If you fall victim to identity theft, remember that you don’t have to go it alone. LifeLock is there to help.
After having been through the nightmare of identity theft, you may ask yourself, “How do I protect myself and stay safe afterwards?”
This is a legitimate concern, and the solution is easier than you think. You can make prevention an everyday part of your life by following these simple measures:
• Purchase a cross-cut paper shredder. All documents containing personal information, such as junk mail, credit card receipts, and bank and credit card statements, should be shredded. This will prevent thieves who go through trash from obtaining your personal information.
• When you order checks,, have them delivered to your bank, rather than to your home address.
• When using ATMs and phone cards, be wary of anyone who might be close enough to see your numbers. “Shoulder surfing” is a common way that thieves obtain your personal identification numbers to gain access to your accounts. (more…)
It’s impossible to write about the Red Flag Rules without an apologetic “stop me if you’ve heard this one before” preface. So don’t shoot the messenger, but the deadline for the Feds’ identity-protecting Red Flag Rules has been delayed. The newest deadline—the fifth—replaces the January 1 deadline with one of June 1, 2010.
I’ve decided to do most of my Christmas shopping from home this year, using only well-known sites to make sure I don’t become an ID theft or credit card fraud victim. The only thing that will get me to the mall or the big box stores is the Black Friday bargains. Other than that, I’m doing the rest of my shopping over the Internet from the comfort of my home office. Unfortunately, while this strategy will get me the best bargains, it also presents ID theft risks.