Personal Information Protection

In the aftermath of identity theft, a main concern and question we often address is “How do I protect myself and stay safe after identity theft?” 

This is a very legit concern, and the solution is easy to adopt into your daily lifestyle.  The solution is simply: prevention through personal information protection. IdentityTheft.com recommends the following identity theft prevention measures to avoid a repeat occurrence of the crime:

• Purchase a cross-cut type shredder.  All documents containing personal information should be shredded prior to being thrown away.  Junk mail, credit card receipts, absolutely everything. This provides personal information protection from the identity thieves who dive into dumpsters.
• When you order checks, have them delivered to your bank rather than your home address.
• When using ATM’s and phone cards, be watchful of people looking over your shoulder, or “shoulder surfers”.  These people want to see you enter your PIN number to gain access to your accounts.
• If you order a new credit card, or your previous one is expired and you are awaiting its replacement, make sure it arrives in a timely fashion.  If it does not, contact the creditor to find out if the card was mailed, and on what date.
• Do not mail checks from your home mailbox.  Instead, drop them off at a U.S. mailbox or the Post Office.  It is very simple for mail thieves to use acid wash to alter the name of the check’s recipient.  Mail theft is quite common. 
• Never carry your passwords and your social security number on your person; memorize these pieces of critical personal information.
• A post office box or a locked mailbox are the only acceptable options.  An open mailbox is an easy target for thieves interested in stealing personal information..
• Do not use your mother’s maiden name for any password, it is easy for identity thieves to find out, and the most common password people use.
• If you have not used a credit card in 6 months or more, close the account.  Open lines of credit are easy targets, and you are likely not monitoring it.
• Ensure that any place you do business with shreds your personal information.  This includes financial institutions, doctor’s offices, etc.
• Do not carry extra credit cards or other identifying information on your person.  The less you carry, the safer you are.
• Never give out your personal information over the phone or to people you do not know.  This includes social security number, name, address and date of birth.  With that information, an identity thief can open fraudulent accounts in your name.
• Remember to order your free credit reports annually.
• Have your name removed from all promotional lists.  You can call the three credit reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion) to opt-out of pre-approved offers.
• Never put your phone number or your social security number on your checks.
• Obtain credit cards and business cards that feature your photo.
• Contact your credit card company and ask them not to put your address, phone number, or driver’s license number on your monthly statement.
• Monitor you statements from all of your accounts regularly.  If there is anything that is foreign to you, contact the creditor immediately to verify that it was your purchase. 

While these tips for personal information protection may seem overwhelming, once you adopt them into your daily life they become ingrained and subconscious.  These tips are imperative to protect your personal information and defend yourself against the crime of identity theft and its many forms.