Sunday, 8 September 2013

Your Guide To The Best Identity Theft Protection Techniques

By Cecile Ingram


Today it is more important than ever to protect yourself financially. One of the ways crooks have devised to rob you without entering your home is to steal your private information and either use it to get credit or to sell it outright. In this article we will look at some of the best identity theft protection techniques you can use to secure your private information.

It used to be much easier to keep private information out of the hands of criminals. When the internet and home computer came onto the scene, it became much easier to steal, sell and transmit information. The digital age has had many more advantages than setbacks, but personal privacy has suffered a serious blow. With deceptive tactics and the use of malware it is possible for personal information to be compromised at any time.

To help staunch the flow of personal data coming from your home it is recommended all papers being thrown out with identifying information be shredded prior to tossing. Personal shredders are cheap, easy to find and require no setup. Remember that when you throw it out without shredding anyone can see your personal business just by tearing open the garbage bag.

Monitoring your credit file at least once per year will help you keep an eye out for strange credit activity. You are entitled to one free credit check each year from each of the three major reporting agencies. The best way to get them is to stagger each report in four month increments. This allows consumers to check their credit report throughout the year and monitor the changes and inquiries to the credit file.

There are several banks that have some type of monitoring service that sends out special alerts when a transaction is made. These services are usually free so there is no reason not to take full advantage of them. The alerts arrive as text messages, emails or both so catching any suspicious activity is easy.

It may be tempting to use public wireless connections to do quick business transactions. This is never a good idea even if it is only for a second. You never know who may be monitoring the connection and recording your personal information. Do not fall victim for the sake of convenience.

Many libraries offer computer access for the community. You should never use a library or other type of community computer to transmit personal data. It is not safe to use a community computer to log into your accounts because it could be easily compromised by viruses and your login information could be saved without you knowing it.

The best identity theft protection techniques are those led by both common sense and caution. Always be aware of who you give your personal information and never give it out over the phone. By only using secure connections, shredding personal documents and using bank alert programs you are on the right path to keeping your information secure.




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