Tips to Protect Your Identity

Tips to Protect ID
Protecting yourself from identity theft is one of the most important things you can do. The first step in finding out how to protect your ID is to learn how it can be stolen. Obviously, thieves can obtain your personal information by physically stealing your wallet or purse containing personal information. Phishing, online frauds, and scams are all white-collar crimes that lead to identity theft.

Monitor Your Finances
Monitoring your financial statements on a regular basis is a great way to protect your identity. Check your daily bank and credit card statements and look for any unauthorized transactions or amounts. Once you see something that raises a red flag, notify your bank and the authorities.

Credit Card Verification
This very simple tip can save you a lot of headache in the long run. Go ahead and sign the back of your credit cards, which allows you to validate the card as per bank terms, but also write “See ID” next to your signature. This will require cashiers and clerks to check the credit card against a photo ID during a purchase transaction. Also, avoid opening a new credit card at each different store or shop. Yes, there may be a huge discount to open, but each card that you open is just another doorway into your personal information.

Check Your Credit Report
Keep tabs on your credit report. If a thief has stolen your identity, many of the transactions they’ve processed will show up on your report. Ordering one credit report from each of the major bureaus each year will not affect your credit rating or score and can help protect your ID.

Use Cash not Checks
Checks have a lot of personal information on them including your name, address, phone number, and bank account numbers. It is wise to give checks only to trusted financial institutions or people you know. If at all possible, use cash. Cashing just 1 check can possibly pass the eyes of over 20 different individuals! Each one given full access to your address, possible driver's license number, bank address, routing and account number, as well as your signature. Limit the check writing to zero if possible.

Shred Everything
Investing in a shredder is a wise way to help protect your identity. Often, thieves will go through people’s trash to get personal information. So, anything you no longer need, run through the shredder before throwing out or recycling. To be on the safe side, shred anything that has your name and address as well as any type of account number or information.

The Wallet
You should always know what is in your wallet. Take everything out of your wallet and make a photocopy of the front and back of each item. This will help you quickly contact banks and creditors in the case that your wallet has been lost or stolen and protect your ID and finances. Also, there is no need to be carrying around 10 different credit cards. Simplify your wallet and your life.