Use these tips to protect yourself against identity theft
Identity Theft: To have your personal information stolen by a criminal who uses it to commit fraud in your name, leaving you with the burden of proving your innocence.
While no one is 100% safe from identity theft, and no bank or company can safeguard a customer’s personal information with total certainty, there are steps you can and should take to lower your profile as a target for identity theft:
While no one is 100% safe from identity theft, and no bank or company can safeguard a customer’s personal information with total certainty, there are steps you can and should take to lower your profile as a target for identity theft:
- Because identity thieves often rummage through the trash to obtain your information (a process known as “dumpster diving”), you should shred any documents that contain financial or personal information before throwing them away (examples include charge receipts, copies of credit applications, insurance forms, physician statements, checks and bank statements, expired charge cards, and credit offers you get in the mail).
- Store any documents containing financial or personal information in a safe, locked place (especially if you have roommates or your home is accessed by people providing services to you).
- Never provide financial or personal info to someone who calls on the phone, no matter what company they claim to represent. Ask for their name, and call back using a number that you know to be accurate (i.e. from a bill or statement).
- Never provide financial or personal info via postal mail unless you are 100% certain who you are dealing with.
- Treat your Social Security Number as privileged information. Don’t keep it in your wallet or write it on a check. Ask to provide another identifier when your SSN is requested, and provide it only as a last resort…and then only to trusted parties. Don’t use your SSN as your driver’s license number.
- Never use obvious PIN’s, such as any part of the birth date or SSN belonging to you or anyone you know.
- Make sure your any of your accounts that can be accessed via phone are password protected.
- Ask any business to whom you provide personal information to explain their policy for protecting that information, and with whom they may share it. Make sure you’re comfortable with what you learn.
- Deposit outgoing mail only in secure receptacles or at the Post Office. Do not leave bill payment envelopes clipped to your mailbox or inside with the flag up (a clear invitation to ID thieves looking for personal info).