen
and used until they realise that their credit rating is non existent
or they receive a bill for something they know nothing about.There
are many people who have fallen victim to identity theft through
various different methods. Some of these ways are easily preventable
by using a little common sense. Other ways that identities are
stolen are more dubious and discreet.
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How to protect yourself from identity theft.
Simple basic vigilance and common sense is the order of the day.
Never take anything for granted where your identity is concerned.
To protect yourself from identity theft always consider who is requesting
your information and what information they request about your identity.
Use your common sense and never divulge your information to someone
you do not know or may not trust.
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Postal mail
You should also consider that you receive
quite a lot of information about yourself in the mail in the form
of bank statements, invoices and the like. These mail in these
envelopes will always contain your name, address, account number
and other account information useful to identity thieves. When
disposing of this mail the information it contains should made
be made unusable, the simplest way is to shred the mail using
an inexpensive shredder you can purchase from any office supply
store. Do not throw credit card statements, old credit cards,
bank statements or utility bills, etc. in the bin without making
the information they contain unreadable because they offer an
easy method for someone to search your waste bin and steal your
information.
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Protect your PIN
When you are buying items at a store or withdrawing money from
a bank or ATM type cash machine using your credit/debit card always
protect the visibility of your PIN number as you type it in.
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Check your ATM
When using an ATM cash machine always check to see that it has
not had any "skimming" devices added by unscrupulous
individuals. These devices will usually comprise of a card reader
that stuck over the card input slot that will take a copy of the
information stored in the magnetic strip of the card and a miniature
camera to record your PIN number. The information gleaned from
these "skimming" devices can be used to create a copy
of your credit card and allow the thief to use the cloned card
at will.
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Protect sensitive information
Do not carry your Social Security/National Insurance card with
your number on it in your wallet. Keep your SS/NI card or anything
with your social security number on it in a safe place where no
one has access to it but you. If you must dispose of anything
that has your social security number on it, do not forget to shred
it.
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Watch your email
When online, do not open email file attachments sent to you by
strangers or from someone you know if you were not expecting to
receive any from them. Do not click on hyperlinks or download
programs in emails from people you do not know either. Opening
a computer file from an unknown source could expose your system
to a computer virus, a Trojan or spyware. These types of programs
often record your login information, credit card number, it's
cvv2 number and other sensitive information when you do purchase
something online then send that information to the thief controlling
the malicious software.
If you use Ebay or Paypal, read the company website policies concerning
how they handle communication to you about your account information.
Never trust an email you may receive out of nowhere from Ebay
or Paypal asking you to "update your account information"
as this is more than likely a ploy to steal that information and
use it illegally.
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Use a firewall
If you have high speed internet connection that leaves your computer
connected to the internet use a firewall program and a router
while you are online. Together they make it much more difficult
for a hacker to see your computer's internet identification address
(IP) which means that they find it much more difficult to take
control of your computer and you are safer sending and receiving
sensitive information over the internet. Some computer operating
systems and most routers include a built in firewall which you
should make sure is enabled.
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Online shopping
When you are shopping online, always use a secure browser and
shop from a web site that offers secure transactions when shopping
online. Most browsers in use today have this protection feature
including the popular Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox browser,
look for the padlock icon. Always ensure that the site you are
purchasing from is secure by checking that the sites address in
your web browsers address bar begins with https:// rather than
the more usual http://. It will show up looking like "https://shoppingsite.com".
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Keep your computer clean
Practice keeping your computer clean and free from virus, spyware
or trojan programs that log keystroke information. Always use
virus protection software and spyware monitoring and removal software,
these programs should be updated regularly. Ideally, virus protection
software should be set to update itself frequently. Update your
operating system and other software programs regularly to protect
against the compromise of your computer files and password information.
The Windows XP operating system will update itself automatically
if you enable this feature, which you should.
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Conclusion
The consequences of identity theft and identity fraud once thieves
have your information can be devastating ranging from spending your
money to taking out credit loans in your name. For these reasons
and others, it is a good idea to monitor your credit report periodically.
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