Tips to Prevent Identity Theft
It can be very overwhelming when you realize your information is in someone else’s hands. What can you do to prevent fraud?
Losing or having your personal information exposed is something that happens quite often in today’s society. People can easily steal your information to open accounts, file taxes, and make purchases. Maybe your information was exposed in a data breach or an online account was hacked. You might have even simply lost your wallet. My debit card information was stolen three times in the last year. Believe me, it’s a nightmare to deal with!
How do you prevent your personal information like your social security number, online passwords, debit or credit card number, bank info, and driver’s license from falling into the wrong hands? Here are a few steps from the Federal Trade Commission you can take to help prevent identity theft:
- Read card statements often and carefully. You won’t know if something happened if you aren’t looking for it. Double check your credit and debit card transactions regularly to make sure there aren’t any unfamiliar purchases.
- Know your payment due dates. Do you know when to expect a bill in the mail? If a bill doesn’t show up when you expect it, it’s time to start investigating.
- Read the statements from your health insurance plan. This is one of those places people don’t think to look. Check to make sure the claims paid match the care you received.
- Shred any documents with personal and financial information on it. You never know where that piece of paper with your social security number on it will end up after you toss it in the trash. It’s just smart practice to shred anything that has personal information on it.
- Review your credit reports at least once a year. Getting a copy of your credit report is free and can potentially help you detect fraud on your account.
What should you do if your information is lost or exposed? It can be very overwhelming when you realize your information is in someone else’s hands. The Federal Trade Commission has a handy checklist of steps to take depending on what information was lost.
For more information on how to recover from identity theft, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s website.
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