admin7th June 2017Leave a Comment

Studies indicate that the act of identity theft has increased at an alarming rate over the last ten years. Identity theft usually occurs when identity thieves find an access point to your personal information, like your birthday; Social Security Number; full name or even maiden name to commit fraud or other crimes. Common points of access for identity thieves include:

• Stolen account numbers or identity verifying cards.
• Documentation or receipts that you have thrown without shredding.
• Online scams, some of which evolve to the point of telephone contact.
• Entering an unsecured computer or home wireless network, in order to gain access to records.

Once your personal information has been stolen, it is possible for an identity thief to purchase items using your credit; open new lines of credit and possibly even file fake tax returns in your name.

Are there any tips and tricks that I can use to keep my personal information safe and secure while I am online?

• Always try to create strong passwords, choosing to avoid common or easy to guess passwords like the eternal favorite “password.” Common passwords can often include your date of birth, your dog’s name, favorite vacation destinations or a place of employment. Safer passwords have at least one capital letter, one numeric character and should fall outside of some of your favorite things in life. If you are using the same password between multiple accounts, be sure to change things out from time to time.
• Between the increasing number of social platforms, ranging from Facebook to Pinterest, a large amount of information is being shared online that can be used to verify a person’s identity. Do not give out your address, phone number, Social Security Number, date of birth or city of birth online!

All tips in this article are provided for informational purposes only.