How to Prevent Identity TheftWritten by John Mussi
The best way to prevent Identity Theft is always to be vigilant. Never assume or take things for granted. Here are examples of some of steps you can take to protect yourself against Identity Theft:•Buy a shredder – they are readily available from any office supplies company. They are also relatively cheap compared to cost of having your identity stolen. •Do NOT throw bank statements, cheque books, utility bills or old credit cards in waste or rubbish bins. Always shred them or cut them up by using a pair of scissors. •When paying for goods at a shop or withdrawing money from a cash point machine always protect your passwords, codes, PIN numbers from prying eyes. •Protect your personal information within your own home.You may be careful about locking your doors and windows, and keeping your personal papers in a secure place but an identity thief may not need to set foot in your house to steal your personal information. You may store your financial records, tax returns, birth date, and bank account numbers on your computer. These tips can help you keep your computer - and personal information it stores - safe. •Virus protection software should be updated regularly, and patches for your operating system and other software programs should be installed to protect against intrusions and infections that can lead to compromise of your computer files or passwords. Ideally, virus protection software should be set to automatically update each week. The Windows XP operating system also can be set to automatically check for patches and download them to your computer. •Do not open files sent to you by strangers, or click on hyperlinks or download programs from people you don't know. Opening a file could expose your system to a computer virus or a program known as "spyware," which could capture your passwords or any other information as you type it into your keyboard.
| | How Identity Theft OccursWritten by John Mussi
In course of a busy day, you may write a cheque at grocery shop, charge theatre tickets, rent a car, post your tax returns, change service providers for your cell phone, or apply for a credit card. Chances are you don't give these everyday transactions a second thought. But an identity thief does. Identity theft is a serious crime. People whose identities have been stolen can spend months or years and thousands of dollars cleaning up mess thieves have made of a good name and credit record. In meantime, victims of identity theft may lose job opportunities, be refused loans for housing or cars, and even get arrested for crimes they didn't commit. Despite your best efforts to manage flow of your personal information or to keep it to yourself, skilled identity thieves may use a variety of methods to gain access to your data. How identity thieves get your personal information: •They may get information from businesses or other institutions by: ostealing records or information while they're on job obribing an employee who has access to these records ohacking these records oconning information out of employees •They may steal your mail, including bank and credit card statements, credit card offers, new cheque books or tax information. •They may rummage through your rubbish bins, rubbish bins of businesses, or even public rubbish dumps. •They may steal your credit or debit card numbers by capturing information in a data storage device in a practice known as "skimming." They may swipe your card for an actual purchase, or attach device to an ATM machine where you may enter or swipe your card.
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