The identity theft refers to a crime that is committed by an impostor as he or she tries to obtain the important details of a person and imitates him by using his license number, bank account number or social security number respectively.
The identity theft can be used to fund or facilitate any crimes like espionage, phishing, illegal immigration and terrorism.
Types of identity theft
– Child identity theft
– Medical identity theft
– Identity cloning
– Financial identity theft
– Criminal identity theft
It is tough to safeguard one’s information online or offline. But there are some ways through which you can protect your privacy at all times.
How to protect oneself from identity theft
1. Beware of scams or fraudulent mails: You should be on the defensive regarding your private information. You should never provide any personal detail to the telemarketers nor do you reply to emails that claim to represent your credit card issuer and the bank.
2. Secure your mail: You need to empty your mailbox quickly. Or else you should lock it or get a post office box so that the criminals do not get the chance to steal the credit card pitches. Never submit your checks or outgoing bill payments through a mail from your house, as they can get stolen.
3. Do not leave a paper trail: You should not leave behind a credit card, gas station or the ATM receipts at all.
4. Protect your Social Security Number: It is wise not to carry such card with you that contain your number like the health insurance card. You should never put your number on the rear side of the checks as it is the primary target for the impostors and may give them access to your bank account or credit card report.
5. Know with whom you are dealing with: Whenever someone approaches you to know about private details or the financial information, not divulge any information straightaway. First ask about his or her name and the company they represent, as well the reason for their coming or contacting you. If you believe the information to be true, contact the respective company and confirm the details yourself.
6. Monitor your credit card report: You should obtain and review your credit card report in detail to track any suspicious activity. You can request for it through www.annualcreditreport.com or by contacting the representative at 877-322-8228 number. If you find something wrong, kindly alert the creditor or the credit card company quickly.
7. Carefully review your credit card statements: You need to ensure about the respective purchases, merchants and locations before making the payment of the bill.
8. Remove your name from the hit lists of the marketers: It will be better if you opt out of credit card solicitations and cut down your junk mail every few days.
9. Ensure the privacy of your personal information: If someone asks you about your social security number, first ask them about their privacy policy. Intimate them or even the bank that you would not like your information to be forwarded to the third party at all.
Conclusion
Seeing that terrorism and criminal activities are on the rise, it is always best to secure and protect yourself from the identity theft. Keep your ears and eyes open whenever you are dealing with people or the firms. Better be safe than sorry.