Are You Giving Your Identity Away?
The thought of having your identity stolen can be enough to instill panic in anyone who has done enough research to realize that identity theft and credit card fraud are both real and dangerous threats. Most of us are aware of the basics of preventing identity theft —like shredding and using anti-virus software. But, is there still a majority of us who are unknowingly giving our identities away to ever eager thieves? The answer is most likely yes. It is vitally important that each and every person learns how to prevent identity theft and establishes a solid identity theft protection plan.
Seven Ways You Might Be Giving Your Identity Away
1. Having a public phone number and address. Being listed in the local telephone directory might seem like a seemingly innocent thing—and in fact, unless you choose (and in some cases pay a small fee) to be unlisted, your information is automatically submitted to your local directory service. But community phone books and online white pages listings provide easy pay days for many thieves experienced with identity theft. All a thief has to do is submit a form to your local post office to begin having your mail rerouted to another location where he or she can begin sorting through your bills and committing various kinds of existing credit fraud. Some thieves use information in the phone book as a spring board for public records searches that may allow them to find out more information about you that can make stealing your identity a cinch.
2. Writing account numbers in memo lines of checks. When you go to pay your monthly electric bill, the company generally asks you to include the account number on your check. But if you are enclosing your remittance stub with your payment then including only the last four digits of your account number should suffice. In some cases, you may not even need to write your account number on your check at all. Only write account numbers on checks when absolutely necessary. Vendors and bank employees should only have information they truly need. Having a bank account number and a utility (or other) account number in one place can increase your vulnerability to identity theft or credit fraud if your check gets lost or falls into the wrong hands.
3. Printing your driver’s license number on your checks. If you write checks often you might be annoyed with how frequently you are asked to show your driver’s license to clerks who need to write your information down. But printing that information on your checks (next to your name and address) isn’t the wisest thing to do. In fact, you shouldn’t even print your phone number on your checks anymore. Each piece of your personal information is like another piece in a puzzle for thieves making it easier for them to commit identity theft. You might be tempted to think that since your checks already contain an account number, thieves already have all they need to steal your information. While that may be true in cases of existing account credit fraud, the more information you give thieves the greater their odds are of opening accounts in your name that you don’t even know about (which takes credit fraud and identity theft to a whole new level).
4. Giving out more information than necessary on forms. Filling out forms can seem like an endless task. Everyone wants to know all about you—doctor’s offices, schools, employers and even your local supermarket. Be careful about how much information you give away about yourself. If someone doesn’t need your social security number to do business with you, don’t give it to them. If you don’t shop at a store often, don’t sign up for their mailing list just to get one coupon. Guard your personal information like you would cash. Don’t give it away freely, as it may end up costing you a lot in the end if you become a victim of identity theft.
5. Using non-bank ATMs. Although it may be convenient to grab cash in the lobby of your office building, or inside the local liquor store around the corner, using non-bank ATMs can put you at greater risk for having your identity stolen. ATMs that aren’t run by a bank are easier to tamper with making it easier for thieves to install skimmers or false keypads that measure your strokes. Whenever possible, use bank ATMs even if they are less convenient are they lower your risk for debit or credit fraud.
6. Viewing your debit card like cash. Many people make the mistake of viewing their debit card like it is cash. In the sense that money is immediately taken from your account, your card does work like cash. But, every machine you swipe your card in also stores your account information and pin code leaving it vulnerable to hi tech identity thieves who may hack into the system. If you want the convenience of spending money you know you have, then use cash as it doesn’t leave an electronic trail behind you as your spend and it virtually eliminates the risk of credit fraud.
7. Tossing Junk Mail Carelessly. If you have a community mailbox (like those in apartment complexes or some housing communities) you might be tempted to stand at the trashcan and throw junk mail away immediately before even bringing it home. But throwing away mail without shredding your name and address provides dumpster diving identity thieves with an entry point to a trail that might lead to identity theft. If you throw away a pre-approved credit card offer, you can easily give an identity thief a very large pay day. Since dumpster diving is the preferred method of many identity thieves you need to watch what you throw away. Shredding any papers with personal information on it is always a good idea—and just might spare you the anguish of having your identity stolen.
With between 9 and 10 million people being victimized each year by identity theft, every step you take to lower your risk is worth the effort. If you work at safeguarding yourself in every way possible, identity thieves will hopefully pass you over and move on to easier targets. So, when it comes to protecting yourself from identity theft make sure you aren’t giving your identity away.
