Preventing Identity Theft – How to Protect Yourself

Secure the home front.
Digging a moat is probably overkill—start small by finding a lockable location in your home where you can store your Social Security card, passport, and all records (including credit card statements) that contain personal information.

Secure the office front.
After safely stowing your purse and briefcase, look into workplace security procedures for your info. Does the guy who delivers lunch have access to your W-4? He probably shouldn’t. Talk to your boss and explain the importance of keeping personal information confidential.

Don’t give out your SSN.
Just because there’s a space for it on the form. Employers, credit grantors and schools may need your Social Security number—but your grocery store’s savings club does not. (Are they going to run a credit check before you buy a box of cereal?) When a business asks for it, ask why they need it, what they plan to do with it, and how they will keep it safe. It’s your SSN, and you have a right to know.

Ask for a safer ID number.
Try not to let businesses use your SSN as an identification number that’s printed on every piece of paper you receive. Some businesses—health insurance companies, for instance—may not be willing to give you an alternate number, but it can’t hurt to ask. If your Driver’s License Number is your SSN, your state government needs to get with the program. You can ask to have it changed.

Only carry what you need.
It’s one thing to be prepared, but you really aren’t going to need your Social Security card when you run out to pick up a gallon of milk. Keep any unessential cards locked up at home.

Spring clean your credit cards.
If you aren’t regularly using your “Sausage-World” credit card, cancel it. The fewer cards you have, the less you have to keep track of, and the smaller the chances of losing one. Keep organized records of all your credit cards so that you can report theft promptly and thoroughly.

Don’t put your SSN on your checks.
The less information you give out, the better, so it’s a good idea to leave off your phone number too. The same rule applies to résumés: a prospective employer will need your phone number, obviously, but you don’t have to provide your SSN and birth date until later in the game.

Install a Firewall and Antivirus software.
And come on now, why is your credit card number publicly posted on your web page? Seriously though, folks, Internet access leaves you open to identity theft in many thrilling ways.

Opt out.
Tired of telemarketers who call during dinner? Sick of junk e-mail for products no one would ever want? Opting out means getting your name off these marketing lists and making some of it stop. It isn’t entirely an identity theft issue, but if fewer businesses have and sell your data, fewer thieves will be able to find it.

Read privacy polices.
Yes, we mean those densely printed, poorly worded slips of paper your bank sends you every year, the ones that all look exactly the same. Yes, read them. Why? Because, dull as they are, they’ll tell you what your bank is doing with your personal information, and what you can do to opt out of having that info shared.

Identity Theft 101

Identity theft, that nasty crime in which someone obtains and uses your personal information to commit fraud or theft, is the fastest growing criminal activity in the U.S. And it could be coming soon to a bank account near you!

You’ve probably heard about the most common forms of identity theft—when a thief tracks down your credit card numbers, and then uses them to max out your accounts. That kind of theft—the stolen credit card variety—is fairly easy to notice and fix.

Things get more complicated, though, when a thief steals your SSN from records at your job and uses it to apply for a mortgage or car loan. Cases like this are hard to detect and often even harder to resolve.

The problem is that all the techno-marvels we take for granted often help to serve up our identities on a silver platter to clever, techno-savvy thieves. For example, it’s great to be able to shop online, but your electronic transaction may give a hacker access to your credit card number.

And while preapproved credit applications make it easier for you to get a card, they also make it a breeze for an imposter to get credit using your name. Your personal information is available in more places than you may even realize—and it presents thieves with the perfect opportunities to make some quick cash.