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When buying
a shredder, purchase a Heavy-duty model. A shredder that can
handle at least 10 pages should be sufficient for most people.
A model that will shred old credit cards is nice, but a pair
of scissors will do the job remarkably well. Cut up any credit
cards in as many pieces as possible. When cutting a card in
pieces the goal is to not leave the magnetic strip on the
back in a recognizable format. Also when cutting, keep your
signature separate from the strip so it can't be pieced back
together by reading a name. Your data is recorded along the
entire strip, so destroy all the data by cutting the strip
in many pieces. Don't make it easy for anyone to steal your
information.
Secondly,
don't ever give your phone number to anyone that is not known
and trusted. As far as the cashier is concerned, your phone
number is unlisted, and you're not making it available. Why?
There are websites known as white pages, that a phone number
can be entered, and a reverse lookup process is utilized that
then lists your home address. You may only have a cell phone,
which is not as easily traced, but the day is coming when
cell phone reverse lookups will be commonplace.
3. Don't use your Social Security Number for your driver's
license. If your state allows, provide a random number
that they can generate for your driver's license number. Years
ago, it was standard procedure to use your social security
number for your driver's license number. The concern is using
this procedure was that everytime you subsequently offered
your driver's license as identification, your social security
number was now in the hands of someone you didn't know. Folks
you don't know may have a favorite hobby, like identity theft
activity. Don't make it easy for thieves!
4.
Read the FINE PRINT. You shouldn't
ever sign something that gives someone else the unlimited
Power-of-Attorney over your matters. Remember, it could take
years to clean up an identity theft's quick work. It will
take much less time to read a paragraph or two than it will
to sit in court later trying to prove you didn't buy that
speedboat, or explain to your wife you really didn't buy that
diamond necklace that she never received.
5.
The Unexpected Phone Call. It is dinner time and the phone
rings. It's your bank representative, (or so he claims) with
some startling news... Recently your account has had a fraudulent
attempt to withdraw most of your balance. All that is needed
to stop the action is proof that you're the real owner of
the account. If you will just provide your account number,
and it's matching credit card number, including the expiration
date and 3-digit number on the back, they will make sure you
won't pay any penalties and all your money will be safe. (you
should have alarms going off in your head by now)!
You should
have the 800 number to your 24-hour bank customer service
support handy. Tell the person calling you that you will call
the bank right now to confirm that this shocking information
is accurate. Don't ever call a number they give you, it's
probably his cousin's number at the phone booth at the corner
drug store. No bank representative will ask you for such numbers,
even if you have protective coverage against such activity.
Make sure that you place the call yourself.
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6.
Don't throw away those Credit Card Offers. At least don't
throw them away without opening them or shredding them whole.
Take the time to open them and tear off or shred anything
with your name on it. If you just toss out the whole envelope,
and the trash gets stolen, that envelope can be opened by
an identity thief that will politely and eagerly fill out
the credit application for you and then change the return
address. The line of credit is gladly opened to you since
you have great credit, and the new card is mailed to the new
address that they think is your new address... except it's
the thief's address, or post office box... and off he goes
maxing out your new card. The new card is in your name, with
your information tied to it... and now you have to prove it
wasn't you that filled out the paperwork.
7.
Protect Your PIN entries. Your (PIN) Personal Identification
Number, is the missing link to your bank card at the
ATM machine. When entering your PIN, cover up the keypad with
your free hand, or some paperwork, so that roaming eyes can't
easily see what numbers you've keyed in. Either move your
hand around like you're entering a few numbers before you
even start, or after you've entered the number, or both. Most
PIN's are only about 4 digit's long, so if you only are moving
your hand to enter those numbers, most people can figure out
what numbers you're entering by how your fingers are positioned,
so DON'T MAKE IT EASY for prying eyes. It's not going to take
but a second or two to make it more difficult for them. If
you have the choice at the grocery store, pay by the credit
option so you don't have to enter your PIN if the area is
too crowded to be completely safe.
8.
Get a Post Office Box. Smaller boxes, ones that fit most
letters sent in the mail, can be as inexpensive as $30 for
6-months. This allows you to still receive mail from new or
untested sources without giving out your personal home address
to strangers. You can always change your account information
to any address, once strangers become trusted.
9.
Don't carry unnecessary personal identification in your wallet
or purse. If
it's stolen, you've offered thieves the first step in a long
nightmare.
10.
Have someone already in your corner, before the problem occurs.
