Part of your organizing plan for your life should include taking steps to keep your identity safe. According to statistics, more than ten million people PER YEAR are affected by some form of identity theft. I just came back from my annual NAPO conference and during my travels, I discovered that one of my credit cards had been used fraudulently. While this incident isn't full blown identity theft, it is a hassle for me. Thankfully my bank discovered the charge before I did, they blocked the card against further charges, cancelled the account and sent out a new card immediately.
If your identity is successfully stolen, you could spend from five to five thousand hours of time, and potentially thousands of dollars clearing your name and fixing the damage. Sounds like just what you need to add to your already busy life, right? Ummmm NOPE!
Here are five simple steps to protect your identity, and one thing you can do to proactively ASSESS YOUR RISK of being a victim, before it ever happens...
1. Protect Your Social Security Number
Most companies and organizations who routinely ask for your Social Security Number don't really need it. I never provide mine without finding out if it's an absolute necessity. Most will say you don't need to. Always question the information-gathering and handling practices of merchants, creditors, government agencies, employers, educational institutions, and others. Don't automatically fill out every blank on every application. If you say you prefer not to give out your Social Security Number, typically they will use some other identifier for you. For extra security, commit your Social Security Number to memory so you don't have to carry the card in your wallet.
2. Check Security on Websites. When you're shopping online, funding a crowdsourced project or otherwise entering financial information, be sure the page where you're entering personal data is secure. Look for the little padlock icon in your browser window.
The first image shows where the icon appears in Internet Explorer. (Click the image to enlarge it)
The second image shows where the icon appears in Firefox. (Click the image to enlarge it)
Also, double check to be sure the URL begins with https rather than just http. The addition of the letter S means "secure".
3. Freeze or Monitor Your Credit. You can proactively put a freeze on your credit which will prevent any unauthorized persons from opening credit in your name without your knowledge. In addition, you're entitled to receive one free credit report per year from EACH of the three reporting agencies. (Experian, TransUnion and Equifax) To check your credit more frequently, simply request one report every four months, each time from a different reporting agency. Request a report by calling 1-877-322-8228 or visiting www.AnnualCreditReport.com, which is by the way, the only authorized source to fill these requests.
4. Sign up for LifeLock. Unlike after-the-fact monitoring that lets you know AFTER your identity has been compromised, LifeLock is a proactive service that alerts you when someone APPLIES for credit in your name. It basically heads off identity theft before it happens, saving you all kinds of time and money.
5. Check Out Your Risk. If you want to know how vulnerable you are and the likelihood of you BECOMING a victim of identity theft, check out www.MyIDScore.com -- I went there and found out that my ID Score is just over 400, which is a pretty low risk. Christmas Boy's was even lower. It's a free service and you don't have to give your Social Security Number.
Identity theft happens far too frequently for you to take it lightly. For more detailed information, visit Alarms.org, which is the official website of the National Council for Home Safety and Security. Build an identity-protection strategy today so you can sleep easier at night and know that you've taken proactive steps to protect yourself.