The Best Protection against Identity Theft

Thankfully most people are now aware of the existence of identity theft and some of the ways identity thieves can steal their identities. However, there are still individuals that do not know the basic steps that can be easily taken to protect themselves from identity theft. The best protection against identity theft is to know as many of the techniques that identity thieves use and then act accordingly.

First you need to realize that everyone could be a target of identity theft. It is not only the wealthy and people with high credit ratings that are being targeted. Identity thieves are always on the look out for easier targets and the latest groups at risk today are the young, single professionals who live in big cites and who rent apartments. Even if you are not in this group, you should still do everything possible to protect yourself because there is no telling who the identity thieves will decide to target next.

Protection against Identity Theft Starts with Knowledge

Unfortunately, the majority of identity theft victims have no idea how the theft happened or how the thieves gained access to their identity. So, the best protection against identity theft is to understand what you can do to prevent it and minimize the risk. Although identity thieves are using the Internet to gain access to personal information, it is still the hands on methods that are mainly used.

Mailbox Theft

Theft from mailbox is still one of the most common tricks used by identity thieves. Fortunately, there are a couple of simple solutions, the most obvious being to empty your mailbox as soon as the mail is delivered or a better solution is to get a P.O. Box address.

Another solution is to secure your mail by investing in a security mailbox. These mailboxes have a lockable compartment that you access with a key but the mailman doesn’t need a key to deliver the mail. Some considerations to take into account are the size of the mailbox; if you frequently order products online then you will need a large mailbox.

More importantly is how secure the mailbox is; some have serious design faults like the ability to open the delivery flap and stick your hand down into the lower secure part and extract the mail. Make sure you buy one that has an internal flap that restricts access to the mail when the delivery flap is opened or one that has a longer chute like the one to the left.

Dumpster Diving

Another method that provides easy pickings for an identity thief is dumpster diving. Thieves will rake about in your garbage looking for any personal information that can be of use to them. Things like bank statements, credit card statements, solicitations, or any private documents should be properly disposed of.

The securest method is to shred all your private or personal documents, bills, and statements before disposing of them. There are many designs available but the most important feature is a cross-cut shredder. Unlike the paper shredders that just shred your sheets of paper into strips, a crosscut shredder shreds the paper vertically and horizontally into secure smaller particles.

The better shredders can shred up to 12 sheets of paper and can also shred your junk mail that included staples or paper clips. Some models can even shred CD’s and, more importantly, your credit cards.

More Tips on Protection against Identity Theft

Apart from shredding all your important documents and securing your mail there are other things that you should remember to minimize the risk of identity theft. Below are some of the measures you should take:

• Monitor and review your credit report for unusual activity at least once a year

• Never carry your Social Security card in your wallet or purse

• Never let your credit card out of your sight

• Never give out personal information over the phone when you didn’t initiate the call

• Review your credit card statements and make sure you recognize all the transactions

• Never click links in e-mails and fill in forms that are supposedly from a known company asking you for personal information

• Make sure you have the latest security software installed on your computer

• Be wary of any offers you may receive that offer a service at a really good price but in exchange for your personal data

As you can see, there are many simple things that you can do that will offer you protection against identity theft. If you feel that you are in a higher risk group then it will be beneficial to sign up for one of the Identity Theft Protection Services that can monitor all your personal details 24/7 and help prevent identity theft before it happens.

The one we like to recommend is TrustedID because they are members of the BBB and have a good record. They also have many options to safeguard your identity like placing a lock on your credit report which will make it impossible for anyone to take out credit in your name.

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