With the growing use of technology, identity theft has grown into a serious risk to consumers. Here are some important steps to take in order to protect yourself against identity theft.
Regularly Check Your Accounts for Missing Funds or Suspicious Purchases
While checking your accounts regularly is generally a good idea, ensuring their security becomes imperative. Regularly reviewing your bank statements and credit reports allows you to not only keep track of your finances but also spot any red flags, such as suspicious transactions or missing funds.
Checking your credit report every so often can also give insight into any suspicious activity that may occur. Be sure to take advantage of your free yearly credit report.
Guard Your SSN
Social Security Numbers are the passwords to every single piece of an individual’s personal data. They must be safeguarded at all costs. It’s a good idea to keep your SSN card in a (preferably fireproof) safe, but ultimately, it should not be carried around in a wallet or on your person except when necessary.
Do not share your social security number with anyone outside of secure financial services such as a bank.
Use a Credit Monitoring Service
Credit monitoring services alert you of any changes in your credit reports, which can be extremely useful if someone accesses your information. If your information is compromised and is used in an attempt to open a new account, you will be informed quickly, allowing you to freeze your credit account and hinder identity thieves from accessing your funds and ruining your credit score.
While some of them are a little pricey with monthly fees, ensuring your credit score and personal information are safe is worth it.
Consider Placing a Fraud Alert on Your Credit Report
If you think your information is compromised, placing a fraud alert on your credit report is a good idea. You’re only required to alert one of the three credit bureaus, and they will inform the other two. This is a free way to ensure that nobody can open a credit account in your name without your consent.
Use Complex and Unique Passwords Online
Most websites now require a variety of factors when creating a password. You typically need a mix of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Making each password for your various sites different is also important, preventing a hacker from accessing all of your accounts with one password.
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