Having your identity and finances compromised by an identity thief, when you could have taken steps to prevent the fraud, is like eating 12 doughnuts a day or blowing all your money gambling. Or something like that.
When you’re making your 2008 New Years resolutions do yourself a favor and resolve:
- I will shred all documents with my address and any financial data, including mailing labels.
- I will review my credit reports with all 3 bureaus to make sure fraud hasn’t occurred already.
- I will use credit cards instead of debit cards, to have recourse if fraud occurs (as debit card systems at stores can become compromised).
- I will use strong online security software and make sure it scans often for viruses and spyware.
- I will carry as little personal information with me as possible in my wallet in case it gets stolen. (If possible make sure your social security number is not in your wallet.)
- I will not click on emails from unknown senders no matter how tempted I am!
Tip: Use PayPal whenever you can online to give out your personal details and card information to as few websites as possible.
Learn more about identity theft in Wikipedia.
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