Thursday, October 26, 2006

How can I protect myself from identity theft?

Identity Theft is now a big issue and is becoming more common everyday. The following are some common sense steps to protect yourself from someone stealing your identity and hurting your credit or your finances.

• Promptly remove mail from your mail box
• Deposit outgoing mail in post office collection mail boxes or at your local post office. Do not leave in unsecured mail receptacles
• Never give personal information over the telephone unless you initiated the call
• Shred pre-approved credit card applications, credit card receipts, bills and other financial information you don’t want
• Empty your wallet/purse of extra credit cards and Ids
• Opt to use an alternate number on Driver’s License
• Order your credit report from the three credit bureaus once a year to check for discrepancies
• Never leave receipts at bank machines, bank windows, trash receptacles, or unattended gasoline pumps
• Memorize your SSN and all your passwords
• Sign all new credit cards upon receipt
• Save all credit card receipts and match them against your monthly bills
• Be conscious of normal receipt of financial statements and contact sender if they are not received on time

• Notify credit card companies and financial institutions in advance of any change of address or phone number
• Never loan your credit cards to anyone else
• Never put account numbers on post cards or on the outside of an envelope
• If you applied for a new credit card and it hasn’t arrived in a timely manner, call the bank or credit card company involved
• Report all lost or stolen credit cards immediately
• Know your expiration dates, and contact issuer if replacements are not received promptly

• Beware of mail or telephone solicitations disguised as promotions offering instant prizes or awards designed solely to obtain your personal information or credit card numbers
• Never use commonly used passwords/PINs, like birth date, last four digits of SSN, last four digits of phone number, or series of consecutive numbers (1234)
• Don’t carry your Social Security card with you.
• Do not have the DMV put your Social Security Number on your driver's license

As always, please feel free to contact us through our website, BrazosLawyers.com, if we can be of assistance.

No comments: