An scary trend is taking place in 2011, identity theft is on the rise, and is expect to reach an all time high. I believe that until the economy turns around, that this will be something we have to be very diligent about. Here are a few simple tips to help keep you safe.
Shred anything that has your personal information on it, SSN #, DOB, Address, etc. Anything that can be used to gain your personal knowledge. I know it can be a pain, but it is very important that when you go to throw these items out, that you make sure you shred them.
Change your passwords often, and do not use the same password on multiple sites. I would recommend changing your password at least once per month, again I know this can be a huge hassle, but if it can save you the hassle of having to clean up your credit reports if someone got a hold of your personal information than I believe it will be well worth the effort.
Scan your computer for any signs of viruses and malware. Identity Thieves are getting more and more sophisticated, and you will want to be sure that you personal computer is safe. Fortunately this one is very painless, just set your scanner to scan everything while you are sound asleep. You would be amazed how much malicious items this will catch, I am a normal internet user, and I am very careful the sites I visit, and I find one nasty thing about once per month!
What I still consider your best tool is credit monitoring, it will protect your credit reports 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If anyone was to try to start setting up fake accounts with your personal information, you would be notified of any change to your credit report within 24 hours. At that time you can log in and check to see what the alert is about, and if it is not you, you will be able to report it as fraudulent and be back on track.
We here at Best Credit Reports will do our best to keep every one up to date on new threats, and help to keep you safe in 2011!
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