Identity Theft Protection: 5 Reminders for Staying Safe

According to the Bureau of Justice, approximately 8.6 million households fell prey to identity theft in 2010, at a cost of more than $13 billion. To avoid becoming a victim, follow these five tips for protecting your identity:

1. Shred before you throw away…

“Improper disposal of mail is still one of the leading causes of identity theft. You should always shred credit card receipts, copies of credit applications, insurance forms, medical records, checks and bank statements before disposing. Identity thieves know that these documents contain sensitive information, and many will steal trash in order to try and find it.” (Avoiding Identity Theft Online and in the Real World by Todd Gallinger) 

2. Create strong passwords… 

“Avoid using easily available information like your mother’s maiden name, your birth date, the last four digits of your Social Security number or your phone number, a series of consecutive numbers, or a single word that would appear in a dictionary. Combinations of letters, numbers, and special characters make the strongest passwords.” (Protect Yourself from Identity Theft by Bryon Gross, Esq.) 

3. Protect your Social Security number…

“Do not give [your Social Security number] out to anyone unless you are convinced it is necessary for them to have it. This means only give it to governmental agencies or to businesses you absolutely trust. Always ask if a business will accept another means of identification other than your Social Security number.” (Identity Theft by Robert Kraft) 

4. Monitor your credit report…

“The Federal Trade Commission recommends checking your credit report at least once a year to correct errors and detect unauthorized activity. Rather than getting three reports at once, we advise people to obtain one credit report every four months from one of the three credit reporting companies on a rotating basis. By requesting the reports separately, you can monitor your credit more frequently throughout the year.” (For Your Consideration by William A. Swendson) 

5. Verify before sharing information…

“Don’t give out personal or medical information on the phone or through the mail unless you’ve initiated the contact and you’re sure you know who you’re dealing with… Medical identity thieves may pose as employees of insurance companies, doctors’ offices, clinics, pharmacies, and even government agencies to get people to reveal their personal information. Then, they use it to commit fraud, like submitting false claims for Medicare reimbursement.” (Medical Identity Theft by Bryon Gross, Esq.) 

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