Identity Theft Prevention and How to Protect Your Identity

Identity theft prevention is the key to avoiding identity theft. Typically, people whose identities are stolen have been in some way careless with their personal information. Appropriate prevention strategies can ensure that you are protected against those who would prey on your identity and use it for their own destructive purposes

Safeguard Personal Information

First of all, you need to know what information is dangerous to release. For example, your name is written on just about every piece of paper that belongs to you, so just about anyone could find it if they wanted to. So it’s not a terribly high-profile piece of information.

On the other hand, information like your social security number, your passport information, or your bank account number are all items that are particularly important for you to protect.

Documents like these, in addition to things like your driver’s license and your credit cards all need to be carefully protected and monitored on a regular basis.

Watch Where You Post Personal Information

The next step in identity theft prevention is knowing where a thief can find your information. These days, identity thieves have realized the power of the internet.

So if you post personal information to insecure sites, you can almost guarantee that your identity will be stolen eventually.

Protect yourself by avoiding insecure sites and using internet security software that prevents hackers from getting into secure ones. Passwords are also a great protection tool. You can even purchase identity theft insurance for further protection.

Shred Documents

Amazingly, identity thieves will also look for your personal information in far less dignified ways than hacking websites. They may go so far as to dumpster dive for papers that include useful information.

Want some great advice? Buy a paper shredder. If you have guests in your house on a regular basis, you may also consider some kind of locked box for all of your important documents.

Be Wary

Perhaps the most obvious (but amazingly, the least practiced) way to protect yourself against identity theft is to simply avoid giving out your personal information as much as possible.

If a form asks for your social security number, do not write it in unless a clear reason is established as to why it is needed. If you don’t give out your information, it does not become available for theft.

No one wants to deal with the stress of identity theft. If you put in place proper identity theft prevention measures, you will likely never have to worry that someone has gotten hold of your personal information. Protect yourself and your loved ones today.

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