Protecting Yourself From Identity Theft

Did you know that each year, more than ten million Americans are subjected to some form of identity theft? Whether its having their credit or debit cards stolen, or their social security number exposed, many of these thefts could have been prevented by having the right protection.

With thieves using more sophisticated means of gaining access to your identity, its important to have proper protection. Shredding your documents and preventing access to your mail can only go so far, when you’re using your credit card and bank account number on the internet daily. The best way to prevent these types of theft is to be internet savvy and know the different between many fake websites and the genuine article.

Thieves attempt to steal your identity online through a process called phishing. These thieves will set up a website which resembles the website they are trying to steal information for. Unknowing users who receive email from these thieves think they have ae bank alert or similar and click the link in their email, which takes them to the thieves website. Once there, these people enter their account information thinking they are logging into their bank website, when in actuality, they are turning over their information to thieves.

Preventing phishing scams like this is easy. Never click on any link in any email from a source you do not know. The email header will always show you who the email is from, and many email clients now can alert you if an email seems to be from a different source than it is indicating. If you’re unsure of how to check and see if the email is genuine, it’s probably best to go to the website and enter your information in that way you know you’re not using a fake website.