Identity theft is a crime that involves the appropriation of another person’s private information such as credit card number and passport and using that information fraudulently. It is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the online world. Crimes are committed to getting credit, loans, and services.
Identity fraud results from identity theft. Financial fraud is the main type of identity fraud. It includes bank fraud, credit card fraud, tax refund fraud, mail fraud, and much more. Because of this, the victim’s credit history and reputation will be damaged resulting in denial for credit.
However, here a few tips you should keep in mind to help protect yourself from identity theft.
- Banks and financial institutions never request you to verify your personal information over e-mail. So, never respond to those kinds of e-mails. Also, beware of look-alike sites.
- Shred your expired credit and debit cards before throwing them away.
- Do not use a public computer for online business.
- Ensure you have a firewall on your computer. Update your virus, spyware, and anti-spam protection software regularly.
- Use strong passwords. Do not create easy passwords such as your birth date or your child’s name.
- Keep personal information away from social networking sites.
- If your credit card is lost or stolen, notify the appropriate authorities to block the card from being used.
Guard your privacy and personal information to reduce the risk of identity theft.
