With modern day technological advances, it’s becoming common place to hear reports of identity theft. It’s a scary thing to think someone can use your good name, and leave nothing but chaos behind. Those who have experienced it, or have had someone close go through it, know firsthand it’s a life shattering event, and can takes years to recover from it.
Advanced Private Investigator and Security of Miami FL would like to offer some advice and pointers to better protect yourself against those that would like to steal your identity.
Online Shopping. Online shopping has become a typical form of buying merchandise. Holiday shopping especially, has been done from the comfort of your home, and then the goods are shipped directly to you. However, the terrifying truth is, that not all online stores are secured. Only shop at the secured, reputable websites. Transaction secured are labeled with a little “locked” icon at the bottom of the web page. They are protected by SSL encryption and is safe to shop on those sites. Avoid the scam shopping websites, and stick to the renowned website shopping sites.
Personal information. It’s not just a credit card that a thief needs to ruin you. In many cases a name will suffice. Common names make it more difficult, but the unique names are generally targeted. There are a number of search engines that the criminal can collect information about you that is public record. Keep your name off as many directories and databases as possible. When disposing of sensitive material, include ripping your name and address off the junk mail for shredding. Keeping as much of your personal information off the internet, and out of the dumpster reduces risk of identity theft.
Pins and passwords need to be shielded. Have strong passwords for your online accounts. Easily discovered passwords like birthdays, social security numbers, or mother’s maiden names makes easy work for the criminal minded. A strong password contain 8-14 characters, has a complex grouping of upper and lower case letters, includes numbers, symbols, and words not found in the dictionary. If a PIN needs to be created, don’t use obvious combination of numbers like home address, birthdays, or social security numbers. Put together a unique combination that wouldn’t occur to most. In emergency situations where you need to give your PIN # to a trusted family member or friend, change it as soon as possible. It’s not that you can’t trust them, it’s ensuring they didn’t make any mistakes in writing the number down or such.
Sensitive information on your computer. It is crucial that if you decide to store personal information on your computer, you use Windows EFS or a third-party encryption program to safeguard your data. Avoid putting any personal information on laptops, portable devices, or tablets. Invest in a flash drive if you need to use them on traveling trips, or on the go. Should you sell or donate your computer or electronic device that ever stored personal information, removing the hard disk is best. If not an option, use an overwriting program to permanently remove information from the drive. Simply deleting your hard drive and reformatting isn’t enough these days.
Scams. There are a number of scams floating around. Always exercise caution. Don’t fall for the emails floating around claiming to need credit card info on your accounts. If you believe the email is legitimate, make a phone call to the company and verify.
Cash is best. When purchasing, if cash can be used, go with it. No personal information is attached to cash. When making purchases online, use the credit card instead of the debit card. Most credit cards offer fraud protection, where banks do not. More information is attached to your debit card as opposed to a credit card.
Lists and databases. Many credit cards are pre-screened. Get off these lists. By calling the credit reporting bureaus, you can safely remove your name from potential lists criminals often get lucky with.
Check your credit report. There are 3 major credit reporting bureaus; Equifax, Trans Union, and Experian. Under federal law, these places have to entitle everyone to one free credit check a year. Space out the 3 bureaus over the course of the year to make sure no one is using your credit undetected. Catching a thief sooner than later can make clean up and apprehend the perpetrator easier and quicker.
Report identity theft attempts. If you discover you have been victimized, report to the local police department. Copies of police reports are always a good line of defense when dealing with credit reporting bureaus and credit card companies. Contact the fraud department of all 3 credit reporting bureaus. Quickly close the accounts that have been compromised, and for extra safety, acquire new account number for other accounts that seem safe. Also report the attempt to the FTC as this helps police locate the criminal. Finally, hiring a private investigator like Advanced Private Investigator and Security of Miami FL can also assist in getting to the bottom of what, why and how it happened as well as who did it!
