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Preventing Identity Theft
Identity theft is a rising problem in the United States. Although considered a “white-collar” crime, it is still dangerous and is, by no means, a victimless crime. Victims of identity theft can be anyone, the everyday middle-class consumer or the upper-class business executive. Regardless of who the victim is, the consequences of identity theft can be devastating to their finances and personal and professional lives. Some victims may even be charged with a crime they did not commit or harassed by debt collectors for debts they are not responsible for. In order to protect yourself from identity theft, it is first necessary to understand how thieves steal an identity.
Methods of Identity Theft
Being aware of how your information can be stolen is the first step to preventing identity theft. Although there may be a large number of methods thieves use to steal someone’s identity, these are the most common:
- Dumpster Diving – Rifling through trash for bills, bank statements, or any other papers that contain personal information.
- Skimming – Stealing debit/credit card numbers with a special storage device when your card is processed.
- Phishing – Pretending to be financial companies and/or institutions and sending spam mail, emails, and/or other messages to get you to divulge personal information.
- Changing Your Address – Completing a change of address form and diverting your credit card billing statements to a different location.
- Stealing, the Old-Fashioned Way – Stealing mail, purses, wallets, and/or personnel records. Also, bribing employees or other people to steal records.
- Pretexting – Using false pretenses to get personal information for alleged telephone companies, financial institutions, and other sources. It is not unheard of for a thief to deceive or con people face-to-face to obtain their personal information.
Deterring Identity Theft
Now that you know how thieves obtain personal information, you can take steps to protect yourself. Both the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) have some useful identity theft prevention tips that can help you keep your identity:
Federal Trade Commission Tips
- Shred documents that contain financial or other personal information before recycling or throwing them in the trash.
- Protect your Social Security number. Do not carry your SS card in your purse or wallet and do not write your SS number on a check. Generally, never give it out unless absolutely necessary.
- Do not divulge personal information through the mail, on the phone, or over the Internet unless you’re sure of the recipient and never over public wireless connections.
- Never click on links in unsolicited emails.
- When using the internet, do not create obvious passwords, and do not use the same password for everything.
- Keep all personal information in a secure place.
LAPD Tips
- Do not carry extra credit cards, passport, or a birth certificate unless necessary.
- Remove yourself from the marketing lists of the three main credit bureaus, Equifax, Trans Union, and Experian.
- Lock your home/business mailbox.
- Have new checks sent to a P.O. Box or pick them up.
- Write checks with a fine-point permanent marker and mail at the post office.
- Use an electronic payment service to pay bills.
- Reduce the number of credit cards you use and only carry one or two on you.
- Keep a list of all your credit card information.
- Review your credit report once a year.
- Get extra security for financial accounts.
- Memorize all passwords.
Dedicated to Consumer Protection
The prevention tips mentioned above can go a long way in protecting you against identity thieves, but it is very difficult to commit to practicing them all. If there are holes in your precautionary measures, a persistent thief may find them. Although victims of identity theft are left with a number of devastating problems, they have a valuable resource and advocate in Howard D. Silver, an identity theft attorney in California. Oftentimes, ID theft victims are subjected to deceptive and unlawful collection practices by debt collectors and/or credit bureaus are uncooperative. Mr. Silver is committed to protecting consumers from such unlawful actions. The California Identity Theft Law makes it possible for victims to hold creditors and/or debt collectors liable in civil court. Contact Mr. Silver today to learn more about how he can help you obtain justice at (866) 495-3666.
