Identity Theft – Prepare Yourself
Identity theft is a scary situation to imagine, comprehend, or even be a victim of. I once heard that identity theft will happen to everyone at least once in their life and all we can do is prepare ourselves for the day when we find out someone is pretending to be us to steal our money, or gain other benefits. Listed below are some tips on how to prevent identity theft:
- When ordering new checks pick them up at the bank rather than having them mailed to your house, and don’t have your bank print your driver’s license number on checks
- Shred all documents related to personal and financial information
- Be cautious on the phone and when browsing websites (look for encryption on sites asking for billing information and don’t give personal information over the phone)
- Protect your computer from hackers
- Don’t carry your social security card in your wallet or purse
- Deposit outgoing mail at the post office or in post office owned collection boxes rather than an unsecured mailbox
- Create clever and secure passwords for financial and personal websites – keep these passwords to yourself
- Pay attention to your billing statements
Most of us are prepared for the day when we get in a car accident. We know who we will call and how to handle the situation. We need to have this same set of mind when our identity is stolen. Know who you’re going to call and what you are going to do right when you find out someone is pretending to be you. Listed below are a few steps one should take after finding out their identity is stolen:
- Contact the credit bureaus’ fraud department
Credit Bureau Information
- Close all accounts that have been tampered with
- File a report with the local police
- Keep good records during the process of re-establishing your identity
- Change your PINs
- Contact the Social Security Administration
- Contact your State Motor Vehicle Department
The best way to deal with identity theft is to prevent it from happening in the first place, but in this day in age we must accept the fact that it will probably happen to us at some point in our lives. The main way to tackle identity theft is to prepare ourselves for when it occurs so we can re-establish our identity easily and quickly.
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