9 Ways to Guard against Identity Theft

9 Ways to Guard against Identity Theft
by Vernon Williams



The following steps will help avoid being a victim of identity theft:

1. Protect your Social Security number.

* Never carry your Social Security card in your wallet.

* Never have your social security number preprinted on your checks.

* Only give your Social Security number when it is absolutely necessary.

* If asked for your social security number, suggest an alternative form
of identification.

* If your state uses your Social Security number as your driver's license
number, ask them to substitute another number.

* If your health insurance company uses your Social Security number as
your policy number, ask them to substitute another number Before giving
over your social security number, ask:

o Why do you need my Social Security number?

o How will my Social Security number be used?

o How do you protect my Social Security number from being stolen?

2. Shred sensitive documents before putting them in the trash

Shred your charge receipts, copies of credit applications, insurance
forms, physician statements, checks and bank statements, expired charge
cards that you're discarding, and credit offers you get in the mail.

3. Cancel prescreened credit offers.

Call: 1-888-5-OPT-OUT (1-888-567-8688) to stop receiving prescreened
offers of credit in the mail.

4. Promptly remove mail from your mailbox.

If you're planning to be away from home and can't pick up your mail,
contact the U.S. Postal Service at 1-800-275-8777 or online at
www.usps.com, to request a vacation hold. They will hold your mail at
your local post office until you can pick it up or are home to receive it.

5. Protect your passwords on credit card, bank and telephone accounts.

* Keep your passwords in a secure place, and out of plain sight. Don't
share them on the Internet, over email, or on the phone. Your Internet
Service Provider (ISP) should never ask for your password.

* Avoid using easily available information like your mother's maiden
name, your birth date, the last four digits of your Social Security
number or your phone number or a series of consecutive numbers.

To make it tougher for hackers to try to figure out your passwords:

* Use passwords that have at least eight characters and include numbers
or symbols. The longer the password, the tougher it is to crack. A
12-character password is stronger than one with eight characters.

* Avoid common words: some hackers use programs that can try every word
in the dictionary.

* Don't use your personal information, your login name, or adjacent keys
on the keyboard as passwords.

* Change your passwords regularly (at a minimum, every 90 days).

* Don't use the same password for each online account you access.

6. Verify a source before sharing information.

Don't give out personal information on the phone, through the mail, or on
the Internet unless you've initiated the contact and are sure you know
who you're dealing with. Identity thieves are clever, and may pose as
representatives of banks, Internet service providers (ISPs), and even
government agencies to get people to reveal their Social Security number,
mother's maiden name, account numbers, and other identifying information.

7. Include on the essentials in your purse and wallet

Carry only the identification information and the credit and debit cards
that you'll actually need when you go out.

8. Store information in secure locations.

* Keep your personal information in a secure place at home, especially if
you have roommates, employ outside help, or are having work done in your
house.

* Share your personal information only with those family members who have
a legitimate need for it.

* Keep your purse or wallet in a safe place at work; do the same with
copies of administrative forms that have your sensitive personal
information.

9. Determine security procedures in your workplace or at businesses,
doctor's offices or other institutions that collect personally
identifying information.

* Determine who has access to your personal information.

* Verify that it is handled securely.

* Determine the disposal procedures for those records.

* Determine if your information will be shared with anyone else. If so,
ask how your information can be kept confidential.



Get additional ways to protect yourself at
http://www.howtocutyourexpenses.com/identity-theft.html

With over 20 years of experience as a personal financial educator and
counselor, Vernon Williams has developed in depth knowledge of what it
takes to achieve financial success. Today, he is a sought after trainer
and speaker by organizations from both the public and private sector. He
is the author of 425 Ways to Stretch Your $$$$ and 3 Rules that Guarantee
Financial Success. Visit him at http://www.howtocutexpenses.com
[http://www.howtocutexpenses.com]

Contact the Author
Vernon Williams

Finances/Money
vwilliams64@comcast.net
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