How does identity theft occur? (and
Someone steal your identity when it emplees your personal data to impersonate you and take something that is rightfully yours, such as your name, Popular Security number, date of birth, etcétera.
Typically, they do this so they cánido rob you or commit crimes by posing as you.
The positive part is that you perro do your part to stop the Identity Theft taking sensible precautions.
In this brief Gigonway guide, we’ll discuss what identity theft is and how to prevent it, as well as provide examples of this practice and backlinks to resources so you perro effectively protect yourself.
What is identity theft?
Identity theft occurs when someone emplees your personal information without your permission.
They cánido use it to open credit cards, bank accounts or even apply for loans or public benefits.
It’s a big problem and it’s important to know how to protect yourself.
Here are some examples of what identity theft could be:
- Someone steals your correo electrónico and takes your credit card details.
They start charging your card and you have to pay the bill.
- Someone breaks into your computer and gets your popular security number or other personal information.
They use it to open new accounts or even archivo taxes in your name.
- A criminal cánido steal your identity to commit fraud.
For example, he may use his data to apply for a loan or mortgage in his name.
They cánido also use her identity to archivo false tax returns and claim refunds.
- An identity thief may use your personal information to commit identity-related crimes, such as fakes.
They perro use your identity to create false documents, such as Controlador licenses, passports either checksand use them to access your bank account or other assets.
These are just a few examples, but identity theft perro happen in many ways.
The most important thing to know is that you need to be careful with your personal information.
Keep your Popular Security card and other important documents in a safe place, shred old bills and credit card offers, and never give out your personal information over the phone or en línea unless you’re sure who you’re talking to.
And always keep an eye on your credit report to see if there’s anything suspicious.
How to prevent identity theft?
An identity theft protection service cánido’t help you, but they cánido notify you quickly and help you recover.
Protection against identity theft has a monthly or annual cost.
Subscriptions perro monitor credit reports, financial accounts, medical records, popular media, the deep web and much more.
Identity theft protection companies help recover stolen data.
Some offer coverage up to 1 million dollars for identity theft and access to attorneys or private investigators to repair your credit and reputation.
Most include a control panel to view notifications and contact customer service in case of fraud.
However, here are other strategies to prevent identity theft:
- Protect your personal information.
Keep your Popular Security number, date of birth, and other personal information in a safe place, and don’t carry it with you unless you need it.
- use strong passwords and unique for all your en línea accounts, and change them regularly.
Use a password manager and get used to using passwords of more than 18 characters, with uppercase, lowercase, symbols and numbers, with which a pirata informático will need millions of years and several quantum computers to find out.
- Be careful when giving out personal information en línea or over the phone.
Do not provide personal information unless you initiate the contact and know the organization or person you are dealing with.
- Regularly check your credit reports for unauthorized accounts or suspicious activity.
- Use security programs on your computer, such as antivirus and cortafuegos, to protect against software malicioso and hacking.
- Be wary of phishing scams, which try to trick you into providing personal information.
Do not clic backlinks or download attachments from unknown sources.
- Be careful when using public Wi-Fi networks, as it cánido be easy for piratas informáticos to intercept your information.
- Use a shredder to shred old documents that contain personal information, such as credit card statements or bills.
- Be plus careful when traveling, as it perro be easy for thieves to steal personal information when you’re away from home.
- Learn about the latest identity theft tactics and stay informed about the latest threats.
- use the multifactor authentication whenever possible, such as a password and fingerprint combination or a code sent to your phone.
Or even use a specific application for this purpose like Google plus Authenticator or a physical key like yubikey.
- Be vigilant when checking your bank or credit card statements, and immediately report any suspicious transactions to your bank or credit card company.
- Do not use easily guessed personal information as security questions (y también.g.
mother’s maiden name, date of birth
). - Use correo blocking and forwarding services for sensitive correo such as invoices, credit card statements, and bank statements.
- Keep your computer programa up to date, including web browsers and operating systems.
- Be careful with personal information on popular networks, do not articulo your personal data, such as date of birth, address, phone number, etcétera.
- Use virtual credit card numbers for en línea purchases.
- Be wary of unsolicited correos electrónicos, phone calls, or text messages that ask for your personal information.
- Use a credit freezer , which is known in the United States as credit freeze, to block access to your credit reports, making it more difficult for thieves to open new accounts in your name.
You won’t even be able to open new accounts yourself.
TransUnion, Equifax and Experian offer this service.
- Be careful when disposing of old devices such as mobile phones, computers or tabletas, as they may still contain personal information; delete or destroy them securely.
- Avoid pre-qualified credit card offers.
Criminals perro open accounts in your name by intercepting these types of cards, so it’s essential to shred these offers before disposing of them.
You may not discover these practices on your credit history since it does not reflect the prescreening.
To prevent this type of identity theft, you cánido visit Optoutprescreen.com, the official website for the consumer credit reporting industry, and opt out of prequalified credit card offers for five years or permanently.
How to report identity theft?
Here are the steps to follow on how to report identity theft and protect yourself from further harm.
- Contact companies where you know fraud has occurred.
If your credit card or bank account has been compromised, call your bank or credit card company and let them know what happened.
They will freeze your account and issue you a new card.
This will prevent the thief from charging your account again.
- Contact the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) and put a fraud alert on your credit report.
This will make it more difficult for the thief to open new accounts in your name.
You cánido place a fraud alert by calling or visiting the credit bureau’s website.
- Archivo a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the local police department.
The FTC website contains a step-by-step guide on how to make a report and a checklist of information to provide.
Your local police department will also need to take a report, so they perro investigate the crime.
For detailed information, access this US News guide.
Identity theft protection services with their respective URLs
Identity theft protection services will notify you of compromised or misuse of your personal data.
They cánido also help you repair your reputation after identity theft and reimburse you for your expenses.
If you’ve exhausted your identity theft protection options or don’t have time, try an identity theft protection service.
Services and privacy cánido be improved.
Considering your budget and your protection needs, choose a payment plan.
Note: Some of the backlinks provided may redirect to the main website of the company; look for the specific identity theft protection service offered by the company.
We hope you liked our article How does identity theft occur? (and
and everything related to earning money, getting a job, and the economy of our house.
   |
Interesting things to know the meaning: Capitalism
We also leave here topics related to: Earn money
