Action Line: Ways to help safeguard your identity
| Friday, Dec 11 2009 08:00 AM
Last Updated Friday, Dec 11 2009 08:00 AM
Editor's note: Action Line is a weekly column from the Better Business Bureau answering consumers' questions and concerns about money and business issues.
Dear Action Line:
My kids keep telling me I need to protect my identity. I keep reading about people being victims of identity theft. But no one is telling me what to do to be safe from identity theft. Now, around the holidays, I worry about going into crowded stores and shopping online. Do you have any practical, easy-to-follow tips for protecting myself?
Dear Reader:
There is no guaranteed way to prevent identity theft. All you can really do is be aware of the possibility and take precautions.
Shred statements and applications you get In the mail that you don't want to keep, including credit card applications, insurance forms, financial statements, health forms, billing statements for utilities, phone service, etc.
Cut up expired credit and debit cards, cutting through the numbers.
Protect your Social Security number, all account numbers and your passwords. Don't carry these numbers in your wallet. Give out your Social Security number only if absolutely necessary, and offer to provide another type of personal identification, if possible.
Keep your personal documents in a secure place at home, especially if you have roommates, employ outside help, or are having work done in your house.
Minimize the personal Information you print on checks. You don't need to include your Social Security number, phone number or driver's license number.
Monitor your bank and credit card transactions for unauthorized transactions. Crooks with your account number generally start with small transactions to see if you'll notice.
Pay attention to your billing cycles. If bills do not arrive on time, follow up with your creditors.
Don't create obvious passwords, such as your birth date, child's name or birth date, mother's maiden name or the last four digits of your Social Security number.
If you conduct business online, use your own computer. A public computer is less secure.
Never respond to e-mails requesting to "verify" your personal information and identifiers. Your bank, credit card company, online payment system, the IRS -- none of these types of organizations will call or e-mail asking for your confidential information. They already have it.
Never use e-mail to communicate sensitive personal information such as your user name, password, Social Security number or credit card number.
Don't use your PDA or cell phone to store credit card numbers or other financial information.
Don't store passwords, tax returns or other financial information on your computer hard drive. Back up your computer data on cds and store it away from your computer. Keep your computer system and browser software up to date, and set to the highest security level you can tolerate.
Check your credit report at least once a year. There is only one source authorized to give you one free annual credit: www.annualcreditreport.com.
If your credit cards are lost or stolen, immediately notify your credit providers by phone and then notify each of the three credit bureaus to request a "Fraud Alert" be placed on your file. Placing this alert tells creditors to follow certain procedures before they open new accounts in your name or make changes to your existing accounts.
Vickie Sanders is assistant director of business services for the Better Business Bureau serving Central California. Send your consumer concerns, questions and problems to Action Line at the Better Business Bureau, 1601 H St., Suite 101, Bakersfield, CA 93301 or vickie@bbbcencal.org.
