6 Ways to Prevent Identity Theft

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Imagine someone going on a shopping spree with your card or opening a loan account in your name and you end up with a hefty bill or statements you can make head or tail of? You must have heard from friends or acquaintances about the problems and the endless forms they had to fill out to get out of this mess. You can be safe and not get into such mess or be a victim of identity theft if you take some precautions. Identity theft can happen in a lot of ways. It can happen online or it can happen when you are careless and lose your wallet or let your social security number in the open for someone to misuse it. Here are some ways to prevent identity theft.

1. Take care of your credit card

Make sure you check your credit reports carefully and regularly. If someone also got hold of your social security number, they can open a credit card in your name with a fake address and a phone number and you will be none the wiser.

2. Shred your sensitive papers

Be extremely careful with your sensitive documents. Do not throw it in the bin or leave it lying around in the house. It makes sense to invest in a shredder as you need to make sure that you destroy all sensitive information when you no longer need them.

3. Have a strong password

It is easy to come up with a password that you can remember easily and then have the same password for every account that you have. You would either have your name or your year of birth in your password, making it easier for a hacker to get into your accounts. Even though it is a little difficult, have a password that is complicated and something that cannot be hacked easily.