Identity theft is a serious crime that can hurt thousands of people in terrible ways. There have been several cases of people killing themselves because someone stole their identity. Because of identity theft, people lose relationships, plans, and dreams. This is why the government is taking steps to stop identity theft, which is getting worse. But it looks like these cyber thieves are very good at what they do. It's hard to catch them. Because of this, it is up to each person to take steps to stop identity theft. Here are the most important things that everyone should remember.
Keep the social security card somewhere safe and hidden. This means that a person should never put his Social Security card in his wallet. This card might be as good as a driver's licence, but it has one very sensitive piece of information: a person's nine-digit social security number (SSN), which identifies them and gives them access to their bank and credit information. So, don't put that card in your wallet. In order to keep your SSN safe, you should never give it to a stranger and you should never put it on an online form.
Shred any paper or document that has important information on it. People get mail and documents all the time that have important information about them, like their bank account number or credit card account number. Instead of just putting these papers in the trash, they need to be shredded. People who want to steal identities have been known to go through trash cans to get the information they want.
Before you click, stop and think. Thieves who use the Internet to steal people's identities have learned how to copy websites and use these copies to steal information. Phishing websites are the name for these kinds of sites. For example, an identity thief or con artist might copy a bank's website. When a customer of this bank logs into the online banking site by accident, they will see a page that asks for information. This page would say that information about the bank's clients is being updated. And a trusting customer can just fill out the form and click "OK" or "SEND."
Before clicking on a button or sending important information over the internet, a person should look at the URL (Universal Resource Locator) of the page he is on to make sure it is real. For instance, the real eBay website is http://www.ebay.com, while the fake one is https://www.ebay.com. There is a difference of one letter. This doesn't mean that a website with "https" is fake. In fact, when entering personal information, the extra s is better. This letter "s" and the lock icon at the bottom of the screen show that the website is safe.
And lastly, always check the details, especially the details on your bank account statement and credit card bill. When they get their credit card bill, some people don't open it right away because they don't want to see how much they have to pay by a certain date. This is a bad habit because these people don't know right away if their credit card has been used without their permission.