Know who to call and when to call for each occurrence of any
identity theft. Speed is of the utmost importance. Know the
credit or dollar limits of each card you have in your possession.
You can't call the 800 number on the back of the card that
was just stolen if you haven't recorded the number somewhere.
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11.
Get copies of your credit report from all 3 agencies. Why
all three? Once you get those reports, you will see they're
not all the same. Some businesses only report to a single
agency, and that agency won't always report it to the others.
You can have old information, or missing information at one
and not the other. You have a right to submit a written statement
that will explain why there are certain bad or erroneous statements
on your credit report. You may not be able to get that "black
mark" removed, but you can explain why there were late
payments
(e.g. - because of a company layoff, or house fire).
Listed
below are the three main agencies from which to obtain your
credit report. Compare all three against each other, and make
them each match... to your benefit.
Equifax
Information Services, LLC
PO Box 105285
Atlanta, GA 30348
1-877-SCORE-11
TransUnion
PO Box 1000
Chester, PA 19022
1-800-888-4213
Experian
PO Box 9530
Allen, TX 75013
1-888-397-3742
12.
Test Your Own First Line of Defense. This is where LifeLock
works for you. Try to open up a line of credit, and see how
closely the credit granter check's to see if you are who you
say you are. You could be someone who stole a social security
number, and other forms if identity, and how is that credit
granter to know the difference. With LifeLock, a fraud alert
is placed with the credit reporting agencies, and this fraud
alert triggers a red flag when a credit granter is checking
your credit report to determine if they want to offer you
credit. This credit granter is now supposed to contact you
directly to see if it's really you requesting the new line
of credit. If you are signed up with Lifelock, and you're
offered credit without getting a call for confirmation, that
lender or bank is not doing their job and your credit is at
risk. You should let that lending institution's manager know
their company is not doing their job.
So how
easy is your first line of defense to be broken? If you don't
have something in place that flag's a credit granter to contact
you personally, then you're accessible to credit fraud. You
can place the fraud alert yourself (for free), but you have
to remember to do this every 90 days, without fail. However
there is one thing that we all can't do for ourselves... that
is to be protected by a $1 million service guarantee. LifeLock
offers this guarantee to protect you when and if any credit
granter fails to check first and call you to confirm if it's
really you requesting credit.
13.
So You Thought That Old Computer You Threw Away Was Dead.
Just because a computer doesn't work anymore, doesn't
mean the hard drive doesn't still hold personal information
that can be used to harm you. The best thing a person can
do if possible, is to format the hard drive before its discarded,
at least delete everything if you can't format it.
Most
people either don't know how to format a hard drive, or maybe
they can't because the computer is too far gone. If you can't
do it yourself take old computers to a trusted source and
have them format the hard drive. Formatting a hard drive doesn't
guarantee that all the information will be safely erased,
but it is the next best thing by making it harder for identity
thieves to quickly have access to your data.
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14.
Force Merchant's to ask for Proof. Your signature is just
another step in helping to prevent identity theft. If you
don't sign the back of your credit and debt cards, or at least
write on the back "Please Ask for I.D.", then the
merchant suddenly wakes up and thinks something is odd here...
Why ask for I.D.? Most people who are looking for a leader
to tell them what to do, will ask for some form of I.D. and
unless the identity thief also stole your whole wallet or
purse, they won't have a second form of I.D. that matches
that credit card information. Remember, your name is stored
in the magnetic strip on the back, and if the receipt prints
out a different name than what the thief provided, that merchant
should hold the card for a manager.
It can
be a hassle for you to pull out an extra form if identity
each time a transaction is made, but compare that time and
trouble against the time it's going to take to put your life
back together after your credit gets damaged. Imagine the
headache when trying to get your bank to put money back into
your account when it's vanished... or worse yet... you're
out of town on vacation, giving a merchant your information,
and you find a thief has cleaned out your bank account, and
you're stranded without any money, and you haven't even checked
into your room yet. Identity thieves are looking for that
easy mark, DON'T MAKE IT EASY FOR THEM.
15.
Stop pre-approved credit offers. (If you're a member of
LifeLock, much of this is done for you, but it doesn't hurt
to have this number handy.) Stop most pre-approved credit
card offers. They make a tempting target for identity thieves
who steal your mail. Have your name removed from credit bureau
marketing lists. Call toll-free 888-5OPTOUT (888-567-8688).
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The
following are more tips that you will find helpful:
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