Top 10 Tips to Protect you from Identity Theft

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Malicious actor causing identity theftTop 10 Tips for Identity Theft Protection

Identity thieves use your personal information without your knowledge. The thief may use your name to recover debt and even commit crimes. The following tips can help you reduce the risk of becoming a victim.

Protect your social security number from identity theft.

Do not carry your social security card in your wallet. If your health plan (except Medicare) or another card uses your social security number, ask for a different number from the company. For more information, see your Social Security number: Key to controlling identity theft pages.
Prompt to protect your SSN and identifiable information
Keep your card and any other files showing your social security number in a safe place; do not always carry your card or other documents to display your number.
Be careful to share your number, even if you are required; share your SSN only when absolutely necessary.
Protect your personal financial information at home and on the computer.
Check your credit report once a year.
Check your Social Security income report annually,
Protect your PC by using firewalls, antispam / virus software, updating security patches, and changing the password for your Internet account.
Protect your personally identifiable information; keep it private. Only when you are with you can you provide your SSN.
Source: https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/identity-protection-tips

hit “Phishing” – do not take the bait.

Do not reply to any request to verify your account or password. Legitimate companies do not require this information in this way.
Bottom line: Never provide your personal information – unless you contact.
Do not fall because of ordinary scams
An unexpected email from the IRS is always a scam. The IRS does not contact taxpayers by email or social media to request personal or financial information. If you receive a fraudulent mail claiming to be from the IRS, please forward it to phishing@irs.gov.
A phone call claiming to be an agent of the IRS is a scam if you cannot pay immediately or threaten you with arrest or deportation. In another variation, the caller requests your financial information in order to send you a refund. Report these calls and other IRS counterfeit programs to the Treasury’s Director of Tax Management at 1-800-366-4484 or on the IRS Model Fraud Report website.
If you find a website that claims to be IRS but does not start with “www.irs.gov”, please forward the link to phishing@irs.gov.
Source: https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/identity-protection-tips
How to avoid fraud and identity theft fraud
Every day, consumers are given a great deal of fraud, so you must always exercise caution when it comes to your personal and financial information. The following tips may help prevent you from becoming victims.
Beware of incoming emails or text messages asking you to click on a link because the link may install malicious software that allows the thief to peek into your computer and get your information;
Suspect that any email or phone request to update or verify your personal information because lawyers do not obtain updates to existing information in an unsafe manner;
It is legal to contact the sender by contacting the sender (preferably by looking up the sender’s contact information instead of using the contact information in the email);
Assuming that anything that seems too good is not true, it may be deceptive;
Be wary of the fraudulent check, bank check, money order or e-Fund transfer sent to you requesting that you refund part of the money to you;
Be wary of unsolicited offers that require you to act quickly;
Check the security settings on social networking sites. Make sure they stop people you do not want to see your page;
Before researching any “apps”, do not assume that “apps” is legal because it is similar to the name of a bank or other company you are familiar with;
For any pressure to make your remittance by wire transfer quickly or involved in the confidentiality of the other party, and
Beware of disaster-related financial fraud. After a catastrophic event, a crook uses what people claim to be from a legitimate charity that is actually trying to steal money or valuable personal information.
Source: https://www.fdic.gov/consumers/assistance/protection/idtheft.html

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