| If you're young or you're old, protecting your | | | | information. These devices usually look foreign to |
| identity is very important. If you don't already | | | | the machine. If something like this does show up |
| know, if someone steals your identity, they can | | | | on the ATM and you don't feel safe, don't use it |
| cause serious damage to your credit report | | | | and notify the bank immediately. |
| without you knowing. While you're not responsible | | | | Don't put bills in the home mail box |
| for actions thieves make, it can take hundreds of | | | | Whenever you pay a bill or you're mailing a bill out, |
| hours just to patch everything up. This is why it's | | | | make sure that you don't place it in the mailbox |
| extremely important that you prevent this from | | | | at home. Thieves can simply take the mail out of |
| happening. | | | | your box and alter it so that the check looks like |
| There are many ways that thieves can get your | | | | it's written out to them. The best thing to do is |
| identity. Some techniques it's very hard to | | | | drop it off at the post office or a usps mailbox |
| prevent such as a department store hack where | | | | that's secured. |
| they access secure information via a store's | | | | Don't give your information out |
| server or by getting your number on the black | | | | If someone requests information from you such |
| market via the internet or other avenues. Listed | | | | as your social security number and personal |
| below are a few ways that you can prevent | | | | information, don't feel like you need to give it to |
| yourself from someone stealing your identity. | | | | them. Make sure that only the correct officials |
| Shred everything you get | | | | receive information like this. Never ever give your |
| Whenever you get something in the mail whether | | | | personal information to someone you don't know |
| it's a pre-approved offer of it's a bill with your | | | | over the phone. |
| name on it, make sure that you shred it through | | | | Cancel inactive credit cards |
| a paper shredder. A paper shredder cost no more | | | | If you have credit cards that haven't been used in |
| than thirty dollars at your local office supply store. | | | | six months, make sure that you call up the |
| It's always best to shred just about everything | | | | companies and cancel them. When you have |
| so that a crook can't piece it back together. | | | | credit cards this old, you probably don't check the |
| Ripping the papers in half simply won't do, make | | | | online activity or the situation. This is an easy |
| sure that you shred them. | | | | target for a crook. |
| Watch the ATM | | | | Crooks will find many ways to steal your identity. |
| If you like to use the ATM a lot, make sure that | | | | It's important that you follow the steps |
| you look around the machine before you pop in | | | | mentioned above. You also have to remember |
| your card. Smarter thieves will place a device on | | | | that there are a million other ways to steal your |
| the ATM machine that will actually steal all of your | | | | identity. It's up to you to be smart about it. |