Tips to protect yourself from Identity Theft

Here are a few helpful tips to protect your accounts, personal information and possible identity theft:

1–go to www.annualcreditreport.com and get a look at all 3 credit bureau reports for free; do any follow up immediately if necessary.

2–Monitor all your accounts on a regular basis for irregular acivity.

3–Don’t sign the back of your credit cards…I have “photo ID required” written with a permanent marker on the back of all my cards.

4–Keep the toll free numbers of your cards written down and place them somewhere other than your wallet–this way, if it’s lost or stolen, you still know who to call and what the numbers are.

5–I keep photocopies of my drivers license, family passports, immunization records in several different places….in case the originals are lost or stolen. This is especially important when traveling. Originals on your person, some in a suitcase or other carry on luggage, maybe copies with a friend or relative—you never know what might happen.

6–Don’t shop on any websites that are not HTTPS–I’ve been told the ”S” is for secure.

7–Never respond to email that you suspect is fraudulent–like emails that come from a major bank or mortgage company, but they are not real…if you need to check authenticity call that company directly, do not call the number they provide in the email or click on a link in the email–it may be part of the scam!

8–Pay the monthly fee and enroll in a service that monitors your credit cards–try Equifax, or ask your local banker if they offer any kind of service.

9–Periodically change your passwords and user ID names–don’t use numbers, letters or words that relate to your personal information.

10–Lastly, don’t use “your mother’s maiden name”, when filling out a security question on a website–this too, is something that a hacker can get access to.

If a hacker is savvy, brazen and smart enough they will get your info–these steps and precautions may just make it difficult to access you, and send the person on their way to the next potential victim.

It happens more often than we care to think–it happened to me, luckily the hacker was stopped before stealing my identity…so I think, for now….hope this helps someone out there!!! See you next time! Suzanne D. Coyle

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