Lower your risk of identity theft
- Kim Thompson: Better Business Bureau
- September 25, 2018
- 1214
Identity theft is a crime in which an impostor obtains key pieces of personal, identifying information such as Social Security numbers and driver's license numbers and uses them for their own personal gain. It can start with a lost or stolen wallet, stolen mail, a data breach, computer virus, “phishing” scams, or paper documents thrown out by you or a business.
Unfortunately we are not able to stoporprevent identity theft; however, there are steps consumers can take to minimizetheir risk of becoming an identity-theft victim.
Don’t give out your Social Security number unless it is necessary (only for tax reasons, credit checks or to verify employment).
Be sure to understand why you are being asked to provide personal identifiers and know how it will be used and if it will be shared.
Use a cross-cut shredder to dispose of documents with personal information.
Place outgoing mail in collection boxes or the U.S. Post Office.
Know your billing cycles and contact creditors when bills fail to show up.
Review bank and credit card statements carefully.
Password protect your financial accounts. A strong password should be more than eight characters in length and contain both capital letters and at least one numeric or other nonalphabetical character.
Don’t give out personal information on the phone, through the mail or over the internet unless you initiated the contact.
Use firewall software to protect computer information and keep virus and spyware software programs updated.
Review your credit reports often. Order your free annual credit reports online at www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling 877-322-8228.
At the Buehler's Dover parking lot on Saturday, Sept. 29 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., consumers and businesses are invited to bring their personal and financial documents to be commercially shred on site. There also will be e-cycling for electronics. Visit www.bit.ly/2018shredevent or call 330-454-9401 for more information.
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