Post on 13-Jan-2016
transcript
Identity Theft: Protect Yourself
By Rachel Gaines
• Shred financial documents and paperwork
• Protect your Social Security number
• Don’t give out personal information
• Never click on links sent in unsolicited emails
• Don’t use an obvious password
• Keep your personal information in secure place
• Be alert for:– Bills that do not arrive– Unexpected credit card statements– Denials of credit for no apparent reason– Calls or letters about purchases you did not
make
• Place “Fraud Alert” on credit reports
• Close accounts
• File a police report
• Report the theft to the Federal Trade Commission
• ID Theft: What It’s All About
• Deter, Detect, Defend Brochure
• Virus Worms
• Anti-Virus Protection
Anti-Virus Protection
• Multi-layers of protection is preferred
• Many people rely on the advice of others
• Free protection is not enough
• Back round information is important
• What Does The Identity Thief Want?
• Where Does Identity Thief Find These?
• How Are These Used?
• How Can You Defend Yourself?
• Other Precautions To Take
What Does The Identity Thief Want?
• Your Social Security number
• Your driver’s license
• Your account numbers
• Your PIN(s) and passwords
Where Does Identity Thief Find These?
• Your wallet or purse
• Your mailbox
• Your glove compartment
• Your trash
• You
How Are These Used?
• Counterfeit checks
• Drain bank account
• File for bankruptcy
• Give your name to police during arrest
• Change mailing address
• Open new credit card accounts
How Can You Defend Yourself?
• Don’t put the obvious in your purse or wallet
• Don’t write your PIN on back of cards
• Check credit card bills carefully and regularly
• Take outgoing mail to local post office
• Shed anything that contains any personal information
Other Precautions To Take
• Don’t sign back of credit card, write “check photo id” instead
• Three major credit reporting agencies– (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion)
• Cut old credit cards into small strips
• When reordering personal checks, pick them up at the bank
• Don’t carry Social Security number around
• What Does The Virtual Thief Want?
• Where Does The Virtual Thief Find These?
• How You Can Defend Yourself
• Precautions
What Does The Virtual Thief Want?
• To capture your information
• Create a new identity based on that information
Where Does The Virtual Thief Find These?
• Gaps in your system
• Through spreadsheets and documents
How You Can Defend Yourself
• Use unique passwords
• Change passwords regularly
• Don’t set your system to “Remember My Password”
• Don’t write down passwords
Precautions
• Purchase Anti-virus software
• Keep operation system software updated
• Install a firewall
Work cited
• Federal Trade Commission, [http://www.ftc.gov/index.shtml]
• A Better Business Bureau, [http://www.bbbonline.org/IDtheft/consumers.asp]