Protecting Your Personal Information
Posted July 13, 2011
With identity theft on the rise and no signs of slowing down, you need to do all you can to protect your personal information to help prevent yourself from being an identity theft statistic. The first thing that you need to know is how they can get your personal information, then what you can do to protect it.
Although this is not as common as it used to be due to cyber world, you should protect your wallet and purse from pickpockets and purse snatchers. Everyone who has a credit and/or debit card carries them in their wallet, which is either in their purse or pocket. If you have several credit cards, do not carry all of them with you. You should only carry one or two cards. Instead of carrying your checkbook, carry your debit card. It is a lot easier to cancel a debit card than having to cancel your bank account because of stolen checks. In addition, never carry your social security card with you and if possible, leave your driver’s license hidden in the car to prevent it from being stolen. When men carry their wallets, try to carry them in the front pocket as these pockets are harder to pick than the back pockets.
Do not throw anything in the trash with any of your personal information on it, especially pre-approved credit card applications, or letters stating that you are eligible for a loan. Invest in a shredder and shred those types of documents before tossing them. If you need to get rid of expired credit or debit cards or you get one in the mail that says all you need to do is activate it, cut them up in small pieces and throw them in the trash.
When you use an ATM machine or a credit/debit card machine to pay for purchases, make sure that no one is standing where they can look over your shoulder for your own credit protection. If you are in a restaurant and paying with a credit/debit card, be careful that you do not let the credit/debit card out of your site. They can be scanned twice, once to pay the bill and the other time to obtain your card information.
Invest in a mailbox with a lock to deter identity thieves who like to riffle through people’s mailbox looking for anything that they could use to get your personal information and to prevent the theft of tax refunds or social security checks.
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