Arizona Tribune - 5 Strategies to Protect Your Credit from Identity Theft

What is Identity Theft?

Identity theft isn't just when someone steals credit cards from your wallet - it's any situation in which someone can steal your personal information and use it without your permission. Thieves can snag your Social Security number, credit card numbers, bank account information, health insurance card, or even the information on your driver's license, all to various ends. If you get your identity stolen, the thief could:

• Open new credit accounts under your name

• Make unauthorized purchases uses accounts with various businesses, or your credit cards

• File false tax returns

• Obtain various medical services or prescriptions

Saving Your Credit from Identity Theft

To help yourself and protect credit when it comes to identity theft, try out the following tips:

1. Monitor Your Credit Reports Regularly

Obtain a free credit report to check in on your credit, because with regular checks, you can notice anomalies in your finances that may go otherwise unnoticed. Also, consider using a credit monitoring service to track your credit report for any suspicious activity.

2. Create Strong, Unique Passwords:

Today, a good password is like a lock on a safe - it keeps your personal information away from potential intruders. As any website will tell you, it's best to create passwords that use a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols - the more complicated the better, as thieves won't be able to guess them. However, if you're concerned about forgetting all the various passwords you use, find a reliable password manager to securely store and generate passwords for you.

3. Be Cautious with Personal Information

A Social Security number is like gold to an identity thief, so make sure you keep it safely guarded, and don't share it with people you don't know - either in person or over the phone. Additionally, be sure to shred any documents that contain this sensitive personal information before either recycling or throwing them away.

4. Use Secure Wi-Fi Networks

Public Wi-Fi networks can unfortunately be a lurking ground for identity thieves. Refrain from accessing your sensitive financial information on these networks, and if you do, use a VPN to encrypt your internet traffic and protect your online activity.

5. Stay Informed

No matter how protected you feel from identity thieves, they're always finding creative ways to keep the scam going. That's why you need to stay in the know about the latest identity theft news. Resources like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have press releases on a frequent basis. Also, if you suspect identity theft is occurring on any of your accounts, report it to the commensurate authorities and credit bureaus as soon as you can.

Disclaimer: This content is sponsored by MyFICO and is provided for informational purposes only. The information shared here is not intended to serve as financial, legal, or credit-related advice. Readers are encouraged to consult with their personal financial advisors or credit professionals to assess their specific situation. To learn more about MyFICO's services, including credit scores and monitoring tools, please visit the MyFICO website or reach out to a MyFICO representative.

CONTACT:

Sonakshi Murze
Manager
[email protected]

SOURCE: iQuanti

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

W.Stewart--AT