How do you avoid Id theft?

Answer 1

For starters buy a shredder, never throw out anything that would have important information. Since many folks go dumpster diving and not all of them are looking for cans. Then you contact your local credit reporting agencies by mail and ask what they do and you can, to protect you from fraud. Also your local Police Depatment may have more information. Since they deal with such matters daily. They maybe willing (just as they do in the neighborhood watch and street smart,) to bring you and your neighbors together and instruct you on how to avoid being a victim.

In today's society with computers and the ability to obtain your information from a variety of sources it is almost impossible to prevent identity theft. There are a lot of things that you can do to minimize your chances and the resulting damage.

First is to obtain you credit report every year. New Federal legislation that is going into effect shortly makes it mandatory that the credit agencies provide you one for free.

Equifax P.O. Box 740241 Atlanta, GA 30374 1-800-685-1111

Experian P.O. Box 2002 Allen, TX 75013 1-800-787-6864

TransUnion P.O. Box 2000 Chester, PA 19022-2000 1-877-322-8228

Another good idea is to opt out of all the credit card offers. Keep a low level credit card and pay it off each month, especially for internet uses. The same is a good idea for bank accounts. Have one account at a separate bank and only keep a minimal balance. Keep your savings account at another bank because the bank can and will transfer money from one account to another without your knowledge.

Especially important is to not give out any personal information over the phone. Scammers are particullary adept at this tactic and will appear perfectly legitimate.

A good article on preventing identity theft is They Say I'm Not Me

You can protect yourself from identity theft by making good decisions:

1) Shred your mail (credit card offers, bill statements, checking account statements, etc.).

2) Don't give out your Social Security number to anyone who calls you--they may say they're from your bank or credit-card company, but they're probably lying.

3) Don't leave your Social Security card in your wallet.

4) Check your credit report three times a year (there are three different credit bureaus: go to annualcreditreport.com and every four months get a report from a different bureau). Check to see if there are any accounts you don't recognize. Report them.

5) Do your bills electronically. When bills, credit-card offers, etc. come in the mail or you leave payments in your mailbox, especially if it's not a locked box, anyone can take this mail and steal your identity and your money.

6) Check your accounts regularly online (credit cards, bank statements) and report any suspicious activity.

7) Don't use wireless networks (cell phone or laptop) to do financial stuff--those networks can be hacked. Using landlines (DSL, phone) are much much safer.

8) Don't respond to emails from your bank, credit card company, etc. that ask to "confirm your account" or some other fishy story by giving your Social Security number, PIN number, etc. Your bank will NEVER ask for that information via an email sent to you. These emails come from scam artists who figure that, if they send 1 million emails pretending to be from a particular bank, some of the recipients will actually be customers of that bank and may fall for the scam. If you get a message asking for confidential information, call your bank, credit-card company, etc. (don't use the number in the email--look it up) and double-check that it's really from the bank, etc.

Answer 2

- Carefully check your bank statements.

- Avoid giving out personal information to untrusted sources or businesses.

- Don't share your online passwords

- Cancel your credit cards if you lose your wallet

Have a security check 3 times a month (at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end) that has helped me for almost 15 years.

Answer 3

So you don't want your identity stolen? Great. You've come ot the right place! First you need to not give any personal information online. Do not give your last name, where you live, your birthdate, etc.. Replace them with something that is not really your birthdate, etc. Be very careful about buying stuff online when you give your credit card number. Next, zip up that purse or shut that wallet! You don't want your ID to be found, do you? Finally, as I've been saying before, BE CAREFUL! Hope this helps (: Why not give me an award of keeping you safe and recommend me? (: Thanks!

Answer 4

LifeLock provides a proactive identity theft service, specializing in the prevention of identity theft rather than the reporting of it. 1 in 4 people have experienced identity theft, protect your's with LifeLock, backed with a $1 Million Service Guarantee

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Answer 5

One proactive step people now take is they make it a routine where they check their background (self-background check) in order to secure their identity.

Answer 6

well keep a close eye on ur wallet or wat ever has ur ID in it By riched smith

Answer 7

Don't ever give out passwords or personal info about yourself. If you give out personal information it can lead to ID theft.

Answer 8

Many people now make it a routine where they check their background (self-background check) in order to secure their identity. Though a relatively new idea it's growing very quickly.

Answer 9

To avoid identity theft you can not share your computer, credit card or bank information like PINS and passwords with anyone, and cross shred all documents.