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Tips for Preventing Identity Theft
Identity thieves steal your personal
information to commit fraud. They
can damage your credit status and
cost you time and money restoring
your good name. To reduce your risk
of becoming a victim, follow the
tips below:
•
Don't carry your Social Security
card
in your wallet or write it on your
checks. Only give out your SSN when
absolutely necessary.
•
Protect your PIN.
Never write a PIN on a credit/debit
card or on a slip of paper kept in
your wallet.
•
Look for Skimming Devices on ATMs.
Skimmers may be installed on ATM
machines, and sometimes you can’t
even notice them. A small device
goes over the normal card reading
slot and reads your card’s magnetic
stripe. If something looks
suspicious, find another ATM.
•
Watch out for "shoulder surfers".
Use your free hand to shield the
keypad when using pay phones and
ATMs.
•
Collect mail promptly.
Ask the post office to put your mail
on hold when you are away from home
for more than a day or two.
•
Pay attention to your billing cycles.
If bills or financial statements are
late, contact the sender.
•
Keep your receipts.
Ask for carbons and incorrect charge
slips as well. Promptly compare
receipts with account statements.
Watch for unauthorized transactions.
•
Tear up or shred
unwanted receipts, credit offers,
account statements, expired cards,
etc., to prevent dumpster divers
getting your personal information.
•
Store personal information in a safe
place
at home and at work. Don't leave it
lying around.
•
Don't respond to unsolicited
requests
for personal information in the
mail, over the phone or online.
•
Install firewalls
and virus-detection software on your
home computer.
•
Check your credit report
once a year. Check it more
frequently if you suspect someone
has gotten access to your account
information.
Online Security
There are many different ways your
personal information can be stolen
electronically – but preventing
fraud and identity theft online is
possible. Use these simple tips to
help create a safer virtual
environment for yourself and your
family:
Password Protection:
Preventing identity theft
online starts with having a secure
password for online financial
accounts.
•
Never share your passwords or PINs
with anyone.
•
Never write your passwords down
where they could be easily found by
others.
•
When creating passwords, don't use
information that could be easily
linked to you (like your birth date,
Social Security number, phone
number, or the names of pets or
hobbies).
•
Use passwords that contain both
letters and numbers, preferably not
recognizable words (example:
4WskGer).
•
Use a unique password for each
system. Always use a different
password for each system you access.
•
Change your online account passwords
often. We recommend that you change
your passwords every 30 days.
Online Basics:
•
If you are providing financial
information or placing an order
online, be sure the site is secure.
Look for a URL that begins with
"https://" and the "closed padlock"
( )
in the address bar of your browser.
•
Do business only with financial
institutions and online merchants
that you know and trust.
•
Watch out for copycat sites that may
try to look like a financial
institution. Be sure you are using
the correct web address for your
bank.
•
Don't reply to any e-mail or pop-up
message that requests you update or
provide personal information, even
if it looks like it is a pop-up from
one of your known institutions. If
in doubt, contact your institution
BEFORE entering any personal
information.
•
Never leave your computer unattended
while using any online banking or
investing service.
•
Always log off completely and close
your browser when you are finished
with a secure session.
•
Only access your personal financial
information from a computer you
"trust." Internet kiosks and cyber
cafes are not as secure as your
personal computer.
•
Install, use and regularly update
anti-virus and anti-spyware software
on your computer.
•
Make sure your computer is
up-to-date with security patches for
your operating system and
applications. Windows users should
turn the Auto-Update feature on.
Security patches may be found at
vendor's websites. Check the sites
periodically as these patches are
frequently updated.
•
Consider using a personal firewall
to prevent hackers from invading
your personal computer, especially
if you are using DSL or a cable
modem to access the Internet. A
firewall can make you virtually
"invisible" online and will help to
block out communications from
unauthorized sources.
•
If you use wireless networking, make
sure to turn on all security
features such as WPA encryption.
Change the default password and SSID
on your wireless router.
Reporting Identity Theft
Your wallet (as well as your online
financial transactions) contains
some of your most important personal
items, from hard-earned money to
credit cards and driver’s license
information. For an identity thief,
this data offers a treasure trove of
personal information. If you suspect
or become a victim of identity
theft, follow these steps below:
•
Report it to your financial
institution.
Call the phone number on your
account statement or on the back of
your credit or debit card.
•
Report the fraud to Rockville Centre
Police or your local police
immediately.
Keep a copy of the police report,
which will make it easier to prove
your case to creditors and
retailers.
•
Contact the credit-reporting bureaus
and ask them to flag your account
with a fraud alert, which asks
merchants not to grant new credit
without your approval.
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