Prevent Identity Theft

October 1, 2007

Preventing Identity Theft - Tips to prevent identity theft

Preventing identity theft requires a change in financial and daily habits. Protecting your personal information is the number one way to be proactive to try and keep your identity from being stolen. Remember, all an identity theft thief needs is a simple social security number to wreak havoc on your financial life and emotional well-being.

10 Tips To Prevent Identity Theft

1. Protect your social security number. Do not keep it in your wallet or any place that is easily accessible to a criminal.

2. Shred everything. Using a paper shredder after reviewing your personal information before throwing it away is very important. Identity thieves go through trash.

3. Use care when using a bank ATM machine. “Shoulder Surfing” is on the rise and it another main way criminals get the information they need to commit identity theft.

4. Check your credit card and bank statements regularly and completely. Take note of any activity that does not look familiar to you. Any suspicious activity should be reported immediately.

5. Don’t sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, write “See Photo ID”.

6. Take care to limit the amount of information you choose to have pre-printed on your checks. Do NOT have your social security number pre-printed.

7. Retrieve your mail from your mailbox as soon as possible. Criminals will not hesitate to get in your mailbox and take bank statements, credit card statements, etc.

8. Be wary of pre-approved credit card offers.

9. Take care to not freely offer sensitive personal information over the phone. Be sure of who you are speaking to and why this information is needed.

10. Take advantage of identity theft protection services from a company like LifeLock. Identity Theft Prevention Insurance from Lifelock guarantees that you will not be a victim of identity theft - and that is backed by a One Million Dollar Guarantee. No other Identity Theft Protection Service guarantees that your identity will be kept safe.

For more information on how to protect yourself from identity theft, please sign up for our free e-course and 62-page free identity theft eBook.

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