Prevent Online Identity Theft By Following These 5 Tips

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AppId is over the quota

If you use the internet frequently, chances are you may be presenting yourself as a possible victim of online identity theft. One in every five people will have their identity stolen at some time in their lives. Not all become victims due to activities on the internet but nonetheless, internet identity thieves are becoming more and more elusive in their tactics. Because of this we need to keep our guard up now more than ever before. Here are some tips to help prevent becoming a victim to this deceitful crime.

1. Do not give out your personal information to people you don't know.

This may seem rather obvious to most people but it is surprising how trusting some people are. If something about a situation doesn't seem quite right, then go with your instincts.

2. If you are asked to update information from a financial institution by email, don't do it.

Identity thieves have been known to send spam emails made to look like they came from financial institutions. By clicking the link you are directed to a separate webpage identical to that of your financial institution. By entering your information, you are giving the identity thief full access to your account. Whenever you want to visit the webpage of your financial institution, make sure you type the address into your internet browser rather than using a link.

3. Do not make online purchases unless you are on a secure, trusted site.

Many people who are new to online purchasing fall for this one. Any time you are making a purchase and you are asked for your credit card information, look at the internet browser's address bar. Secure web addresses begin with "https". If it shows "http" do not enter your credit card information.

4. Select "difficult-to-crack" passwords.

Especially do this for highly private accounts like banks and financial institutions. You should consider using passwords with a mixture of capital and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. Passwords should be at least 8-10 characters long but the longer the better. Also, make sure you are not using the same password for every site. A password cheat sheet can be created to help you remember the passwords and usernames for every site. Keep the cheat sheet in a secure but accessible location and do not save an electronic copy on your computer.

5. Make sure your computer protection software is up to date.

This day in age it is extremely important to have a good antivirus, anti-spyware and firewall installed on your computer and always kept up to date. There are many good free ones available but most of the time the free versions do not update automatically. It is usually a worthwhile investment to purchase a good internet security system that constantly updates by itself. This way you can set it and forget it.

Now that you know the top 5 tips for protecting your identity online, it's time to apply them. Remember, try to be aware at all times to whom you are giving information to. Only enter credit card information on secure websites and immediately delete strange emails. Also, do not get lazy with your password selection and computer protection software. They may someday save you a lot of financial and emotional burden and prevent you from becoming the one in five.

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Protect Yourself From Identity Theft With These Helpful Tips

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AppId is over the quota

Checking your credit on a regular basis is the best way to protect yourself from identity theft. Identity theft is when someone uses your personal information such as Social Security number or bank account numbers without your knowledge. This could be to open up loans in your name, make purchases or open up accounts.

When someone opens credit fraudulently in your name most often the person who opens these accounts has no intention of making payments. So you have negative accounts that weren't opened by you showing negative information on your credit report. The consequences to you are it can make it difficult for you when you go to apply for an auto loan, mortgage or credit card because the fraudulent accounts that are in a derogatory status appear to be yours which then makes it difficult to obtain credit.

By monitoring your credit report from each one of the credit bureaus you can catch any inaccurate or unauthorized items that appear. If you suspect there is suspicious activity on your report take action immediately. There are several steps you can take to reverse the inaccurate information. By following these steps you can

Start by contacting each one of the credit bureaus to have fraud alerts placed on your report. With a fraud alert on your report, anytime your credit is pulled for an application for credit the lender must contact you and confirm your identity before extending credit. If someone does try to open credit in your name this should prevent any new attempts from going through. Close any fraudulent accounts or accounts that you feel may have been compromised. File a report with your local police and file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

Don't think it can happen to you? It happens more than you might think. According to Javelin Strategy and Research, in 2008 there were 10 million victims of identity theft. One in every 10 U.S. consumers has been a victim of identity theft. Another study found that it can take the equivalent of working a full-time job for two years to correct the damage done by identity theft.

It is possible to protect yourself from identity theft. You don't have to be a victim. By keeping tabs on the activity on your credit reports you can catch inaccurate or suspicious activity early on before it causes severe damage to your financial reputation.

Jeff Byron has worked in the finance industry for several years and has knowledge of credit and lending. For more information and tips on protecting your credit visit Articles On Credit.

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