Simple tips for avoiding identity theft as collected over time.
1. PIN or password protect your credit cards and bank accounts whenever possible. don’t use your address phone number or brithdate as passwords as these are easy to guess. Never store your PIN with your card (Personal Identification Number)
2. Do not carry your SIN (social security) card in your wallet or purse. Keep it in a safe place in your home or safety deposit box.
3. Review your bank and credit card statements eac moth for accuracy, and report any discrepancies quickly.
4. Secure your computer with a firewall. Use up to date virus protection software and malware protection software.
5. Never disclose credit card information or financial details over the phone or Internet to a caller (they initiate the call). Ask for their phone number, and name and then look up the phone number from a reputable resource (the phone book) and ask to speak to the person who called. This assures you they aren’t lying about where they are calling from.
6. Never enter personal or credit card information including passwords and usernames for financial matters on an unsecured website. The URL should start with HTTPS:// and a locked padlock icon should appear if you are on a secured site.
7. Never enter credit card or financial information on a website without assessing who it is (even if the webpage is secured). Look at the URL carefully. Is the company you are dealing with well known? Is there an option for paying without disclosing your information (PayPal for example holds your financial information, but allows you to make payments to third parties).
8. Be aware of the scam named Phishing. This is where you receive an email claiming to be from a bank or other financial company, there will be a link to a fake website that looks like the bank and they will request that you enter in a user name and password (which they record and use later to access your “real bank account”. Report phishing immediately to the bank being impersonated.
9. In Canada report scam letters and phishing attempts tohttp://www.phonebusters.org
10. Occasionally request your credit report from the credit bureaus Equifax or Transunion to determine if fraudulent accounts have been opened in your name.
11. If you suspect your information has been stolen, act quickly to prevent identity theft by contacting your banks and credit card companies. Keep a record of any conversations and correspondence with creditors and contact the credit bureaus mentioned above to advise them of your situation.
