10 Tips for Identity Theft Prevention

The November through January holiday season is that time of year when we all start getting those emails that want to purloin our secret codes and passwords. You know the ones that have subject lines like: “Your Account Is About To Be Closed,” “There’s A Block On Your Account,” “Could You Help Me Claim My Funds,” or my all-time favorite “Congratulations – You’ve Won The UK Lottery.” Unfortunately, some of us see these emails throughout the year.

First and foremost, DON’T FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE EMAIL!  If you think there might be a problem, access the account in question as you normally do on your PC and not with the link supplied in the phony email.  In fact, don’t even open the email, because many are just set to loose a virus program on your computer by being opened. Simply forward the suspicious email to the “spoof email” address supplied by your bank, or Credit Card Company.  Otherwise, you may need to seek IDT Insurance to help you recover from identity theft losses.

Here are some other tips to help you:

1. Install a firewall and other software: Make sure you install or use a firewall on your computer to control access to it. Other software you can use to protect your data is virus and anti-spy ware protection. 
   


2. Shop only on secured websites: You can tell if the website is secured or not by several signs. The URL (web page’s address) will show an (s) after the http as in https://. You should see a gold lock on you browser indicating the web page is secure. This will help prevent you from becoming an identity theft victim. 
   


3. Understand debit card dangers: Greater liability than credit cards. When it comes to fraud, debit cards carry much greater personal liability than credit cards, depending on how quickly you report the loss of the card. If you fail to report unauthorized use within 60 days of receiving your bank statements, you could lose all the money in the account and be held responsible for the amount of money that has been tapped from your line of credit.  You may wish you had a quality credit restoration service working for you.
   


4. Go virtual: For shopping online, there are “virtual” card numbers. These are randomly generated credit card numbers that are disposable and that on-line shoppers use once and throw away. It’s linked directly to your real credit card account so purchases show up on your monthly bill. This identity theft protection service is easy to use – and it’s FREE! All you need to do is register with companies offering the virtual card, and they are MBNA, Discover, and Citigroup.


5. Be careful about making wireless transactions: You may think that you are safe making your wireless transaction using your laptop at public places like coffee shops or book stores, but you may not be. Some people can hack into your wireless network and gain access to your important personal data.

In my next article, I’ll give you the other five very important tips for preventing your identity from being stolen. Even after you observe all of these tips, you may still become an identity theft victim. What can you do as a victim of the identity theft crime? To find the answer this question, Click here.