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10 Easy Ways To Protect Your Identity

10 Easy Ways To Protect Your Identity

You find out information about others with internet background checks or a reverse lookup for phone numbers, including unlisted and cell phone numbers. Conversely, you may realize that other people might be scouting out the same types of information on you.  Is there anything you can do to protect privacy and identity?

Here are some common ways people get their identity stolen and what you can do to prevent it.

Your personal information is everywhere.  It is stored on computers at your bank, your library, your doctor’s office, and your accountant, just for starters. Anytime you write a check or phone in a credit card order, the clerk handling the transaction now knows enough about you to do damage.

Phone solicitors and phishing emails can fool you into giving your identity information out. Don’t give out any information from an incoming call or email.  If it really sounds like it is your bank wanting information, tell them you will call them back. Then get out your bill and call the number printed on the statement. Never give out your social security number or password or pin number to anyone who calls you.

Identity thieves get a lot of their victims’ information out of garbage cans and recycle bins from old credit card statements and other personal documents thrown out carelessly. Shred anything with important information on it before putting it out.  

Be very mindful of your mail. If you come home late in the evening and your mail has been setting in your mail box all day, thieves have had  all day to help themselves to your bills, bank and credit card statements, boxes of new checks, new credit cards, and more. A thief  that has this level of personal information can take over your personal accounts.  Consider getting a post office box.  And never put important outgoing mail in your mail box.  Drop it off at the nearest mail box instead.

Guard your credit cards, even old ones. Never just throw them away. Your account information can be stolen off the magnetic strips on your credit card.  Cut it into several pieces and throw half away at a time.

Be careful with your old technology equipment.  Erase your hard drive before getting rid of an old computer. Delete all the data from your cell phone, too. Of course you want to make sure your computer is protected by an antivirus software program like McAfee.

Invest in an identity protection service, like Intelius’s Identity Protect Service. A good one will monitor your social security number, credit cards, bank accounts, public records, and provide ID theft insurance.  The cost is a small price to pay for the peace of mind it will bring you.