Protection from Identity Theft
Lifelock
Wether you've fallen prey to identity thieves or not, you can benefit from services that help proactively monitor your bank accounts and credit ratings. The major credit agencies (Equifax, Experian, and TRW) have their own services that can help you, however, they are not necessarily on the consumer's side and your disputes are often directly with them. That leaves independent services not affiliated with the credit agencies. Though there are many reputable services, there are some shady outfits as well. So be careful and do your homework. One recommended reputable agency to check out is Lifelock.
The Lifelock service provides protection both online and offline. Anytime they find your identitiy information in applications for credit cards, retail credits, utilities, wireless services, check reorders, mortgage loans, auto loans, and payday advances, they alert you via email, snail mail, and by phone when urgent. You can then let them know if the activity is fraud, and they'll put their team on the problem to protect your identity. You can enroll in their service for about $15 per month.
Tips to Prevent Identity Theft
Besides using a service like Lifelock, there are other things you can do to protect your personal information.
Be careful with your computer and use secure usernames and passwords. These days, everyone has dozens of usernames and passwords to keep track of, and many of them are for various bank accounts. The most often advice is to change passwords frequently, but that is not really realistic with modern day time demands. An alternative is to at least use different passwords for each account and keep them documented under lock and key. That way losing one password does not expose all your other online accounts. Of course, resist the temptation to use your kids' or pets' names or anything else obvious as your passwords.
Even with secure passwords, there are other ways your information can be stolen from your computer. Avoid logging into your financial accounts when using a work/public/shared computer or when connected to a public network. Lastly, if you have a wireless network connection at home, be sure you encrypt it so that others near the house within the network signal range can't breach your computer.
Once you have your digital information secure, make sure you don't forget about the low tech ways your personal information can be stolen. Only give out your social security number when you absolutely have to. Also, beware when you are asked for typical identifying information such as mother's maiden name. Makesure you never divulge this information unless you are the one that initiated the transaction.
For most consumers, it might be unnecessary to shred every document before throwing it away. However, depending on how your garbage is handled, make sure you destroy particularly sensitive financial or identification records before disposing of it.
If your Identity has been Breached
If you're not sure, start by getting your credit report. Even if you are not subscribed to Lifelock or other services, you are entitled to one free credit report per year.
If any of the accounts you get back don't belong to you, you should write (and also call if you wish, but definitely write) both the company of the account as well as the credit report bureau/agency where it appears. In addition, request from the credit agencies that your credit be "frozen" so that no more negative information can be added until those who stole your identity stop using it. If you are organized and make sure you document all the errors carefully, your credit should return to normal after a few months.
Related Sites (exchange links with this article)
Prevent Identity Theft with 12 Tips for Safe Online Shopping - As more business is conducted online and sensitive data is stored on personal computers, the risk of electronic fraud increases exponentially. The holiday shopping season further increases this risk as online retailers provide heavy discounts to attract consumers searching for the best deals. If history repeats itself, Monday. November 29th, better known as Cyber Monday, will be the largest online shopping day of the year. And while shoppers look forward to this day, identity thieves are even more eager to steal the plethora of personal information that will be shared between consumers and businesses. This article offers 12 tips for savvy consumers who wish to protect themselves not only during the holiday season, but throughout the year.
If you have your own webpage or website that is related to this article, please see our reciprocal link tool.
