10 Tips to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft During the Holidays

10 Tips to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft During The Holidays

The Identity Theft Resource Center has put out a Holiday Alert:
“IDENTITY THIEVES DON’T TAKE A HOLIDAY”

The ITRC reports that the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is the biggest shopping season of the year. They remind us to take extra precautions against identity theft. Credit card companies offer us new cards. We get mail from stores with discounted products. Charities are asking for donations. Shopping environments are crowded, and conditions are ripe for thieves to steal our identities. No one is immune-from birth to beyond death. About 10 million people have their identities stolen each year.

Follow these 10 Steps to Safeguard Your Identity:

1. Guard Your Social Security Number as if it were cash. If it is lost, contact the Social Security Administration at www.ssa.gov or 1-800-772-1213 to get a new one. However, reporting a lost card will not prevent misuse.
2. You will need a service that monitors your social security number daily to check if an identity thief is using it, contacts the necessary agencies, and fills out all the paperwork to help you restore your identity to pre theft status.
3. Check your bank and credit card accounts. If you notice something suspicious, contact your bank or credit card issuer immediately.
4. Never give personal or financial information over the telephone.
5. Leave your checkbook at home as it has information identity thieves want, e.g. name, address, telephone number, and routing and account numbers on it.
6. Carry your money and credit cards securely. Women should not leave their purses open or unattended, and men should not carry their wallets in their back pockets.
7. Be aware of your surroundings. Go to a brightly lit ATM, shield your transactions with your body, and if you see an odd looking gadget attached to the ATM use another machine.
8. Protect your credit card receipts. Don’t let store clerks staple them to bags, rip up carbon copies, and don’t put them in trash cans for identity thieves to get.
9. Protect yourself against credit card skimming when a store clerk or waitress slides your credit card through a second machine and downloads it onto a counterfeit card.
10. Be extra careful when it comes to mail. Lock your mailbox. If monthly bills haven’t arrived on time, contact the issuer and the post office. Mail bills at the post office at the end of the day. When you go away, hold your mail at the post office, and shred any credit card offers that aren’t wanted.
Following these simple tips can help you avoid being a victim of Identity Theft this holiday season. Being safe and secure helps ensure a stress free holiday.