How to Prevent Becoming a Victim of Identity Theft

It happens. All of us try not to become victims of identity theft, but scammers are out there. It can be hard to differentiate from them and legitimate business correspondence. There are many things you can do to prevent identity theft from happening to you. Follow these steps to learn more.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Put all of your important information into one file. Try not to make too many duplicates of social security cards, birth certificates and other private documents. This way you won't have to keep track of so many.
2. Keep an eye on your wallet and purse at all times when you are out in public places. Keep wallets and purses securely closed. You could easily drop important ID; or a thief could steal from you.
3. Surf the Internet with caution. Don’t be too quick to give out your personal information on websites. Not everything you see and read online is legitimate.
4. Use safe payment methods on the Internet, such as PayPal. This will give you security of knowing your information is protected from third parties.
5. Avoid scams that are sent through email. You may see emails stating that your PayPal account needs to be accessed, followed by a link. Never click that link. It could be a virus that tracks everything you do on your computer and give hackers visibility of information that you type.
6. Shred bills, credit card offers and other papers that you throw away. This is crucial. There are people who sift through trash cans to find valuable information.
7. Use your instincts. If something seems too good to be true, most likely it is. When you have a gut feeling about a company or website, don’t ignore it, you may regret it later.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not carry many credit cards or private documents around with you. Take only one or two cards and leave items you don't need at home.