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protect yourself from Identity Theft
 
 
 
 
 
 

Identity theft and fraud is a real and growing problem. This information will help to provide you with the methods you need to beat the identity fraudsters.


The internet and mobile phones render our personal information more vulnerable than ever and identity theft and fraud is a rapidly increasing problem.
 
 
So what is identity theft?

Identity theft is when someone uses your personal details such as your social security number, your bank credit card number, your driver's license number or any other form of identity without your knowledge or permission and then use it as if it were you. Most people do not realise that their information has been stolen and used until they realise that their credit rating is non existent or they receive a bill for something they know nothing about.There are many people who have fallen victim to identity theft through various different methods. Some of these ways are easily preventable by using a little common sense. Other ways that identities are stolen are more dubious and discreet.



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How to protect yourself from identity theft.

Simple basic vigilance and common sense is the order of the day. Never take anything for granted where your identity is concerned. To protect yourself from identity theft always consider who is requesting your information and what information they request about your identity. Use your common sense and never divulge your information to someone you do not know or may not trust.



 

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Postal mail

You should also consider that you receive quite a lot of information about yourself in the mail in the form of bank statements, invoices and the like. These mail in these envelopes will always contain your name, address, account number and other account information useful to identity thieves. When disposing of this mail the information it contains should made be made unusable, the simplest way is to shred the mail using an inexpensive shredder you can purchase from any office supply store. Do not throw credit card statements, old credit cards, bank statements or utility bills, etc. in the bin without making the information they contain unreadable because they offer an easy method for someone to search your waste bin and steal your information.



 

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Protect your PIN

When you are buying items at a store or withdrawing money from a bank or ATM type cash machine using your credit/debit card always protect the visibility of your PIN number as you type it in.



 

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Check your ATM

When using an ATM cash machine always check to see that it has not had any "skimming" devices added by unscrupulous individuals. These devices will usually comprise of a card reader that stuck over the card input slot that will take a copy of the information stored in the magnetic strip of the card and a miniature camera to record your PIN number. The information gleaned from these "skimming" devices can be used to create a copy of your credit card and allow the thief to use the cloned card at will.



 

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Protect sensitive information

Do not carry your Social Security/National Insurance card with your number on it in your wallet. Keep your SS/NI card or anything with your social security number on it in a safe place where no one has access to it but you. If you must dispose of anything that has your social security number on it, do not forget to shred it.



 

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Watch your email

When online, do not open email file attachments sent to you by strangers or from someone you know if you were not expecting to receive any from them. Do not click on hyperlinks or download programs in emails from people you do not know either. Opening a computer file from an unknown source could expose your system to a computer virus, a Trojan or spyware. These types of programs often record your login information, credit card number, it's cvv2 number and other sensitive information when you do purchase something online then send that information to the thief controlling the malicious software.
If you use Ebay or Paypal, read the company website policies concerning how they handle communication to you about your account information. Never trust an email you may receive out of nowhere from Ebay or Paypal asking you to "update your account information" as this is more than likely a ploy to steal that information and use it illegally.



 

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Use a firewall

If you have high speed internet connection that leaves your computer connected to the internet use a firewall program and a router while you are online. Together they make it much more difficult for a hacker to see your computer's internet identification address (IP) which means that they find it much more difficult to take control of your computer and you are safer sending and receiving sensitive information over the internet. Some computer operating systems and most routers include a built in firewall which you should make sure is enabled.



 

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Online shopping

When you are shopping online, always use a secure browser and shop from a web site that offers secure transactions when shopping online. Most browsers in use today have this protection feature including the popular Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox browser, look for the padlock icon. Always ensure that the site you are purchasing from is secure by checking that the sites address in your web browsers address bar begins with https:// rather than the more usual http://. It will show up looking like "https://shoppingsite.com".



 

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Keep your computer clean

Practice keeping your computer clean and free from virus, spyware or trojan programs that log keystroke information. Always use virus protection software and spyware monitoring and removal software, these programs should be updated regularly. Ideally, virus protection software should be set to update itself frequently. Update your operating system and other software programs regularly to protect against the compromise of your computer files and password information. The Windows XP operating system will update itself automatically if you enable this feature, which you should.

 

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Conclusion

The consequences of identity theft and identity fraud once thieves have your information can be devastating ranging from spending your money to taking out credit loans in your name. For these reasons and others, it is a good idea to monitor your credit report periodically.

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Identity theft and fraud is a real and growing problem.