Crisis of Identity (Theft)
The Internet is a fertile hunting ground for bad guys looking to poach the personal and financial data of their prey. The Internet has also made it easier for these criminals to sell or trade this stolen information, while making it more difficult for them to be apprehended. Review the following guidelines from the U.S. government to learn how to avoid being a victim and how to respond if you think you were victimized.
How to Minimize Your Risk
Do business with trustworthy companies – Before providing any personal or financial information, make sure that you are interacting with a reputable, established company. Some attackers may try to trick you by creating malicious web sites that appear to be legitimate, so you should verify the legitimacy before supplying any information.
Take advantage of all available security features – Passwords, two-factor authentication, and other security features add layers of safety. Use all that are available to you.
Avoid making personal information public – Crooks can piece together information from multiple sources to better exploit you.
Use and maintain anti-virus software and a firewall – NetAscendant helps its customers with these measures but make sure your other devices are protected.
Pay attention to your account activity – Review your statements and obtain a credit report yearly. You are entitled to a free copy of your credit report from each of the main credit reporting companies once every twelve months.
How to Recognize Identity Theft
If you notice any of the following, you may have an issue:
unfamiliar or unexplainable charges on your bills.
phone calls, bills, or credit checks for unknown accounts
failure to receive your regular bills or statements
new, unknown accounts appearing on your credit report
unexpected denial of your credit card or a credit request
How to Respond if Victimized
To minimize the damage from identify theft, take the following action:
Start by visiting IdentityTheft.gov – This is a trusted, one-stop resource to help you report and recover from identity theft. Information provided here includes checklists, sample letters, and links to other resources.
Possible other steps – You may need to contact credit reporting agencies or companies where you have accounts, file police or other reports, and consider any other information that may have been compromised.