You Can Avoid Identity Theft
Before we go into how we can avoid identity theft, let us see what identity theft means. Identity theft is mostly defined as a state where another person uses your name to appropriate gains due to you – this could be anything from abusing your credit cards to usurping your medical insurance or bank balance, or committing crimes in your name. We are often not aware that we leave behind us a trail of vital information, which literally invites miscreants to pick it up and misuse it. How many times you have written your full name, security number and phone number on the back of the pizza payment check? Now, sit and think logically how many people would have access to that information before the check is deposited.
Then, you will have the bank personnel who will have access to your account number as well. Can you realize how inviting it can be to know the details you have mentioned? If that check falls into the hands of any unscrupulous person, you will be wide open for identity theft whereby your bank can be cleared within minutes.
How to Avoid Identity Theft?
Basically one word will do here – careful. If you are careful, you will be able to sidestep a good number of traps and avoid identity theft effectively. The following guidelines would be helpful:
1. Keep all the critical information (it is even better if your keep all your information) concealed. Do not write your driver license number or social security number anywhere, lest people will copy it and use it. This is particularly important when it comes to checks. People tend to write all kind of identity information right on the back of the checks. You should rather give only your phone number and if the bank needs further identification or verification, they will call you up.
2. Never give any information over the phone. How do you know that the person at the end of the line is a genuine person? If the bank is calling you, ask the name of the person and inform that you will give the information in person, or send it through someone you authorize on your behalf.
3. Never give your financial details for buying things over the Internet. Whenever you like something, check out the website (name of the enterprise) with the BBB or Better Business Bureau to see whether they are genuine. Unless you do this, you might be feeding your financial information into a clone website. This is one of the most popular methods to steal people’s identity; hence, you should be very careful about what you are doing and with whom you are interacting to avoid identity theft.
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