10 id theft tips july 2014

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10 Ways To Avoid Identity Theft

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10 tips to keep your identity secure

Transcript of 10 id theft tips july 2014

Page 1: 10 id theft tips july 2014

10 Ways To Avoid Identity Theft

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1. Only Carry Necessary Items• Only put items you’ll

need in your wallet or purse

• One credit card is usually enough to carry around

• Never, under any circumstances should you keep in your wallet:– Social Security Card– Copy of your birth

certificate– More than 1 or 2 credit

cardsWikipedia/ WalletMpegMan

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2. Know exactly what’s in your wallet• If your wallet is stolen, it’ll

make “damage control” much easier if you know all items in the wallet

• You should have the numbers and expiration dates of the credit card(s) in your wallet written down in a safe place

• Make photocopies of some of the items in your wallet, like– Your driver’s license– Health insurance cards– Other IDs

Flickr/ knuck13s

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3. Be careful about your mail• You need to be cautious about

what you send and receive in the mail

• Never send through the mail– Your Social Security Number– Bank account numbers or PIN

numbers– Identifying information like your

date of birth • Requesting paperless statements

from banks and credit cards makes your mailbox a less vulnerable place

• Consider buying a locking mailbox (pictured)– These are available at home

improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s

www.retrorenovation.com

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4. Beware of phishing scams• Just because you receive

an email from your bank doesn’t mean it really came from your bank

• It is completely fine to call your bank to verify the origin of any email communications

• Bear in mind that most legitimate bank and credit card emails will never ask for personal informationPublic domain

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5. Skimmers and cameras• Be very cautious about

using your credit/debit cards in unmonitored places like– Gas pumps– Non-bank ATMs– Self-serve kiosks

• Thieves install small devices on these card readers which steal your information

• Cameras are also used often to capture PIN numbers being entered

Public domain

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6. Be careful on the phone• Thieves are known to

call, pretending to be a representative from your bank or credit card company

• Never give out personal information on a call you didn’t originate

Public domain

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7. Use complex passwords and PINs• The 5 most commonly used passwords of 2013

were 123456, “password”, 12345678, “querty”, and abc123

• The most common PIN numbers are 1234, 1111, and 0000– In fact, by simply guessing the 10 most common

PIN numbers, thieves could hack more than 20% of debit cards!

• If your password or PIN is listed above, you are ASKING to become a fraud victim!

• Use a combination of numbers, letters, and special characters (like ! And ?) that has absolutely nothing to do with your life

• Example: a45$1!b6r

Public domain

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8. Buy a paper shredder• Believe it or not, there are

thieves who would love to dig through your garbage and find personal information

• Shred or otherwise destroy any piece of paper with– Social security numbers– Credit card information– Your date of birth– Employment information

(like pay stubs)– Bank information– Other commonly used

identifying information like your mother’s maiden namePublic domain

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9. Photos are the best identifiers• If possible, request

credit and debit cards with your photo on them

• Many companies offer this at no extra charge

• At least try to get your photo on the cards you carry around

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10. Freeze your credit• Freezing your credit

makes it impossible for anyone (including you) to open a new credit account

• However, it is relatively easy to temporarily lift the freeze when you need to

• This is the most powerful credit security tool at your disposal