Identity theft is a frightening reality that we all need to keep ourselves guarded against. Unfortunately, it only takes one slip up for an identity theft to steal your personal information and get you buried in a pile of debt. Therefore, in order to keep yourself protected against identity theft, it is important for you to take all of the following steps. Step #1: Guard Your Social Security Number While there are times when giving out your social security number is necessary, you should use extreme caution when determining who you will give it to and how you will give out that information. For the most part, you should never give out your social security number over the phone, over the Internet or on the phone. Even if you trust the person you are sending the information to, it is easy for an identity theft to intercept that information. If you are giving out the information on the Internet, make sure you are on a secure website and never send your social security number through email. Step #2: Put Only the Basics on Your Checks Never put more than the required information on your personal checks. Although it may seem convenient to put your driver is license number or social security number on your checks, you are only giving identity thieves more opportunities for getting hold of that information and using it improperly. Similarly, never allow your credit card number to be written on your checks. Not only does this put you at a greater risk for fraud, it is illegal in many states. Step #3: Keep an Eye on Your Mail Make certain to check your mail every day so it is not sitting in your mailbox longer than necessary. Keeping your mail in your box for too long only invites criminal mischief. In addition, if you know you will be receiving a credit card or other important document soon, keep an eye out for it and contact the issuing company if it does not arrive when expected. Step #4: Check Your Credit Report Once Per Year Thanks to the federal law that allows you to receive one free copy of your credit report each year, there is absolutely no reason for you to not check your credit report on an annual basis. Visit annualcreditreport.com to receive your free credit report and check it over for erroneous information or suspicious activity and immediately report any problems that you see. Step #5: Create Smart PINS and Passwords When it comes time to create passwords and PINS, you should avoid using any of the following: • Last four digits of your social security number • Your mother is maiden name • Your birth date • Your middle name • Your pet is name • Any set of consecutive numbers Although these are all easy for you to remember, they are also easy for a thief to crack. If you are looking for a password that is easy to remember, think of a phrase you know and use the first letter of each word in the phrase as your passwords. By adding numbers onto the password, you can make it even more difficult for a thief to crack.
Article Source: http://www.articlecontentprovider.com/articlesubmit
Identity theft is a frightening reality that we all need to keep ourselves guarded against. Unfortunately, it only takes one slip up for an identity theft to steal your personal information and get you buried in a pile of debt. Therefore, in order to keep yourself protected against identity theft, it is important for you to take some important steps in order to guard your identity.
ReliaCredit provides you view of your annual credit report free credit report with Identity Guard and also Annual Credit Report
Please Rate this Article
5 out of 5 4 out of 5 3 out of 5 2 out of 5 1 out of 5
