Identity theft stories show up in the news day after day. Although many of the stories do not have a happy ending, there is a lot that you can learn from them anyway. Here are three recent identity theft stories that offer a lot of solid information:
1. Identity theft hits close to home
2. New SSN may not solve identity theft
3. Is Online Shopping Safe for the Holiday Season?
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Do you plan on spending Black Friday at the mall searching for the best deals? Or maybe you will sit at home and do all your shopping online? Either way, you are sure to have a lot of fun. But remember this: your fun will turn to pain if your identity is stolen. This is one time of the year that thieves really seize the opportunity to steal the identity of unsuspecting consumers.
Here are two tips to keep in mind:
1. Do not use your credit card at any store that you do not trust. This holds true for both land based and online stores – more so those that you find via the internet.
2. Keep a close eye on your purse or wallet. The holiday season is when many people are out on the prowl, looking to steal off of others. Imagine how much information you would be giving a thief if he has access to your wallet. This could include your credit cards, social security number, etc.
Have fun on Black Friday. Just make sure you are also doing all that you can to avoid becoming the next identity theft victim!
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A common question, if you think that an identity theif has gotten his hans onto your social security number, who can you call? The answer is the social security buera, of course, but they have hundreds of phone numbers. Which one should you call?
Here is the official answer:
“you can call us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213. We treat all calls confidentially. We can answer specific questions from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. We can provide information by automated phone service 24 hours a day. (You can use our automated response system to tell us a new address or request a replacement Medicare card.) If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you may call our TTY number, 1-800-325-0778.”
Courtesy of The Social Security Admin Site.
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You are a brave one. You have decided to actually go out and brave the throngs of vicious shoppers who stalk the brick and moarter stores on Black Friday. Well, just because things are busy does not mean that you should not take some time to keep yourself secure from identity theft. Here are some tips that can help you out.
Ladies, please choose a purse with a zipper on the top. This will keep prying hands busy long enough for you to notice them trying to get into your purse.
Men, for the same reasons, keep your wallet in a breast pocket, and not a pants pocket. Alternativly, you can use a chain wallet.
Check to make sure that you have your card before you leave the line. Yes, you have 30 bags of goodies, but these 15 seconds to check can be critical.
Pay cash if you shop from a street vendor or anyone else with a temporary store location. That includes mall kiosks.
Safe Shopping, and good luck.
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The biggest shopping day of the year is just around the corner. That means loads of good deals, and loads of people looking to trick you into giving out your personal information. How can you keep yourself safe when Black Friday (or Cyber Monday) shopping online?
Cyber shop safely.
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Identity theft news stories are all over the place. No matter where you look, including online, the television, and the newspaper, there are pieces related to this serious crime. Believe it or not, you can learn a lot while also protecting yourself if you stay up to date with the latest stories.
1. Help protect yourself from phishing scams and identity theft
2. Woman charged with identity theft
3. 6 arrested in South Florida identity theft case
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Earlier this week, we looked at why you should opt our of pre existing credit offers. Today, we are going to look at how to do it.
1. Go to https://www.optoutprescreen.com/?rf=t
2. Click on the button labeled “Click here to opt in or opt out”
3. Choose between opt out for 5 years and opt out forever.
4. Fill in the form and submit.
Now, go and opt out.
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Credit offers are bad for your personal finances, but it can also be a danger to your identity.
Picture this scenario. Your mail man drops off a shiny new credit card offer. A scammer takes it out of the box and apples in your name. The card is sent to them. So are the past due bills. You don’t even know that it exists until you apply for a loan and get rejected.
Now, you have to provide the proof that you were not the one who charged 10,000 dollars worth of junk in your name. Not exactly the way that you imagined spending the next few weekends? Then opt out!
So, choose to opt out of credit offers.
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envelope
Unless you happen to be home all day, the odds are that your mail will sit in the box for a few hours. How can you keep it safe.
1. Get a locking mail box. Be sure that it only opens on one side. A locked front with a unlocked back won’t fool anyone.
2. Put your box on your house. This may not be possible is all areas, consult with your city clerk before you switch to a house style of box. Also, be sure to inform the postmaster before the switch.
3. Reduce your junk mail by calling to unsubscribe to catalogs. Let’s be honest, they were annoying anyway, bad for the planet and tempted you to over spend. You won’t be missing anything. Just call the customer service number on the catalog.
Three ways to make life hard for a would be mail thief.
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Are you getting ready to spend a lot of money this holiday season? If so, good for you! This also means that you are probably going to use your credit card at local stores as well as online. Although there is nothing wrong with this, make sure you do not do anything that will jeopardize the safety of your identity. This is one time during the year that criminals know people are more vulnerable.
This one tip should help: don’t use your credit card at any store you don’t trust. This goes for both land based and online establishments. Even if you are tempted, hold back until you know for sure that you are not risking your identity.
Just because it is the holiday season it does not mean you should let your guard down. If you do, this time of the year could get ruined for you by somebody stealing your identity. Is that what you want for Christmas this year? Probably not!
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