How to Protect yourself against Identity Theft
Identity theft, some say, is the price we all pay for our technology-driven society. We all enjoy the benefits and perks of the Internet and computer technology, but it is also these things that can cause the most unscrupulous thieves to come out of the wood work and take advantage of unknowing consumers when they least expect it.
It is with this in mind that we must all approach today’s technology with an educated eye. And credit cards are no exception. There are many ways in which identity thieves have fooled people into giving out their credit card numbers and other personal identification, and there are many computer-savvy thieves that have used today’s technology to hack into consumer’s accounts.
Although there are no fool-proof methods for protecting your credit from identity thieves, there are a number of ways in which you can reduce your chance of being a thief’s next victim.
- 1) Instead of signing the back of your credit card, write the words “See ID.” This may deter thieves from using your credit card in case of credit card theft or loss. In addition, never keep your credit or debit card’s pin number with your card, as this is essentially a free pass for a credit card thief.
- 2) Beware of any emails claiming to be from your credit card company. Many identity thieves send out “phishing” emails that appear to be from legitimate companies. In the email, the thief may encourage to you to click on a link that brings you to a website that, although it looks similar to your credit card website, is actually a phony web site. The identity thief quickly obtains your personal information when you type in your user name, password, credit card number or social security number.
A simple way to avoid this type of identity theft is to never, ever respond to emails that appear to be from your credit card company. Most legitimate companies will never send you an email asking you to verify information.
- 1) Do not choose an easy password that can be easily guessed by an identity thief. Identity thieves will often try obvious passwords, such as your address or your birth date, when attempting to gain access to your account, so steer clear of any commonly used numbers or phrases. Instead, opt for a password that contains both alpha and numeric characters.
- 2) Review your credit card statement every month, without exception. Many consumers who use their credit cards frequently throughout the month never stop to review their statements – and credit card thieves are counting on it.
Take the time to carefully review all purchases made on your credit card each time your bill arrives so that you won’t fall victim to identity theft.
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