Most of us take small actions every day protect our finances and personal information. But the reality is anyone can fall victim to identity theft.
After you’ve reported your case to both the Federal Trade Commission and your local police department, you’re probably wondering what you can do to prevent this type of fraud from occurring again.
Fraud prevention
Instead of becoming a repeat victim of scammers or thieves, you can rethink precautions you already take. Some ways you can preserve your identity include:
- Password etiquette: You’ve probably heard that you should change your passwords every now and again to protect many different types of accounts — from online banking to social media. If a person or bot hacked any accounts containing personal information, a new password is a must. But you should keep in mind that even a new password can cause trouble. When you create a new password, it shouldn’t be a recycled version of your last one, include personal details or be so intricate that you can’t even remember it.
- Smart wallet: You should both be mindful about what you carry in your wallet and consider a wallet that offers more security. This means you shouldn’t carry your Social Security card everywhere you go, not even a copy of it. To safeguard cards and IDs you regularly carry around, it’s worth investing in a smart wallet. Smart wallets can alert you by phone if you drift to far from your wallet or protect your credit cards from skimmers.
- Mail management: Even in such a digital day-in-age, most of us still receive paper mail To stop your mail from getting in the wrong hands, you can protect your mail while it’s still in the box by installing a locked, slotted mailbox. And if you want to properly dispose of sensitive mail, a shredder can help save you from dumpster divers.
If you’ve already suffered from fraudulent activity, working with an identity theft attorney can help create more ease as you claim, recover and secure your personal information.
