Identity Fraud – Hints And Tips So You Can Protect Yourself

The threat of identify fraud is on the rise and is often the consequence of you losing or having your purse or wallet stolen. Identity fraud is when another person deliberately assumes your identity normally with the idea to gain access to any money that you have. Information that is used in identity fraud includes your name, credit card number, social security number, driving license number, telephone number. Once thieves have access to these details, they are able to open credit card accounts, bank accounts, and make payments in your name. You may not find out that this has happened for a long time, and this will affect your credit rating.

It is therefore vital that you do your best to protect yourself from someone stealing your identity. Unfortunately, you can never be certain that your identity will never be stolen however, there is lots that you can do to protect yourself as much as possible.

We have gathered the best hints and tips for you to protect yourself and your identity.

1) One of the most important things that you can do is to make sure that you shred all documents that contain any personal information about you. This includes credit card and bank statements, but also utility bills, which criminals can also use. When buying a shredder you should invest in one that makes ‘confetti' rather than strips of paper, since these are even more secure.

2) Don't make your passwords easy to guess. When you have decided on a password try adding numbers and make the letters a mixture of capitals and lower case to make it more difficult for anyone to get it right.

3) Make sure that no one can have access to your mail. This may mean locking your mailbox but it has been shown that unprotected mailboxes account for about 8% of identity fraud.

4) Make sure that you only ever disclose personal information when you know how and why it is being used. Don't be embarrassed to ask, everyone is aware of the problems of identity fraud and will be happy to help.

5) Keep copies of all drivers' licenses, credit cards, bank details, and so on as well as the number you need to call when you have any of these lost or stolen. That way you can have these numbers handy if anything happens and the cards may be stopped.

6) When travelling it is an idea to have all important cards and documents to be photocopied. If you are travelling with someone else, why not ask him or her to carry these photocopies with them, and vice versa. This way if anything happens to your personal belongings, your companion will have the copies.

7) Make sure that you cancel credit cards as soon as you realise that it could be used fraudulently.

8) If you have your personal belongings stolen when travelling, file a report with the local police straightaway, as this will be the first step in any investigation.

9) Check any bank or credit accounts each time you receive a statement. It will be easier to keep track of what you have spent and will help you spot anyone using money from your account. If you contact your bank straight away they will be able to help you.

10) You can order a credit report each year and check these carefully for any mistakes or to see if there has been new credit issued that you did not request.

11) Take care when using ATM's. Look around you to see if anyone can watch you type in your PIN number. Be aware of any attachments to the ATM that may steal information.

12) Never give out sensitive information in response to emails that are meant to be from your bank or financial provider.

13) If someone calls from your bank and asks for personal information don't give it to them. If in doubt, ring back your bank to check if it was a genuine call.

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