Identity theft is a real risk that everybody faces. And thanks to the internet, it’s now even easier for criminals to get hold of your identity and use it for their own nefarious purposes.
From taking out loans in your name to even withdrawing money from your bank accounts, committing crimes in your name, and getting parking tickets, identity theft can cause some real problems in your life that you really don’t want to have to deal with. Thankfully, there are several things that you can do to protect yourself from identity fraud and avoid all these stresses.
Find Your Public Data:
Knowledge is power and one of the first steps to protecting yourself against identity fraud is to know what’s out there about you. You can use Nuwber to search for your own name and see what’s out there for other people to get access to.
The good news is that people search sites do not include enough information for somebody to steal your identity, but knowing what’s out there can make it easier for you to take the right preventative measures towards keeping your identity as safe as possible.
Use Strong Passwords:
Today, most of us have some parts of our identities stored online. Your online banking account, for example, might have details such as your social security number, date of birth, and other personal information that could be used to steal your identity and do things in your name without your knowledge.
A strong, unique password is the first line of defense against identity theft and will prevent criminals from gaining access to your sensitive data. Using a password manager is a good idea since this will ensure that you are not using the same or similar passwords for any accounts.
Be Careful What You Share:
With social media now commonplace in most households around the world and one of the main forms of communication that we have with our friends and families, it can be all too easy to forget that whatever you share onto social media is on the internet.
Along with making sure that your social media accounts are as private as possible and you’re only adding or allowing followers that you know and trust, it’s also important to be careful what you are sharing; refrain from sharing anything too personal or sensitive that could potentially be used against you if it falls into the wrong hands.
Use a VPN:
Most of our devices store or have access to personal data that could easily be used to steal our identities should a cybercriminal gain access. And the easiest way for hackers to gain access to your device and everything on it is through a public Wi-Fi network. Public Wi-Fi networks are everywhere these days and you might not think anything of using one when you are getting some work done in a coffee shop. But since these connections are not secure, it’s important to encrypt and protect your Wi-Fi connection by using a VPN.
Be Vigilant:
Being alert and vigilant is one of the best ways to protect yourself against identity theft. There are several tools that you can use to help with this, for example, by setting alerts on your credit score to find out if there has been a financial product taken out in your name.