Safeguard Personal Information

Avoid Identity Theft By Safeguarding Personal Information

When you think about it, your personal information is displayed on a lot of things. Your name and address is printed on everything that comes in the mail, displayed on personal documents, printed on credit card receipts and listed on prescription medication bottles. Furthermore, your personal information is used by outside sources, such as employers, financial institutions, insurance carriers, credit card companies and many other services that you use. Considering everything that requires your personal information, it’s easy to see why every 79 seconds someone’s identity is stolen in the United States.

Types of Personal Information That Gets Stolen

Statistics show that credit cards are the main type of personal information that gets stolen. But the Federal Trade Commission adds that other types of personal information that typically gets stolen are driver’s licenses, passports, Social Security numbers, bank and other financial statements, tax information, bank checks sent through the mail, and credit card or magazine subscription offers. Thieves steal this information because it provides them with a name and address that they can use to commit identification fraud.

How Personal Information Gets Stolen

There are many ways your personal and financial information can get into the wrong hands, whether accidentally or intentionally. Some of the typical avenues are:

  • Your mail is stolen from your mailbox;
  • Computer systems are hacked;
  • Your social security number is used as your identification number for health insurance, a student ID, or as an employee number;
  • Your employer may not properly store your job application;
  • An online company asking for contact or credit card information in an email may not be legitimate;
  • An identity thief looks over your shoulder as you write checks;
  • Identity thieves go through your garbage;
  • Your handbag or wallet is stolen.

    • Why Personal Information Safeguards Are Important

    When your personal information is thrown in the trash or not adequately protected on computer systems, it becomes an open invitation for identity theft. The FBI reports that identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the United States. More than 9 million people a year are victims of identity theft. According to the Federal Trade Commission, implementing personal information safeguards can help prevent identity theft from happening to you. Among the measures to take are:

  • Protecting your social security number and other personal documentation;
  • Destroying documents with your name and address on them;
  • Safeguarding your mail;
  • Protecting your wallet, checks and credit cards;
  • Safeguarding your account PINs and passwords;
  • Using a credit monitoring service.