According to an article in Fortune magazine, identity theft figures are decreasing, but that didn’t stop over 12 million Americans falling foul to this intrusive crime in 2014. As you can see, this is a massive problem, and one that doesn’t (in reality) seem to be going away. So what can we, as consumers, do to stop being the victims of these criminals? Here are a few ideas that should help you keep your identity to yourself.
Care for Your Paperwork
Any physical documentation that you have should be cared for and disposed of correctly. Never simply throw away paperwork from government offices or banks, and ideally buy a shredder to destroy any documents that may have sensitive information on them. If you need to keep paperwork at home, keep it in a locked area that people cannot access; after all, you don’t want prying eyes looking at your personal information.
Look After Your Mail
Not all mail is electronic, and if your mail is in a physical form it can be stolen or re-routed. Make sure that you are aware of when your bills and statements are due, and change them to an electronic format if at all possible. Also, be on the alert for any store cards, credit or debit cards coming through the post, and alert the bank or store immediately if they are not delivered by the expected date.
Password Protection
Passwords are there to stop people accessing your online dealings and communication, so make them difficult to guess. Never use birth dates or names, always have different passwords for all your accounts, and if you are using an ATM make sure nobody can see what you are typing on the keypad. Also, never store your passwords or other personal information on your computer or your phone. Computers can be hacked, and a stolen phone could lead to stolen money from your bank account.
Shop Safely
In 2013 there were 191.1 million online shoppers in America; and, according to the figures populated by Statista, there will be over 2015 million by 2018. This gives a lot of opportunities for cyber criminals to steal your identity. Combat this by making sure that you never input your details on a shopping site unless you can see the padlock sign in your browser’s address bar, and ignoring sites that don’t have it. This is only one way that your computer could be used to access your details, so make sure you have good security on your computer or you could easily find your details hacked.
Lessen the Impact
As soon as you think you have been a victim of identity theft, contact your banks and let them know what has happened (as well as store card suppliers etc.), and ask for transactions to be cancelled. You may also need to freeze your bank accounts. Then you should file a police report (remember this is still theft), and send a report to any consumer financial protection bureau in your state. The next thing you should do is to contact a specialist identity theft lawyer like burkeharvey.com who will explain the legal ramifications that identity theft can have, along with how to restore your reputation and any credit-worthiness you may have lost. The faster you act once you know you have been a victim, the fewer problems you will have because of it.
Identity theft may seem to be a less serious crime because of the lack of violence, but it can have much worse repercussions than having your handbag snatched (a much more personal crime), unless you keep your personal details in there along with your phone containing your passwords etc.