If you or someone you know has been a victim of identity theft, you’re extra careful about how you conduct financial matters these days. Having your identity stolen can cause some major problems with your funds and credit approval, so learning all you can when it comes to preventing identity theft could save you, your family, and your business a lot of headaches. Here are some tips you’ll want to keep in mind.

First, you should keep in mind that while there are more sophisticated ways for people to steal your identity these days, old-fashioned stealing still takes place. This is why you should always keep your credit cards and financial information in two separate places. Many people keep items like their PIN numbers and account numbers in their wallets next to the cards, and if your purse or wallet is ever stolen, the thief will have easy access to all your financial information. When all the numbers associated with your account are easy to obtain, identity thieves can simply pose as you to make purchases in person or online, and won’t even have to open up new accounts. This may make it more difficult to stop identity theft, since the three credit bureaus may assume that the purchases that are being made on the card are yours, since you opened up the original account.

When you get your credit card statements, make sure your name and address are exactly the same on each of the bills. If something is misspelled or missing you should alert your creditors immediately. If somebody you have never heard of calls you at home and says he/she is from a bank, and needs to verify the safety of your account, bite your tongue! It’s likely that person is trying to get your account number for fraudulent purposes. Ask them for their name and supervisor’s name. If it’s a legitimate call then he/she would agree to tell you who and where they are.

You should also be aware of where you are shopping online. In some cases, identity thieves will use a process called skimming to obtain your personal credit information. This takes places in live stores as well, since skimming involves using a storage device that saves credit card numbers so they can be used for the future. When the company processes your card, the number of the card, as well as your name, the card’s expiration date, and the security code for the card may be recorded, which means that several purchases can be made by the thieves without your authorization.

If you happen to live in a rural area, and use one of those mailboxes with the red flags, it is strongly recommended you get all of your mail sent to a secure address i.e. a post office. A new technique used by identity thieves is “check washing” and what they do is look for any checks that have not been cashed yet, and then carefully replace the receiver’s name with theirs. If you think your identity has been compromised, call the police and file a report. You will find them more sympathetic, and they will likely assign a fraud investigator to look at your case.

Nowadays, just about everyone is at risk of becoming a victim of identity theft. In all its forms, it is one of the fastest growing crimes internationally. So it’s important that you learn more about it and the ways to protect yourself, such as taking out identity theft insurance. Learn more about how to protect yourself at Identity Theft Facts.

Tags: Identity Theft