More tips for thwarting identity thieves
Paying bills can be an onerous task, made only a bit easier by the ability to pay them online. But then you have the frustration of trying to keep track of all the passwords for all your online accounts. Thanks heavens for that friendly little “I forgot my password” link.
Unfortunately, identity thieves might be thinking the same. It’s just not that hard anymore to mine Facebook, MySpace and other blogsites to discover someone’s mother’s maiden name, or their pet’s name, or their college alma mater. How many accounts to you have with a login name made up of your last name and first initial? Add that information to your name and address which is readily available in lots of online public records, and anyone bent on identity theft can easily hack your accounts.
Back to the basics
Just like it’s not that hard for criminals to harvest your personal information, it’s not that hard to thwart them. Just use these simple tips to better secure your identity:
- Don’t divulge personal information online.
Make your password something really special. Avoid using things like your mother’s maiden name, your date of birth, etc.
The longer your password, the better. Use upper and lower case letter, numerals and special characters in your passwords.
Use different passwords for each account.
Create a spreadsheet of all your different login names and passwords, and then password protect it (see above).
When prompted to answer a question that will secure your account, think a little outside the box. What is your mother’s maiden name? Use your grandmother’s maiden name, or your former mother-in-law’s name. What is your pet’s name? Use the name of your first pet from childhood. You get the idea.
NEVER reply to email from someone you don’t know.
Your bank or credit card issuers will never contact you by email or phone asking for account information. Don’t fall for phishing or pretexting attempts.
Shred your mail.
Remove your name from mail marketing lists.
LifeLock is the industry leader in identity theft protection, providing service to more than 1 million customers. Go to their website at LifeLock.com for more information about how Life Lock can protect your credit and identity. Use promo code RD17 when you enroll in their protection services and get the best available discount.
