In the wild plains of Africa, predators like lions make the preys who are left behind by the pack as their prime easy target. Identity thieves work in the same way to a certain extent. You will become a prime target when you display sign that you are going to be an easy target. When you make their jobs that much easier by giving them a lead on you, it is not hard to imagine why you have become the chosen one.
With this in mind, preventing it from ever happening to you is better than going through the mess which you have to clear up with the authorities should you one day find that you are liable to loans which you never took up. Here are some basic ways to protect yourself.
Secure your mailbox
The most old fashioned way is actually the easiest way to get your personal details. Because identity theft is often associated with high technology we get complacent with conventional ways that things get stolen. Many people still leave their mailboxes in front of their houses unlocked while the thought of how it can link to grave financial danger never even popping into their heads. All a criminal needs to do is get some of your important mail to get access to the type of information that would make you an easy target.
Disposing your paperwork
For people who like to keep proper filing of all their paperwork, remember to keep them nicely secured in your cabinets. It is those who throw away important statements that are prone to theft. The best way to dispose of these paper trial is to shed them with a cross shredding shredder. Even though it might be possible for a very patient person to put a shredded document together, going after someone who has left them intact will be must less work.
Taking care of your belongings
Probably no one needs to be reminded to take care of their personal property. But maybe you are not fully aware of how much damage can be done should your wallet falls into the wrong hands. Since no one can really predict when a pick-pocket will act, the best way to get around this risk is not to carry important items with you when they are not really required. For example, in many circumstances, driving licenses can be used in place of identity cards. Also be very careful with what kind of information gets stored in your smart phone. If you label a file as “Passwords”, It is not difficult to think what the file will contain.
Wireless networking
If you do not have your own mobile broadband device, you could be one of those people who tap into open wireless networks wherever you go. Most people will implicitly understand how insecure that can be. But most also feel that they cannot be so unlucky as to run into a hacker this way. Well, that is the exact same feeling a victim felt until he was screwed over. Don’t leave this to chance. Do not conduct important transactions on open networks. And also secure your own wireless networks with WPA encryption if you have not already done so.
Computer settings
For the sake of convenience, a lot of computer and smart phone operating systems contain scripts that autosave your passwords and history. If you install the wrong programs, you might even have a keylogger that records all your keystrokes. I don’t think I need to even start to explain how those information can give you nightmares when fallen into the wrong hands. These days, it isn’t a surprise to find that crooks target people’s smart phones instead of wallets.
Signs that you are on vacation
When flyers start to pile up on the windscreen of your car or your mailbox starts to burst from the seems, it is a clear sign that you have not been around for a while. A simple way to take car of this is to get a neighbor or relative to take care of your mail for you.