Identity theft is kind of the worst nightmare in adult life. And no one is really safe. When we think of identity theft, we imagine someone trying to pretend to be someone else. Like someone is hiding under a wig and glasses. Now, if a malicious person collects enough data about you and is able to do banking transactions. Moreover, he can purchase on your behalf.
Do you know what to do if you’re the victim of identity theft online? What can you do to protect your personal and financial information? Here are some critical points to prevent, understand, and combat identity fraud.
More and more people are victims of identity theft. By setting a few simple rules, you can reduce the risk of getting the trap by scammers. Let’s discuss some important steps to avoid identity theft.
THEFT, FRAUD AND OTHER DAILY SMALL PLEASURES
Identity theft relates to the process where a wicked person obtains personal information from an individual to use it fraudulently.
We can also talk about identity fraud.
Thieves are looking for all kinds of confidential data like date of birth, social insurance number, and passwords. Even they’re also seeking bank account numbers, credit card numbers, passport numbers, and more if affinities.
To find the jackpot, the disbelievers use all sorts of more or less traditional techniques from wallet theft to computer viruses.
Types of identity fraud
Identity theft occurs when a third party steal your personal information and use for criminal purposes.
They can use the stolen information to access your financial accounts. Even they can use it to gain access to your online accounts or defraud others. After obtaining your personal information, identity thieves can also:
- Spend the money in your accounts;
- Open new bank accounts;
- Change passwords and contact details on your online accounts;
- Submit loan, credit card, and benefit applications on your behalf;
- Rent an apartment or a car;
- Commit other crimes using your identity.
Precautions to avoid identity theft
Here are some precautions to secure yourself from identity theft.
1- Choose a secure password
It is best to choose complex passwords by alternating upper and lower case letters, numbers, etc. You must also be careful not to use the same password on all of your accounts.
2 – Check the authenticity of a sender before sending personal or sensitive information by email
On the internet, it is best to avoid registering your primary email address on sites you are unsure of and to limit the sending of identity documents by email.
3- Destroy personal documents that have become useless
To avoid identity theft, destroy any paper with personal information before throwing it away.
In online life
- Avoid being the person who has a note in his phone subtly entitled “Passwords.” Don’t be that guy with the same password everywhere, especially if he looks like 1234Smith.
- Monitor your bank and credit card statements.
- Say “yes” quickly to requests for updates from your computer.
- Don’t share your personal information with anyone. Don’t send personal information over public Wi-Fi. Please, don’t use automatic sign-in on a computer that isn’t yours.
In real life
- Do not put your confidential papers in recycling. Tear them up and throw them in the trash.
- Also, make sure your electronics are clean before reselling them to a stranger.
- Make all your address changes before you move.
- Your mother was right: don’t drag your social insurance card, passport, and credit cards into your wallet.
When shopping:
- Bring as few cards and documents as possible. Always make sure the cashier gives you your own credit card;
- Do not tell anyone the PIN of your bank card or credit card;
- Make sure no one is watching you when using an ATM;
- Do not use an ATM located in an isolated or poorly lit area;
- Do not provide too much personal information. For example, no need to give your full mailing address, email address, and date of birth to a store.
If you are online on a mobile phone:
- Change your passwords often and make sure they are strong;
- Do not post personal information such as your date of birth and postal address online;
- Be sure to review and understand the privacy settings on all the social media sites you use before posting a message. Check privacy settings regularly, as they change often.
- Deactivate the geolocation function of your phone before publishing public photos on social media.
- Before selling or disposing of a computer, telephone or tablet, completely erase its hard disk.
Finally, don’t forget to keep track of all these steps. This is the best way to avoid paying for transactions fraudsters! Because the worst thing that could happen after identity theft is to pay (literally) for.
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