Identity theft is, by most accounts, still on the rise. Good news, eh? There are more people falling victim to this crime every year, and that is mostly due to the fact that criminals are using the Internet to their advantage. Does this mean you should avoid doing your banking on the computer to prevent identity theft? Certainly not -- but there are a few things you can do to in the world of identity theft prevention to decrease your risk of falling prey to these nasty folks.
Reputable Companies Take Precautions
It is best to understand that any reputable, established financial institution undoubtedly takes all available precautions to protect you from identity theft, and it’s most likely not their fault if the unthinkable does happen. The problem, of course, is that the crooks get more creative every day, using techniques like phishing and keystroke collection to bait you into providing the information they need to hook you.
Internet Scams That Can Steal Your Identity
Phishing Scams -- which you’re probably hearing and reading more and more about these days -- is the use of trick emails and Web sites to illegally collect personal information such as bank account numbers, passwords, Social Security numbers, and more. You might occasionally get an email that seems to be from your financial institution and looks legitimate, but in fact links you to a fake version of the company’s site where you are asked for personal information. If you ever get an email with a link in it, make sure to type the company’s address into your browser rather than clicking the link; if they really need your information, they will ask you for it on the site as well as in the email. If you have any doubts, contact customer service in order to verify the legitimacy of the email you’ve received. If they have no idea what you’re talking about, thank your lucky stars you didn’t just enter your credit card number on what was most likely a fake site.
You should make sure to always use secure passwords -- at least six characters long and containing both letters and numbers. Don’t duplicate passwords from account to account, and try to make them difficult for people to figure out. Don’t use your first or last name, your children’s names, or your home address for a password or user name.
Keystroke collection comes in the form of spyware that has been installed on your computer without your knowledge. This spyware allows criminals to literally watch what you type into your computer, making it very simple to swipe your personal information. Make absolute certain that you have a security program on your system that will detect, block, and remove spyware before it becomes a problem.
Keep Your Personal Information Personal
Last but not least, keep all of your banking and personal information in a very safe place, never storing it on (or even near) your computer itself. Think of it this way: Is it easier to have to reset a forgotten password or to have to re-establish your legal identity?
Josh Michaels is a freelance writer who survives on very little income and carefully considered financial decisions. This combination has allowed him to have fun, travel the world, and start a retirement account – all without the pleasure of holding a full-time job. He can be reached at: joshmichaelsmoney@hotmail.com.
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