Protect Yourself From Identity Theft

Protect Yourself From Identity Theft – When I presented on the subject of identity theft ten years ago, the concept seemed far-fetched, and many people who identify with identity theft were influenced by old-fashioned, clumsy tactics. Part of my presentation was devoted to information about dumpster diving—the fact that people can glean a lot of information about your identity from the trash you throw away—and encouraging tipping as a step to prevent identity theft. Another section focuses on phishing and learning about what phishing is; not to be confused with fishing, except figuratively of course.

In the age of robocalls and the Internet, phishing and identity theft have become more sophisticated, with scammers able to make automated calls to many people at once, and data breaches exposing consumers to widespread identity theft.

Protect Yourself From Identity Theft

Even with the advancement of technology, identity thieves can still obtain your personal information by searching your junk and phishing. To demonstrate, let’s take a quiz:

Identity Theft Protection Following The Equifax Data Breach

A. Cut it in half and throw it out. When the magnetic stripe is cut, the card cannot be used.

B. Run it through a straight grinder. The card will be of no use when made into small strips.

C. Cut it into as small pieces as possible, either with scissors or a shredder. Dispose of scraps in separate garbage bags. In so many parts and places it will be practically impossible to decode the card with it.

D. Discard as is. No additional steps are required without additional instructions from the bank. The card will not work after its expiration date.

Ways To Protect Yourself From Identity Theft

My answer is C: Cut the card into a million pieces and throw them in different places. Why? Because even though the card has expired, the card number will remain the same when the card is renewed. Once an identified fraudster has obtained the card, all they need to do is follow up with a strategic phishing phone call. When they call, they may pretend to be your financial institution and ask a series of phishing questions that reveal other important numbers about your credit card: expiration date and CCV.

Identity thieves will phish for information about you, your social security number, bank account number, credit card and debit card numbers, your birthday, and more to use this information for their financial gain. When an email pretends to be your bank and says you’ve been locked out of your account and you need to log in using the attached link, the scammer is hoping you’ll provide them with your personal information by filling out a fake form. Once you have them, they can access and use your account. And depending on the information you provide, they may also open new lines of credit in your name without your knowledge or consent. Identity thieves open home loans, car loans and credit cards. They usually don’t pay their bills and create a mountain of work for you to dispute debts you don’t owe.

Phishing scammers can contact you via email, phone, text message, and any communication mechanism you currently use, including social media. Phishing scams often present a problem that must be solved by disclosing some personal information. They can even pretend to be your computer company and warn you about viruses that need to be fixed on your computer. They offer to help you solve your virus problem if you allow them access to your computer and, unknowingly, your personal information stored on your computer. Phishing scammers may also say that the package will be delivered to you soon and you must respond if you have not ordered the product or your credit card will be charged. When you call, they will ask for your credit card number.

Phishing scams can be tricky because there are scenarios in which a banking institution may contact you, such as if there has been fraudulent activity on your credit card. Scammers take advantage of this and try to replicate it. Instead of trying to tell the difference between a scam call and a call from your bank, try disconnecting and calling your bank directly on the number that’s right.

Spot And Protect Yourself Against Identity Theft

Resist phishing scams to respond to urgent requests. By slowing down and taking steps to check, you can stop phishing scammers from falling for you.

Help CAP prevent fraud by sharing this information with your community. Have a scam to report? Use the CAP fraud reporting form.

Help us prevent this scam by sharing this information with those you care about. Get notified about the latest scams: Sign up for the VT Scam Alert system. Don’t let Facebook control your access to local news! Get the latest San Fernando Valley of the Sun stories delivered straight to your inbox instead!

Every day, consumers with smartphones interact with the economy in a variety of ways, from mobile banking to shopping at local stores and online shopping sites.

Protect Yourself From Identity Theft With These 10 Tips

Identity theft is when someone steals your personal information – name, social security number, date of birth, etc. – uses it to spoof you and usually use this information to steal your information.

“These online fraudsters and criminals are becoming more aggressive and sophisticated, and are using technological advances to their advantage,” says Manju Mudeh, chief information security officer at Opportunity.

Tip #1 – Protect your personal information: Do not respond to emails, text messages or phone calls that ask for details to verify your identity until you confirm the request is legitimate.

La Comunidad del Noreste del Valle Recuerda a Sus seres Queridos en los Festivales del Día de los Muertos

Follow These Steps To Protect Yourself From Identity Theft

Tip #2 – Choose unique passwords: Try to choose different passwords for each site you use. Avoid using any part of your personal information (such as name, family name, pet name, address or date of birth). Use a combination of words, letters, numbers and symbols to prevent your password from being stolen by criminals. There are also programs out there that can keep all your passwords safe.

Tip #3 – Use Alerts: Many financial institutions will send you a text or email when a transaction is made on your accounts. Sign up for text message alerts to know when your credit card has been used and any activity on your accounts, such as withdrawals or deposits.

Tip #4 – Protect your mobile devices: Use passwords on your electronic devices. Use a banking app instead of a mobile browser for banking.

Tip #5 – Be careful what you post on social media: Be careful when posting information to social media that can be used to identify you, your family, or your location. Social media quizzes and puzzles can reveal a lot about you, even if they seem fun or harmless. Identity theft is one of the worst crimes out there. Although common, its impact on its victims can be significant, as it is difficult to detect until it is too late and the damage has already been done. Here are seven simple ways to protect yourself.

Seven Ways To Protect Yourself From Online Identity Theft

Any sensitive documents should be stored in a fireproof safe. Credit cards and debit cards should always be kept securely in your wallet. For added security, use an RFID blocking wallet or card holder.

Bonus tip: Sign up for alerts and limit your credit card activity to a specific geographic area. But remember to adjust this area when you travel.

Bonus tip: If your inbox is overflowing with promotional emails, unsubscribe from some of them. Don’t have time to check your emails? Unroll.me clears your inbox by providing you with a list of unsubscribed emails and unsubscribing from those you don’t want. This will help you find the really bad apples in all that mail.

The extra login step helps prevent fraudsters and adds another layer of security to your accounts.

Scared Of Online Identity Theft? Get The Facts Here. (infographic)

Bonus tip: Never choose a “remember your password” feature for a site that involves any kind of payment.

Public Wi-Fi is a great hunting ground for thieves; remove it if you can. At the very least, avoid any online banking entries or passwords when using public Wi-Fi.

Bonus tip: Protect your home Wi-Fi by changing its default network name (also known as SSID). Follow this step by creating a strong and unique password that includes numbers, letters, and symbols.

Some companies offer services that protect your identity. Our premium self-checking includes identity theft assistance as one of its benefits. Other services like ReliaShield can also help you protect yourself or respond if your identity is stolen.

Identity Theft Prevention Tips, Advice

This article is for educational purposes only. Tulsa FCU makes no representation as to the accuracy, completeness or specific suitability of any information provided. The information provided should not be relied upon or construed as legal, tax or financial advice. Nor is the information directly related to the terms and conditions of our products and/or services. Starting Tuesday, October 31st, please check your email for a short survey of your credit union. The survey displays the MembersFirst logo and does not require any personal account or personal information. Please take a few moments to answer our survey. Thank you for participating.

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