Millions of Americans are affected by identity theft each year and while Americans are becoming more aware of the dangers, identity thieves are also getting craftier. Once a thief has stolen your identity, they can steal your tax refund, apply in credit cards and loans in your name, sell your information to other criminals, and withdraw funds from your bank account. For this reason it’s important to recognize the signs of identity fraud early on and prevent your financials from being obliterated by identity thieves.
Be wary if you get turned down for a loan or credit despite good credit health, you notice charges for purchases you didn’t make, your tax return is rejected, your financial accounts seem fraudulent, or charges under $5 (test charges) appear on your credit card statement, which may mean that criminals are making sure your stolen credit card is still active.
To protect yourself from identity theft, make sure all your devices are password protected. For added security, change up the password and include a variety of characters such as numbers, capital and lowercased letters, and symbols.
Do not use unsecure websites or suspicious links in emails or texts. If an http website does not have the ‘s’ after http, then it is not a secured website.
Check your financial statements and credit reports regularly. You’ll be more likely to notice any fraudulent charges or suspicious activity on your financial accounts, if you check your statements often. Experian offers free credit reports.
Avoid giving out personal information, especially over the phone. Thieves often pose as bank, I.R.S or credit card company employees trying to get your pin or Social Security number.
Shred documents you know longer need that have personal information on them. Its also a good idea to not leave mail in your mailbox as identity thieves may be able to dig up personal information from such documents or bills.
Never carry your Social Security card on your person and limit the amount of credit cards you have in your wallet in order to lessen the damage.
Your personal information should be protected at all time, don’t let yourself become a victim of identity fraud.
Have questions? Give us a call!
AZ Insurance Team 480-535-5709 https://www.azinsuranceteam.com
*All policies are a little different and this may not be applicable to your insurance policy, talk to your agent to see what your policy covers.*
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