More Identity Theft Tips

Identity thieves are always thinking of new ways to steal your personal information. Some people become victims of identity theft even though their credit card and debit card is still in their possession. This happened to me twice. There are sites that let thieves buy hundreds of stolen credit card numbers at a time. Here are 16 tips to prevent becoming a victim of identity theft:

1. Buy a sleeve: Purchase a credit card sleeve that blocks RFID transmission (skimming) so there is a lesser chance of having your credit card read while walking down the street. Beware of people who stand close to you or who lean against you on the side where your wallet or purse is held.
2. Aluminum foil: Wrap your credit cards and debit cards in aluminum foil blocks RFID transmissions and it is less expensive than buying a credit card sleeve.
3. Safety: Don’t reveal your credit card in public which increases the risk for skimming. Take the credit card out of the credit card sleeve or remove the foil when making transactions. You can also put your credit card in your front pocket or sock instead of your wallet. Women can put money and credit cards in your bra or sock. Wrap the credit card in aluminum foil and put in a zip lock bag to prevent moisture from deactivating the magnetic strip. Beware of camera phones.
4. Don’t trust caller id. Computers can scramble telephones numbers to make them look legitimate. Skip giving out personal information over the phone unless it is someone you do business with. Ask for their direct number and call back to give your information to ensure it is a real company.
5. Virus Protection. Install virus protection on your computer and smartphone that you pay for. Some popular ones for pc’s are Symantec, Norton Utilities and McAfee. Popular ones for smartphones are Symantec, Kaspersky and F-secure. Also use email protection to minimize spoof emails such as Spam Assassin, Barracuda or Mailwasher.
6. Cash. Pay for items with cash and use credit cards for emergencies only.
7. Debt. Pay down debt and keep the balance at 20% or less of the credit limit. If you notice an unauthorized charge it is easier to detect if you have a few charges on your card. Keep track of your credit card balances at least weekly. Pay balances in full each month.
8. GPS. Reduce using GPS on your cell phone. If satellite can track your location so can thieves.
9. Online. Only shop at well-known website such as Amazon, eBay or Yahoo.com. Don’t purchase items from third party sellers. Shop online at secure websites that use https or shttp.
10. Smartphones. Don’t store personal information on your cell phone or make transactions because you don’t know if you information is secure.
11. Downloading. Avoid downloading from your smartphone and your computer. Download only from trusted websites. Avoid using free software or shareware.
12. Wallet. Skip carrying your SSN or birth certificate in your wallet. Carry only the credit card you know you will use on a specific day.
13. Mail. Leave mail and other personal papers at home and store in a safe place. Check your mailbox regularly, hold mail during vacations.
14. Trash. Shred personal information and mix in with other trash.
15. Bank. Don’t use an ATM in a secluded area. Create PINs that cannot easily be guessed. Verify all monthly statements with your receipts.
16. Credit. Order your credit report at least once a year and verify all information is correct.

Protect Your Children From Identity Thieves

We all are aware of identity thieves preying on unsuspecting adults and opening new accounts in someone else's name. The statistics for identity theft are alarming. There are several measures in place to help reduce your chances of being a victim of identity theft such as: shopping online at secure websites, don't carry your SSN or birth certificate in your wallet, use a paper shredder to shred personal papers and store financial information in a secure location. You can also use services such as credit monitoring, credit freeze and fraud alerts.

However, a new segment of the population that is a victim of identity theft is children. According to the Federal Trade Commission in 2007, 2% or 1,246 consumers age 19 or under were victims of internet identity theft. In 2007 5% or 11,769 of all identity theft claims were for children ages 18 or under. Those may seem small numbers but complaints for children are increasing every year. If a child is 15 and is a victim of identity theft tries to apply for a credit card at age 18 severe damage would have occurred to their credit history and credit rating would be nearly impossible to catch the identity thief.

Some parents open accounts in their children's name because they have bad credit. Parents please don't do this, you put your child at risk for becoming a victim of identity theft and it also considered fraud to forge someone else's signature.

To protect your child from becoming a victim of identity theft take the following 10 precautions:

1. Don't provide your child's SSN unless absolutely necessary. If you don't feel comfortable providing your child's SSN ask if your child can be assigned an alternate identification number, most companies will oblige, if they refuse, press the issue or take your business elsewhere.

2. Do research by visiting a company's website or calling the company to find out their privacy policy and ask questions such as: how is customer information stored, what happens if customer information is breached, is customer information encrypted, what security measures are in place to ensure employees of the company do not leak customer information and ask why a child's SSN is needed? For government agencies you should feel more at ease providing the information but use cautious when doing business with non-government agencies.

3. Monitor your child's SSN - many times family members are the main culprits who steal a child's identity.

4. Store and lock your child's personal information in a secure location.

5. If you child is a junior, senior, II, or III use your child's full name including the middle name or middle initial to ensure that their name is not confused with a family member's who could potentially have bad credit.

6. If your child starts receiving junk mail visit the DMA Consumers Organization website and click on the Consumers section to have their name removed from junk mail lists.

7. Check your child's credit report from the 3 major credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion to ensure they have not been a victim of identity theft. If you child is under age 13 you can only get a copy of their credit report by mail as a measure to protect your child's identity.

8. When filling out paperwork for your child that requires providing their SSN or birth certificate don't say their SSN out loud and don't write the SSN down on a piece of paper. Request that the person you are supplying the information to, not repeat your child's SSN or date or birth out loud, i.e. if they are writing down the SSN on a form ask to see the form to see if the SSN was written correctly.

9. Educate your child about shopping online at secure websites.

10. Educate your child about providing their personal information on the internet such as first and last name, age, SSN, address, telephone number, etc. All of this information can be researched and linked to find a child's SSN or address by using phone or SSN matching programs.

Get a copy of your child's credit report at least once a year at www.annualcreditreport.com. Your child (if old enough or you) can also take an identity theft risk test to see if your child is at risk for identity theft at the IDTheftCenter Organization website.

10 Tips to Protect Your Identity During the Holiday Season

According to the 2006 Federal Trade Commission Identity Theft Survey Report, in 2005 8.3. million Americans were victims of some form of identity theft. According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, it takes 12 months, on average, for a victim of identity theft to notice the crime. In 2006, 10 million Americans were victims of identity theft. Here are 11 tips to protect your identity during the holiday season.

1. Don’t carry your SSN or other personal papers in your wallet or purse
2. Leave mail and other personal papers at home and store in a safe place
3. Check your mailbox regularly, hold mail during vacations
4. Shred personal information and mix in with other trash
5. Don’t use an ATM in a secluded area
6. Carry only the credit cards you know you will use
7. Shop online at secure websites, https or shttp
8. Create PINs that cannot easily be guessed
9. Verify all monthly statements with your receipts
10. Order your credit report at least once a year and verify all information
11. Beware of camera phones

Copyright © 2007 H.E. Freeman Enterprises