We often hear a lot of people becoming a victim of identity theft online and in the news but how do such scenarios happen? It happens when someone acquires an access to another person’s personal information that they then use in order to commit a crime such as fraud. So, how can you protect yourself against these ill-intentioned individuals? Find out how
Choose a strong password
Passwords were created not just for the sake of simply entering codes to acquire an access to your accounts but they were created in order to prevent a third party or an unauthorized person from accessing it. So, don’t ever think that it’s a hassle or a waste of time to add a password and enter it every single time that you are accessing your phone or account. Also, make sure that your chosen password is strong enough to protect your data or information from thieves. So, it is actually not that advisable for you to use your name, birthday or simple patterns as a password. You need to choose a password that is not even the slightest related to you as a way of protecting yourself from identity theft.
Limit the things that you share
So, you would want to let the whole world know about what is happening to your life and so, you share them online, especially on your social media accounts. However, have you ever considered the consequences of sharing everything about your life? Little do some people know that there are people who are eyeing on them and is only waiting for the perfect chance use your identity to harm others and benefit themselves. So, limit the things that you share, may it be your birthday, address or your phone number. After all, the things that you are sharing may lead to identity theft.
Secure your documents
Where do you keep your documents? Do you just let them linger around your house or do you just place them on your computer’s desktop? There is a need for you to be mindful about where you keep your documents, especially those that contains sensitive information like your finances. To avoid identity theft, you can consider buying a safe for you to place your printed documents. On the other hand, for the soft copies of your documents, you need to make sure that your computer has a secure network. You should also install an anti-virus and spyware program to increase the level of security that your documents are getting.
Apart from the things that were already mentioned above, you need to be aware of scams, especially phishing scams. Just because a site offers you great deal doesn’t mean that you should grab it. After all, if it seems to be too good to be true, then it is likely to be only after soliciting your financial and personal information. Also, don’t click on just any link or download any attachment for they might contain a virus that would leave you regretting for a long time after you have become an identity theft victim.
