Identity Theft Security Tips

With the increasingly high incidence of identity theft cases over the last decade, you can no longer afford to ignore the issue. Even if you aren’t an avid online shopper, con artists can find ways to steal your identity if you don’t stay informed. Here are a few not so well known identity theft security tips that will make your life safer.

Telephone scams

A scammer can call you up, announce that you are the happy winner of a prize—and a quite consistent one, like a high tech cell phone or a gift card in the range of $500 to $1,000—but claim you have to pay for shipping. Then he will ask you for your credit card number, “just to make things easier for you”. Don’t give sensitive details over the phone. If you won anything, you shouldn’t have to pay any fees.

Dumpster diving

Identity theft security experts highly advise everybody to shred or rip any bank statements, pre-approved credit card applications, checks or any documents that contain even the basic information on you, like name, telephone number and address. Many criminals will search through garbage at night—especially around corporate buildings, but also in residential areas—and use any pieces of information they can get their hands on. With pre-approved credit cards, for example, it’s simply a matter of changing the contact address and they will get a card with your name on it.

Fake identity theft security companies

This is quite a daring scam pulled out by con artists that capitalize on the very need of people to prevent identity theft. In exchange for a modest rate, usually much lower than the market average, they claim to monitor the use of your credit cards across the Internet, keep an eye on your credit reports and insure you against any fraud. You will need to give them access to sensitive information, and they will use this information while keeping you assured that your accounts haven’t been tampered with. Always choose a reputable identity theft security company and do a little background research before signing the contract.

This is the 21st century, and identity theft security should be one of your top concerns. Just because it hasn’t happened to you yet, it doesn’t mean that it can’t or won’t. Keep an eye out for these white collar criminals and you will be safe.