Mailbox: Lock it securely! Many people still do not bother and yet it’s one of the easiest steps you can take in preventing identity theft. Without it, all the identity thief needs to do is walk past, open and grab your post. Cut your post down as much as possible by singing up to online banking and cancelling paper bank statements.
Wallets and Purses: It seems obvious but guard your wallet at all times. Your wallet or purse may well contain all the information an identity thief requires. Never carry your social security number around with you, leave it somewhere safe at home. After all, when was the last time you were asked for your number in a normal day at work or out and about.
Trash Can: A shredder costs around $20 and is an essential tool in preventing identity theft. Known as dumpster diving, the active identity thief thinks nothing of rummaging through trash in the hope of finding a bank statement, a canceled check etc. The identity thief knows full well that dumpster diving is the easiest way of stealing an identity from someone. Don’t let it be yours!
Do Not Dismiss The Pro’s: A company like Life Lock charge around $10 a month and there are other similar companies now springing up. It could be a small price to pay for the peace of mind that comes with it.
Give It Away: By just coming out with it and asking for your details the thief hopes to catch you off guard and guess what, it works every day. A phone call from the doctors asking you to confirm your address and social security number, an email from your bank asking you to confirm your password, an email from ebay asking you to confirm your log in details. All these are known to work. All they have to do is ask enough people and eventually they will get a result. Remember, they can send out millions of emails at once!
Lockers: You are much more likely to know the person who steals your identity than the criminal be some con artist working from a laptop in Nigeria. If you use lockers at work or the gym, use your own locks on them if possible. If you go away on vacation, empty your lockers before you go. If a work mate know’s you are away for 2 weeks he’s got a great head start with those credit cards!
Preventing identity theft requires many steps on your part as you can see from the above few tips. For many more tips and advice on preventing identity theft please feel free to grab your copy of our complimentary ebook, “Facts About Identity Theft“
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