Prevent Identity Theft Online

Taking a few precautions can help prevent identity theft online. The Identity Management Institute suggests that you shred any personal documents and use strong passwords on all online accounts. You should also remember, “Loose lips sink ships.”

Prevent Identity Theft Online

1. Shred

You can prevent identity theft by shredding any paper that contains your personal information. Among those documents you should shred are bank statements, credit card bills, utility bills, ATM receipts, and pre-approved credit offers. You can also shred any documents containing your name and address. In addition, use strong passwords for all of your online accounts. If you’re unsure how to protect yourself online, read the Federal Trade Commission’s guidelines on safe password practices and safeguarding your personal information.

The most common way of identity theft is through the mail. To prevent this, you can install a lock on your mailbox and use Informed Delivery to check on your mail. You can also rip credit card statements and junk mail before throwing them in the trash. Even if you shred the paper yourself, do not throw away credit card statements. These pieces of paper are far more challenging to reassemble than shredded paper. And it will discourage identity thieves from even trying.

Another method of preventing identity theft is through dumpster diving. Although it sounds old-school, criminals still do it to get your personal information. They look through your trash to find valuables and furniture, but you can avoid them by shredding personal information. Before you throw away anything, keep a few months’ worths of PII in a safe place. If you can’t secure a safe place, shred everything.

2. Secure Your Documents

To protect yourself from identity theft online, you should first and foremost Secure Your Documents. These include SSN, credit card numbers, bank and brokerage accounts, voter registration cards, and other documents that reveal personal information. To protect your information, minimize the number of records you carry. If you have multiple cards and account numbers, you should remove them from your wallet. You should also ensure that you are not sharing this information with others.

One of the most common ways that identity thieves use to steal your identity is by stealing your social security number. This number is key to your financial and personal information, so don’t write it down or carry it in your wallet. If someone asks you for your social security number, question them. Also, be vigilant with other personally identifying information. Please keep it safe, and don’t give it to strangers.

It’s essential to know the risks of identity theft. It can ruin your credit and be expensive to repair. Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information to open new accounts, access financial reports, and commit a crime. Always store personal documents securely, and shred them before discarding them. While online services and storing your documents may promise protection, you can still be vulnerable to identity theft. Keep all sensitive information in a safe place.

3. Power Up Your Passwords

Creating a strong password is a crucial element in preventing identity theft online. Passwords that are easy to remember are prone to hacking by identity thieves. It is also essential to avoid using passwords easily discovered by others. Examples of common passwords are birthdays, birth dates, or the names of children or spouses. In addition to strong passwords, it is a good idea to use a secure password manager to keep track of all your login information. Password managers, such as Aura’s, can even alert you if your password is compromised.

Use a password manager to keep track of your passwords, and opt for two-factor authentication if you can. The best password management tools offer you a single place for all your online accounts. Constantly change your passwords on your financial statements as soon as they are no longer secure. Also, keep in mind that the law allows you to obtain up to three free credit reports per year.

4. Don’t Be Fooled by Scammers.

While you may be aware of the recent global pandemic, this has not stopped shady actors from preying on the most vulnerable people. For example, social media has been flooded with posts touting fake COVID-19 cures and false vaccination information. University of California, San Diego researchers found nearly 2,000 such fraudulent posts. To prevent falling prey to such scammers, use reputable antivirus software to safeguard your personal information online.

If you’re running a business, you need to take steps to protect your reputation. Scammers can take advantage of your trust by imitating official government agencies or legitimate companies. Ensure your employees know how to spot scams and avoid falling victim to them. Be wary of emails posing as reputable companies. Then, be mindful of emails that look like regular password update emails or automated messages. These are all attempts to steal sensitive company information. Be on guard against malicious software that will lock your files or demand ransom.

Don’t give out your personal information unless you have verified the sender’s identity. Likewise, never give out your bank account information to anyone who asks for it. If someone asks for your bank account information or insists on using a specific payment method, you are probably scammed. So, be wary of such unscrupulous people. If you’re unsure, go to the site directly or call the organization to verify their identity.

5. Lock Your Phone

Keeping your phone protected from theft is essential if you want to protect yourself from identity theft online. Smartphones are used for many things, and if you’re concerned about your information being stolen, you’re not alone. More than 25% of smartphone owners don’t use a passcode to secure the phone. And 40 percent update the OS and apps only when it’s convenient. Also, smartphones are susceptible to malware that’s attached to emails.

The high resale value of smartphones makes them an easy target for identity thieves. Fortunately, there are ways to protect the information on your smartphone, even if you lose it. For one thing, you can lock your phone to prevent identity theft by using it discreetly. Using a password-protected lock will prevent any unscrupulous person from gaining access to your sensitive information. You should also never leave your device out in public and never leave it visible in your car.

Secondly, it’s best to use a mobile security service. This service will track suspicious activity on your phone and send you an email alert if you see something fishy. Once you have protected your phone, you’ll never worry about identity theft again. Identity theft online is a serious issue, and you should take precautions to protect yourself. It’s easy to fall victim to identity theft on your cell phone, and it can affect you financially and ruin your reputation. You can even opt to sign up for an identity-monitoring monitoring service.

It will help if you read our previous article on How to Clear Your Cache on Any Browser?