Tips on Identity Theft Protection

With so much personal information available online and in various databases and computers, it's tough for anyone to control how and where his or her own data is used.

While there is no way you can 100% absolutely prevent ID theft, there are many things you can do to greatly reduce your risk.

Here are some helpful tips to get started:

Everyday habits

• Shred all your mail before recycling or trashing
• When you're away on holiday, put a hold on your mail delivery or ask a trusted neighbor to take it in daily
• Never leave receipts behind at stores, banks, ATMs or anywhere else. Take them home and file or shred
• Do not carry any ID with you other than what you need. Leave your SSN/SIN card at home!
• Do not let your debit or credit cards out of your sight, even when paying for a meal
• Never use an ATM or point-of-purchase device that looks suspicious
• Read all your credit card and bank statements; ensure they match your receipts
• Get familiar with your credit reports. US residents each have three (from TransUnion, Equifax and Experian credit bureaus); Canadians have two (from TransUnion and Equifax). All should be monitored closely for unusual charges or activity
• Never give out banking, credit card or personal information over the phone

On the computer

• Protect your computer with the latest firewalls, anti-virus and anti-spyware protection
• Protect your wireless connection with up-to-date encryption
• Never enter any personal or financial information on a public computer
• Select passwords that are hard to crack (this means no dictionary words, names or birth dates!)
• Use a password manager to generate hard-to-crack passwords and securely keep track of them
• Limit the information you enter on social networking sites
• Only shop at secure and reputable online stores
• Never open any email or attachment that you don't recognize
• Back up your most important computer files using secure encrypted backup. Online remote backup services are a worthy option in this regard

And further…

• Use SpotMyID to monitor the Internet for any possible misuse of your personal and financial information
• Consider signing up for a credit monitoring service with daily updates and alerts. You will be advised of any unusual activity on your credit accounts or changes in your credit score

Remember: the best ways to beat identity theft and fraud are prevention and early detection.

It only takes a few minutes to sign up for SpotMyID! Get started and watch for the misuse of your personal identity and cards.

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