No one wants to be a victim of identity theft. That’s why identity theft protection companies were created. If you practice some vigilance, on top of having one of these companies work on your behalf, then you’re pretty well covered as far as keeping your information safe and preventing this crime from happening to you.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department recently released some tips for protecting yourself. Some are new, and some you have probably heard before, but identity theft tips are always worth repeating in our opinion.
Here is a summary.
*Go to annualcreditreport.com three times a year and get copies of your credit report from each bureau – one per quarter.
*Read your financial statements and bills carefully to make sure you actually made any charges that are reported.
*Make sure your bills are coming on time in the mail, or sign up for electronic payments and statements and avoid the postal service altogether.
*Don’t donate to or make purchases from organizations that you are not familiar with. The people requesting the money could be scammers.
*Power your computer off when you’re not using it, especially if you have sensitive information stored on it or you’re connected to wireless Internet. Password protect everything you can.
*Call 888-567-8688 to opt out of unsolicited credit card offers if you haven’t already. This can result in fewer eyes on your credit report.
*Don’t believe things that are too good to be true. In most cases, they are not true – especially when they are costing you money.
*Keep items with sensitive information on them out of unlocked mailboxes. That is asking for someone to steal them. It happens more than you think.
*Avoid putting your Social Security card in your wallet or purse. Leave it in a safe deposit box or fireproof safe at home if possible.
While most of these tips are common sense, it’s easy for something simple to slip your mind at times. I know I haven’t been diligently ordering credit reports. That’s why an identity theft protection service is so handy. It watches out even when you don’t and you can never be too careful in this day and age.