Protect Yourself From Identity Theft

What Is Identity Theft

Identity theft happens when an individual uses your personal information (or that of your business) without your knowledge or consent, generally obtaining financial credit in your name (or in the name of your business).

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Association of Attorneys General, ID Theft has become one of the nation's fastest-growing crimes. The Federal Trade Commission's receives about 4,000 identity theft complaints per week.

How to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft

While you may not be able to prevent this from occurring, the following pointers will definitely reduce your risk:

• Shred Confidential Documents - Shred all unwanted materials containing sensitive personal information, such as bank statements, credit card receipts, etc.
  
  
• Secure Personal Information - Secure personal information in your home, especially if you have roommates or employ outside help for having service done in your home. Also, do not discuss personal information on a cordless phone. Finally, do not carry your Social Security card. Keep it in a secure place.
  
  
• Avoid Giving Out Personal Information - Don't give out personal information over the phone unless you are sure you know to whom you are speaking. Be wary of promotional scams where you are asked to provide your personal information. Finally, avoid providing your Social Security Number unless absolutely necessary.
  
  
• Send Sensitive Mail at a Public Mailbox - Deposit outgoing mail in post office collection boxes, rather than your unsecured personal mailbox.
  
  
• Be Attentive to Financial Information – Check your financial statements for any suspicious activity and pay attention to your billing cycles. Follow up with financial institutions if you notice anything unusual or have not received your statements. Review your credit report annually and contact creditors and the credit reporting agencies immediately if you notice anything unusual (i.e., new accounts or inquiries). Consider enrolling in a credit bureau monitoring service. These services can provide you with alerts when your credit bureau information is accessed.
  
  
• Protect Your Account from Online Threats – “Phishing and “pharming” use official looking emails or web pages to deceive you into disclosing your personal information.
  
  
  • A phishing email tries to direct you to an imposter web site of a legitimate business or financial institution, where it asks for your personal information.
    
    
  • Pharming occurs when hackers disrupt the transfer of information on the Internet and point you to a fraudulent Web site. Avoid this trickery by utilizing the following suggestions.
    
    
  • Do not provide your vital personal and account information by email.
    
    
  • Do not click on any links in a suspicious email, for it may initiate virus installations. Once installed, viruses can use “key logging” to capture your personal identification, passwords and account information. To avoid this problem, please install security software to help protect your personal computer against these security threats.