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| Safety Tips that Protect Your Identity |
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Monitor Your Accounts Online.
Use your bank’s, credit card’s, and other financial institutions’ websites to monitor your accounts. Consumers who frequently monitor their accounts online to check for suspicious or unauthorized activity are most likely to uncover fraud the fastest.
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Move Your Financial Transactions Online.
Replace paper invoices, statements and checks, including paychecks, with electronic versions where offered by employers, banks, utilities or merchants. Avoid mailing checks to pay bills or deposit funds in your banking account. Instead, pay bills online and use remote deposit check imaging services on online banking sites.
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Never Provide Personal Information Unless You initiate the Contact.
Do not click on a link to a Web site when responding to e-mails or text messages. Do not respond to automated phone messages prompting you call a number to resolve a bank account issue, or to e-mails that ask you to contact a number. Instead, only use contact addresses, sites or phone numbers that you can verify are legitimate.
Be especially cautious of solicitations asking for fees in advance. These usually come in the form of guaranteed loans or credit cards despite bad credit history. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it often is.
Verify the identity of the organization through a legitimate source (such as the Better Business Bureau) before sending any payment. To opt-out of unsolicited credit and insurance offers, call 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688).
Review Your Credit Information
at Least Once Per Year.
You can see your credit score through one of the three large credit bureaus, your local bank’s or credit card issuer’s web site or using www.annualcreditreport.com. |
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| Install and Regularly Update Firewall, Anti-Spyware, Anti-Virus and Browser Security Software |
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If you have a home computer. If you use public computers, ensure that they are equipped with the appropriate security software. When shopping online, make sure you are doing business with a reputable firm. The business should display an approved security symbol and the transaction should be conducted on an encrypted site.
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Reduce Unnecessary Access to Your Personal Information Wherever Possible.
• Don’t carry Social Security cards or unused credit cards on your person.
• Use a debit card when possible and avoid carrying or using blank checks for regular purchases.
• Don’t leave sensitive documents out in the open. Lock personal information, sensitive documents, checkbooks, credit cards, etc. in a secure place.
• Secure your sensitive mobile data whether it is stored on a laptop, PDAs (personal data assistants) or phone. Use encryption software if there is any chance the data may be exposed to theft. Destroy all sensitive digital data when disposing of old computers, PDAs and phones.
• Shred all sensitive documents prior to disposal.
• Use a secure mailbox for incoming or outgoing mail. If your home mailbox is not secure, consider receiving your mail at work or renting a mailbox at the US Post Office. Place outgoing mail (especially if it contains sensitive documents, such as checks, etc.) in a secure US Postal Service mailbox.
• Be aware of your surroundings when transacting in public. Cover your keypad and any screens that display sensitive data. |
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| © 2008 Javelin Strategy & Research |
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