Protect yourself from identity fraud on CyberMonday.
Today is CyberMonday, which is great this time of year because of all the awesome deals, right? While that may be true, it is also true that hackers are definitely on the prowl this time of year as well. So while you’re getting all those good deals for the holiday season, just make sure you take all the appropriate security measures to protect yourself and your personal information.
According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, here are some tips to help prevent identity fraud:
• Shred or tear up personal financial documents before discarding them.
• Do not print personal identifiers, such as your social security number, date of birth or driver’s license number on your checks.
• Use your social security number only when absolutely necessary.
• Only reveal information online when the website is securely protected (look for a yellow padlock symbol in the corner of your computer screen).
• Do not provide personal, financial or any other identifying information to a telephone caller. Ask for the caller’s name and telephone number, and then check to see that the caller is legitimate.
• Pay attention to your credit card billing cycles, as identity thieves may reroute bills to another address to hide criminal activities involving your accounts.
• Carefully review all monthly credit card statements and check for unauthorized use.
• Get a copy of your credit report at least once a year to check for possible errors.
• Minimize the number of cards and identifying information you carry, especially your social security card and passport.
• Before revealing any information – online, over the phone or in person – ask how it will be used.
Now that you know the steps you can take to prevent identity fraud, have a happy Cyber Monday! Get those deals!
