Identity theft is a major issue today. Recently, I’ve talked about my experience as a victim of the horrible crime and provided some basic tips to protect yourself online. These articles are a great start, but there’s a lot more to know if you want to be truly protected.

It’s a simple psychological fact that people want to believe that everyone thinks the same way they do. It’s very much an untruth, however, and it results in people often ignoring the ways in which they are at risk. Even if you don’t bank or shop online, don’t rule out the possibility of someone else doing so in your name.

US law allows residents to receive one free copy of their credit report each year, from each of the three major credit bureaus. You can (and should) request these free copies at the AnnualCreditReport website. Checking your credit report allows you to identify any inaccuracies, as well as any potential fraud being carried out in your name. That’s why it’s so important!

You now know how to identify potential identity theft and fraud after it has occurred, it is important that you are equipped with more of the information you need in order to ensure that you never will.

If you ever get an email from PayPal, you bank, or any financial institution asking that you click a link and log in to your account or provide any information, do not click the link. Do NOT provide the information. If you get an email from anywhere asking for your password, disregard it. Literally nobody legitimately requests sensitive information via email.

If you’re ever unsure, though, it’s worth looking in to some of these requests. When researching, do not use the links or addresses provided in emails; always type the address by hand, as links can say they lead one place and really lead to another, like so: http://www.mystagedlife.com

Another important thing to note is that the addresses given in emails are often fake, as well. Only use addresses provided by your financial institution, never trust addresses provided via email, even when you can verify that the email is legitimate!

If you’ve read the rest of my identity theft articles, you know I have to cut this short. Don’t worry, I won’t keep you waiting long for the rest!

This entry was posted on Sunday, September 21st, 2008 at 7:08 pm and is filed under Products and People, Taking Care of Business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.