Preventing Identity Theft
February 28, 2013 § Leave a comment
Identity theft in an ongoing concern but caution goes far in keeping your good name.
Shred – Shredding personal information may be something you hear, but is it something you DO? Information to shred includes bank statement, credit card statements, driver’s license renewal forms, etc. Getting hold of your information securely is also important and some experts recommend that you be aware of when your mail is delivered, or get a post office box, so that you can be assured that your mail is delivered safely.
Monitor – Be vigilant about when your mail arrives ( or invest in a post office box), your credit reports, statements from investment and bank accounts and watch the activity in your accounts at all financial institutions.
Credit cards vs. debit cards– Generally any activity on a stolen credit card involves your personal liability of $50. Credit card companies watch that account as if it were their own loss, as it can be. So you have a partner working on your behalf with those institutions and they often call or email you when suspicious credit activity is suspected.
Debit cards are another matter entirely. That’s your cash being stolen and you need to be vigilant about your accounts and notify your financial institution quickly. As your financial institution if they have services to alert you to activities such as ATM withdraws, in the event a charge (over a particular value- that you stipulate) is made, or if someone institutes a request to change of contact information such as the phone number or mailing address.
Learn more about identity theft and precautions you might take, and ways to notify the authorities from Federal Trade Commission site:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/consumers/about-identity-theft.html
(CR9016)
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