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Identity Theft - More Tips on How it Can Be Avoided
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Recent security breaches at several credit card companies
continue to worry Americans, as stolen financial information can
lead to identity theft. Identity theft occurs when someone
obtains your Social Security number and/or other vital
information and uses it to pose as you. By doing so, they can
take advantage of your good credit history to open new credit
card accounts or obtain loans. They get to spend the money, but
you get to pay the bills. It often takes a victim a year or more
to even detect that he or she has been a victim of ID theft;
clearing up the mess caused by an identity theft scam can take
years and can harm you personal credit report indefinitely.
We have covered a few identity theft tips in previous
articles, but here are some more things the conscientious
consumer can do to minimize the chances of being the latest
victim of an ID theft scammer:
When engaged in
online banking activity, avoid using short or obvious passwords.
Names of children, family pets, favorite sports teams and the
like are obvious choices and are easily guessed by thieves. Many
scammers now use 'dictionary attacks' to obtain passwords, which
will try every word in the dictionary until the password is
cracked. If you use a common name or word, you are vulnerable.
If you must use words from the English language for passwords,
use long ones. 'TheNewYorkYankeesTotallyRock' is a better
password than 'Yankees.' If you can, use a mixture of letters
and numbers. Longer is better.
Buy a shredder.
Keep important documents, of course, but shred the documents you
no longer need or unwanted credit card applications that come in
the mail. Thieves can and do search through garbage to obtain
such things. If you don't need it, shred it.
Do
not provide financial or personal information to anyone who
calls you. The party on the phone may say that they are from
your bank, but your bank isn't going to call you to ask for your
credit card or Social Security number. If in doubt, hang up and
call the institution directly. It's better to be safe than
sorry.
Print as little information as possible
on your checks. Don't preprint your phone number, driver's
license number or Social Security number. You're making that
information available to anyone who sees your checks. Print your
name and address only; you can provide any other information
yourself if necessary.
Don't carry your Social
Security card with you. Put it in a safe place. Many people are
never asked to show the card during their lifetimes, so only bad
can result from carrying it around with you. Be safe. Leave the
card at home. While you're at it, remove any other credit or
debit cards from your wallet that you rarely use. Keep them at
home and take them with you only if you need them. The fewer
cards you carry the less damage that can be done if you lose
them.
Anyone concerned about identity theft should
make it as difficult for thieves to obtain his or her personal
information as possible. A few simple steps can go a long way
towards avoiding what could be a drawn-out and expensive
problem.
About the author:
©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is
the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational
Websites, including End-Your-Debt.com, a site devoted to debt
consolidation and credit counseling, and HomeEquityHelp.com, a
site devoted to information regarding mortgages and home equity
lending .
Author: Charles Essmeier