People have more concern over identity theft now than ever before. With hackers breaching large corporations and organizations, people are starting to discover just how easy it is for their information to get out there without them knowing it. It can seem scary, but there are several things you can do to help keep your information safe.
Show Care When Going Online or Making Online Purchases
When using the internet, public connections, computers, smartphones, and other digital devices, you must exercise a lot of caution.
- Choose strong passwords for all your connections and sites you log into
- Update your passwords frequently
- Don't share your passwords
- Only input personal information on websites with SSL encryption (look for the lock symbol in the browser)
If you feel uncomfortable about giving personal information to any website, then don't do it. First, take some time to research them and see if others have anything to say about them.
While passwords can help a lot, it's also important that you protect your devices. Keep strong passwords on your computing devices and smartphone. Don't leave them where just anybody can have access to them.
When online or checking emails, don't click links from places you never heard of, or from anything that looks too good to be true.
Make Sure You Know What's Going On With Your Credit Report
A lot of identity theft can go completely undetected for a while. One way to catch it early is to stay abreast of your credit report.
You can receive a free credit report each year from the three main credit bureaus. You can check them for inconsistencies and use them to file fraud reports. You can also set up credit monitoring so you can know the moment something changes. You can also freeze your credit while any kind of activity is going on.
Stay Proactive with Your Information
There are many ways to protect your identity and personal information. However, it's important you stay proactive. If you see or even suspect some suspicious activity, you should start researching and contacting those that can help you. Identity theft is very real, and it's not to be taken lightly.
Worried about identity theft? Contact the Adam Alexander today.
Comments
There are no comments for this post. Be the first and Add your Comment below.
Leave a Comment