Master Your Card

We’ve had a recent rash of people come in to dispute charges on their accounts from the unauthorized use of their debit cards. What’s worse, these mysterious charges have come up with some other surprises for unsuspecting customers when they’ve checked their credit reports. Many of my clients are finding their identities have been stolen.

So, while this is a little off the topic of credit card advice, I thought I’d run through some simple ways to help protect yourself from identity theft. It’s certainly not a disappearing crime, so it is better to be safe than sorry.

Also, Jonathan wrote a series of posts on identity theft in April – I highly recommend going through them again. You can find them here.

# 1 – Opt-out of those “pre-approved” credit card offers

First of all, this would probably get rid of a lot of the junk in your mailbox, but if you take a look, some of those applications have some information pre-filled. The less the criminals have, the better. But, aside from that, if your mail is stolen and the thief already has information on you, filling it out and sending it in to get the credit card is easy enough. They now have a free credit card that they don’t have to pay, but can run up ‘til their heart’s content. You definitely want to avoid that situation at all costs.

# 2 – Get a security system for your computer

Personally, I like Norton. I know my computer is protected and it blocks all the ‘wares’ out on the market. You especially want to watch out for the spyware, though. That’s the kind that gets into your passwords and bank account information when you least expect it. But, you should definitely be leery of downloading “free” spyware protection. Do some homework first and make sure it’s a trusted brand.

# 3 – Watch out for fraudulent emails

You really should just delete emails from people you don’t know, but sometimes work related things require that you open them to see what they are. Here’s a tip. Online predators have really focused on using insults in the title to get you to open it, so don’t fall for that. They use your name and say things like, ‘what a stupid face you have’ because it’s become personal and they’re hoping people will react out of emotion. If you decide to open any of these links, keep an eye out for things like misspellings, poor grammar, or just incomprehensible sentence structure. These are signs that the email is fraudulent and you should just delete it. Never, ever, under any circumstances click on the links provided and give out personal information – even if they are claiming to be your bank. Your bank WILL NOT email you and ask you for personal information. Will NOT happen, I can guarantee it. This is how they get the majority of their victims.

# 4 – Don’t use the same password for everything

I can hear you all groaning as you read this, I know. I’m sorry. But, there’s a perfectly good reason to the madness. Having the same password for everything makes you predictable and easily vulnerable to identity theft. By using different passwords for each system that you use, you are making it that much harder for someone to steal your information. If you have trouble remembering passwords, write them down and put them in a secure place – somewhere you won’t lose them.

# 5 – Use alphanumeric passwords with a mix of lower and upper case

Along with not using the same password for everything, try mixing up the letters and numbers. Better yet, throw in some special characters. For example (a very weak one, I know) let’s say your password is apple. Try different variations like Apple or @pple. Make it harder to guess. Hopefully your password isn’t as bad as this one, but you get the idea.

# 6 – Shred everything!

I admit that I’m a bit obsessive compulsive about this, but consider my background and all the things I’ve seen. Personally, I bought a confetti shredder and when I shred a bunch of stuff, I divide them into different bags before throwing them out. Sometimes I’ll hang on to a batch for a week before I send it out in the trash. That’s just me and probably not necessary. However, I do recommend the confetti shredder – it’s the best. You can get by with the diamond cut shredder, but that information can still be pieced back together again. Just be cautious with you information – even those ‘pre-approved’ offers.

And those are my six easy steps to help prevent identity theft. Something else you might want to consider – though I don’t think it’s always necessary and so not a part of the list – is to get a PO Box rather than have your mail sent to a street address. It can help prevent your mail being stolen. Just something to consider.

What other steps have you taken to ensure that your identity is not stolen?