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Do You Protect Yourself from Identity Theft?

21 Responses (Add) | Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008 at 10:02pm

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Identity theft is rampant these days. Your information can be taken faster than you can blink. However, there are several very easy ways to protect yourself. Are you careful enough? Do you know how to protect your identity? I received the following tips in an email, specifically related to tax return theft.

  • When storing a copy of your tax return on your computer, try to protect it with a complex password.
  • If you do decide to delete the file, either use the free Eraser for Windows, or Secure Delete in Mac OS X. Make sure you securely and properly delete the files. Don’t just put them in the Recycle bin. Make sure they are completely gone.
  • Ignore all refund or rebate emails that claim to come from the IRS. Never click the links in emails if they claim to be coming from an official source, unless you know for a fact it comes from who it says. My suggestion is to verify any warning on the IRS website. This will allow you to make sure if something is legit or not.
  • If someone calls you claiming to need to verify your information… hang up on them. DONT give them information. You aren’t verifying anything. Don’t give out any information or at your door, no matter how legit it seems. Check it out first.
  • Check your credit report through all the agencies periodically. Keep on top of it. If you notice a discrepancy… challenge it immediately. You never really know when your credit report can turn around and bite you. Innocent mistakes can and do happen, and affect your credit adversely. So I recommend checking it at least once a year, if not a couple of times.

These are some things in relation to tax season, but apply to every day of the year. Only deal with people, companies and websites that you know and trust. Don’t count on anyone but yourself to keep you safe.

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21 Comments

Youtube

April 23rd, 2008
at 5:09pm

Original post:Do You Protect Yourself from Identity Theft?by at Blogdigger Media search for youtube

A.J. Wood - Creative Technologist

April 23rd, 2008
at 2:51pm

Chris Pirillo posed the question yesterday, “Do you protect yourself from identity theft?” As a two-time victim of identity theft, I thought I would expand on the tips that he received via email: 1. Credit Reports – Get your credit report from ALL THREE of the major credit reporting agencies -

r2roarthuro

April 22nd, 2008
at 3:02pm

THANKS FOR THE UPLOAD!

dragkraigor

April 22nd, 2008
at 3:07pm

i use norton to protect myself lol… im trying norton.

If it sucks ima go back to kaspersky

dud808

April 22nd, 2008
at 3:29pm

nortons does suck!! use try NOD32

wuemura

April 22nd, 2008
at 3:32pm

I don’t shred my papers, I burn it.

kevintkd

April 23rd, 2008
at 10:28am

ur wrong ur mom sucks more

Tim Malloroy

April 23rd, 2008
at 6:27am

Identity theft is such a bad problem now, you can’t even trust the trash collectors. And since in most communities in urban areas have you put out the trash cans and it can take all day before they are emptied, you can’t trust anyone with what might be in your trash or (preferably) your recycle bins.

Buy a good crosscut shredder that can handle CD/DVDs and credit cards. Always shred:

1) Junk mail that have applications in them such as credit card offers (I shred the whole thing).
2) The address of all your mail that you recycle or throw away. (there have been cases of people digging through trash at the landfill to get addresses and names).
3) All expired credit cards or those that you close.
4) Copies of important documents you don’t need any more.
5) Any paperwork with important numbers and/or your address on them.

This closes one area where identity theft occurs. If its properly cross cut shredded, there is little chance a thief can get your personal information.

It only takes a little discipline to get into the habit. I place my shredder right next to the area I handle paperwork and bills. It is easy to make a shred pile, then lean over and feed the machine.

Alek Davis

April 23rd, 2008
at 12:23pm

In relation to tax season, apparently schemes when thieves use your SSN to get a tax refund are getting more popular. I did not know about this problem until it happened to me: http://alekdavis.wordpress.com/2008/04/15/identity-theft-tax-return/ . I’m normally very careful, but with the number of agencies that use SSNs, it’s impossible to make sure that their employees do not abuse the knowledge.

Muzteeg4m3

April 24th, 2008
at 1:05am

dude stop talkin about your mom like that

kevintkd

April 24th, 2008
at 7:05am

Your right lets talk about ur sis

jiujitsu909

April 24th, 2008
at 3:02pm

i use avg and spyware doctor :D

Muzteeg4m3

April 25th, 2008
at 1:06am

w.e caryy on being childish

ImNotOk123

April 26th, 2008
at 10:27am

>:O twisted fire starter.

highonhayek

April 28th, 2008
at 2:04pm

Wanna make a password? Get a random string of numbers and letters (l&U) from random(dot)org

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