Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft
The growing crime in the United States is identity theft. More than nine thousand people fall victim each year, with the unauthorized use of an existing card accounting for much of the problem. The National Crime Victimization Survey reports that household identity theft and losses amount to more than 13 billion each year, and that figure does not account for the aggravation required to repair the accounts.
Practice these techniques to stop attempts to steal your personal data:
- Do not click links in or reply to spam.
- Install a personal firewall (software that protects resources from other intrusions).
- Clear web cookies (small text files that web servers store on a computer) in your browser. This action might prevent some cookie-based websites from working, but you will be able to decide which cookies to accept or reject.
- Turn off file and printer sharing on your web connection.
- Set up a free email account. Use this email address for store forms.
- Sign up for email filtering through your ISP or use an anti-spam program.
- Shred any financial documents before you discard them.
- Provide only the needed information on website forms.
- Avoid looking at your email or performing banking activities on public computers. These computers are notorious for running and using keyloggers, which record keystrokes in a hidden file, and other tracking software. If you must use a public computer for critical activities, be certain to sign out of any password-protected website and to clear the browser’s cache.
- Request a copy of your medical records annually from the Medical Information Bureau.
- Obtain your credit report once a year from each of the three major credit reporting agencies and correct any errors. Enroll in a credit card monitoring service.
- Request, in writing, to be taken off of mailing lists.
- Place your phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry.
- Avoid shopping club and buyer cards.
- Do not write your phone number on charge or credit receipts. Ask stores not to write this number or any other personal and confidential information, especially your Social Security and driver’s license number, on the back of your personal documents.
- Do not add your phone number or Social Security number on checks.
- Fill in only the required information on rebate, and registration forms.
- Learn how to block your number from displaying on the receiver’s system.
What you can do if your identity has been stolen:
If your identity has been stolen, change any passwords that may have been threatened. If you have disclosed your debit or credit card numbers, contact your institutions. You also should visit the Federal Trade Commission website or call the FTC hot line.