Your Identity Could Be Stolen With Your Credit Cards – Seven Ways To Keep Your Identity Safe
Tuesday, January 25th, 2011Identity theft is one of the hot topics anyone involved in making any kind of financial transaction should be worried about. Your credit cards are often the grounds of identity theft. But since it is almost impossible not to have credit cards these days, heed the following tips instead to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft.
One way to avoid identity theft is to never leave your credit card receipts at the ATM or gas station. This is a mistake that is easily and carelessly made by a lot of people. People that are out to steal your identity can use information contained on those slips to create financial transactions in your name. Make sure all your documents are properly filed. If you don’t keep your receipts, take the time to destroy them before discarding them, to avoid having your identity stolen.
It is stunning to learn that 30% of all identity theft cases are committed by someone we know. This statistic comes directly from reports of identity theft filed with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. So, in the event that one of your friends or co-workers is less-than-honest, safeguard all financial information and don’t divulge anything they could use without your approval.
Sometimes, even the most secure of bank mailing lists can be the source of identity theft so opt out of these. Besides, the bank registry office is a good way of obtaining the information you might need anyway and that does not expose you to identity theft.
You should also make sure you don’t leave your account number and your social security number anywhere it can be stolen. You should keep that information away from your wallet, in the event that it gets stolen, and off your checks. Don’t make things too easy for identity thieves.
Also, avoid applying for credit cards online, and rather, go directly to the back and apply in person. Even spam email messages can be a source so delete these immediately from your Inbox.
Another way to avoid identity theft is to never give out information over the phone and do not write down any passwords or PIN codes in places that could be accessed and seen by anyone. Try to remember passwords and pins, and only write them down if you are sure you will forget them.
You can obtain a copy of your credit report. Your credit report has financial information concerning any transaction, payment, missed payment, and loan made out in your name. If you see something that doesn’t look right, take immediate action.
Credit cards can be very useful today. Just ensure that you take the necessary precautions so they cannot be used as tools against you.
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