| Identity theft is the growing national epidemic. | | | | place. Maintain a list and photocopies of all your |
| There are literally hundreds of ways you can | | | | credit cards, debit cards, bank accounts, and |
| loose your all important credit ratings through | | | | investments and telephone numbers of the |
| identity theft, as it happens with a hundreds of | | | | customer services and fraud departments, in a |
| thousands of Americans every year. There are | | | | locking cabinet or safe along with all your personal |
| more numbers of identity theft cases reported | | | | information and canceled checks. |
| than there are robberies filed. Preventing identity | | | | 17. Use credit cards instead of debit cards to shop |
| theft is a simple matter of playing it safe. Identity | | | | online and automate as much bill-paying as possible |
| theft protection relies on the old adverb better | | | | from your checking account. |
| safe than sorry. Preventing identity theft is the | | | | 18. It is important that you install a locked mailbox |
| key to identity theft protection. Here are certain | | | | at your residence for enhanced identity theft |
| guidelines for preventing identity theft and the 3 | | | | protection. |
| identity theft protection laws: | | | | Identity theft protection Law # 3: |
| Identity theft protection Law # 1: | | | | 19. Review all your financial data as often as |
| 1. Protect your Social Security number and never | | | | possible. Federal law entitles you the right to one |
| say it aloud in a public place. | | | | free credit report each year from the three |
| 2. Never give out your SSN, credit or debit card | | | | credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion; |
| number or other personal information over the | | | | use it. If you are a victim of identity theft, your |
| phone, by mail, or on the Internet. | | | | credit report will indicate that. |
| 3. Never carry any card in your wallet that | | | | 20. Look at your Social Security Personal Wages |
| contains the Social Security number (SSN), unless | | | | and Benefits, Approximate Statement each year |
| required. | | | | to check for deception. |
| 4. Always, take credit card receipts with you. | | | | 21. Review credit card, bank and phone |
| Never toss them in a public trash container. | | | | statements, including cellular phone bills every |
| 5. If the state of your residence uses the SSN as | | | | month. |
| the driver's license number, it is strongly | | | | 22. Maintain services of Identity Theft Protection |
| recommended that you contact your Department | | | | and Recovery Company. Better safe than sorry. |
| of Motor Vehicles and request a different number. | | | | 23. Identity theft protection includes protecting |
| 6. Never permit your SSN or driver's license | | | | your PC from hackers. Load some sort of |
| number credit card number to be written onto | | | | blocking software on your home systems for |
| your checks. | | | | preventing hackers to obtain personal confidential |
| 7. Do not have your SSN or driver's license | | | | and financial data from your hard drive. |
| number printed on your checks. | | | | 24. Update your anti-virus product, everyday. |
| 8. Ask your financial institutions to add extra | | | | 25. Always protect your files through passwords |
| identity theft protection to your account. | | | | that contain sensitive personal data. |
| 9. Shield your hand when using a bank ATM | | | | 26. If doing online transactions for shopping, only |
| machine. | | | | trust on companies that provide transaction |
| 10. Always use a gel pen for issuing checks. | | | | security protection. |
| 11. Never have new checks mailed to you. | | | | 27. Never just delete files that contain personnel |
| 12. Never leave envelopes containing your checks | | | | information, make sure to remove this data by |
| anywhere, when you pay bills. | | | | using a strong "wipe" utility program. |
| 13. When creating passwords and PINs, do not | | | | 28. Never respond to spam email messages. |
| use any characters that relate to personnel | | | | With the emergence of new technologies, new |
| information. | | | | markets and new jobs; thieves have found a new |
| 14. Never record anything in your wallet. Memorize | | | | commodity to steal. Your identity is worth a lot of |
| all your passwords. | | | | credit. Victims of identity theft have found it the |
| 15. Carry minimum number of credit cards, debit | | | | hard way. Identity theft protection is the only |
| cards and avoid carrying your birth certificate, | | | | means to be safe from the pain and anguish of |
| Social Security card or passport in your wallet | | | | having loans accredited to your name. Preventing |
| except when needed. | | | | identity theft requires a proactive approach. |
| Identity theft protection Law # 2: | | | | Better safe than sorry. |
| 16. Be proactive and shield all your data in a safe | | | | |