Protection against identity theft is a matter every one of us should take seriously.
The impact of a breach of personal privacy should not be underestimated; identity theft can cost the victim thousands of dollars and can take months (or even years) to resolve.
If the rise in cases of the crime of identity theft is to be halted, we must all take responsibility for our own protection against identity theft.
The easiest way to start is to implement the following 7 tips for protection against identity theft.
Carry only the credit cards that you need.
Most people nowadays have at least two credit cards, and many choose to carry all their cards in a wallet or card case.
Get into the habit of only carrying the card you are likely to use on any given occasion.
Then, if your pocket is picked, the identity thief does not get all your cards in one swoop.
Avoid carrying unnecessary documents.
Get into the habit of emptying bags, briefcases and pockets regularly.
Any document bearing personal information such as your name and address, a bank account number or other sensitive information is worth money to anyone involved in identity theft.
Dispose of old personal documents safely Make sure that all sensitive documents are shredded or burnt when you no longer need them.
This security measure should be applied to every single document bearing any information about you, and not limited to obvious things such as bank statements.
Utility bills can give you away Utility bills are a trusted source of proof of identity, so don't let them fall into the hands of an identity thief.
Shred every one of them; tearing up paperwork is not sufficient: identity theft is big business and it is worthwhile for an identity fraudsters to spend a bit of time sticking torn documents back together.
Shield your personal information during phone calls Don't give out any personal details to any person who calls you by phone, even if they seem 100% genuine; identity thieves know exactly what to say to seem plausible.
If a caller asks you to provide personal information, terminate the call and ring the company on a number you know is genuine.
Vary your online passwords Have a different password for every online company you deal with.
If you only use one password for everything, you will be highly vulnerable to attacks by identity thieves.
It is also safer to use passwords containing numbers and special characters instead of everyday words.
Use a fraud prevention monitoring service.
Don't leave protection of your identity to luck, employ the services of a dedicated fraud protection monitoring service.
Identity thieves operate on a professional level; if you want to preserve the integrity of your identity, you need a professional working for you.