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Are You Sharing Your Personal Information Online?
Most people don't think Identity Theft will happen to them.
Unfortunately, identity theft and fraud in its various forms affects about 10 million people in any given year. This results in identity theft victims spending $5 billion trying to undo the harm inflicted, with an average time investment of 600 hours per victim. If the monetary loss isn't overwhelming, the time lost and frustration surely must be.
Nearly half of all identity theft victims don't know how the thieves obtained their information.
Your everyday activities can unknowingly leave you exposed to identity theft, unless you take the necessary precautions.
Unsecured sensitve data on your computer can leave you vulnerable. Hackers know where data like personal information and passwords are stored on your computer, which makes this information easy for them to find and steal. A cluttered computer from web browsing leaves traces of your identity behind. Identity thieves love discarded computers. If you donate or get rid of your computer, they can very easily steal your identity unless you erase your data first.
White Canyon offers complete identity theft monitoring as a feature of their Protect Your ID Identity Theft
Software Package.
You should also consider installation of a combination antivirus, antispyware and firewall program on your computer. Keep in mind that these utilities are only as good as their updates. New malicious programs are being written every day and if you don't maintain your annual subscription for ongoing updates and download them regularly, you won't be protected from the new threats.
Don't just throw your "junk mail" in the garbage. Those credit card offers you toss into the trash can cost you dearly. Credit card and bank statements that are not destroyed can be retrieved from the trash and used by these unscrupulous thieves. You should also destroy any old credit cards that you don't use anymore and close the accounts that you don't use. Don't leave them lying around. You probably wouldn't even miss them until it's too late.
The fastest way to detect identity theft is by regularly checking your personal credit report.
Credit reports contain information about you, including what accounts you have and your bill paying history.
The law requires the three major national consumer reporting companies to provide you one free copy of your credit report each year, provided you request it.
Federal Trade Commission's
Identity Theft Website |
Practical Tips from the
Federal Government and
The Technology Industry |
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