Ways to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft

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Identity theft is a major problem in our society. It seems like every week, there’s another story about an identity being stolen, and the person has no idea what to do next.

We all want to protect ourselves from this type of thing happening, but how? In this article, we’ll discuss different ways you can protect yourself from identity theft. Below are some of the crucial considerations you should make.

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Hire an Identity Protection Service

According to a source, many identity protection services are offering their services to the public. It makes sense to consider hiring one if you are concerned about the safety of your identity. These services can be very helpful, especially in cases where a company or business has been hacked, and many people’s information is compromised.

In these instances, they will likely offer their clients stolen data monitoring for free along with credit reports from all three major bureaus once a year, as well as alerts on any activity that may occur regarding new credit cards or loans applied for under your name.

Other examples include protection against medical fraud. This is done by blocking health care providers who have misused patient information from gaining access to certain accounts while also limiting what personal details are available online through a secure login. This prevents hackers from accessing private records held at hospitals.

Keep Your Social Security Card in a Safe Place

One of the most common pieces of personal information that thieves frequently target is social security cards. With the name, date of birth, and social security number, they can easily take over an identity or commit other types of fraud. You do not want to keep your card in a regular wallet because it would be too easy for someone to spot it when you are at an ATM or just walking down the street, especially if you use it often.

Many people put their cards in a photocopy sleeve inside their wallets, but these only protect the front side so anyone can still see all three numbers, which should never be written down anywhere. To be safe, ensure your security card is secure at all times.

 

Use Strong Passwords

passwordThe third consideration you should make when protecting yourself from identity theft is to create strong passwords. The goal of a password should be to make it difficult for someone else to guess or crack your password, but still simple enough that you can remember the password because you will need it often.There are many different ways one can go about creating secure passwords. One option would be using passphrases instead of single-word phrases as your passwords.

This makes them more difficult for others to guess because they are longer and use unique words. You should also ensure that you do not share your passwords with anyone.You should ensure you consider the information mentioned above to protect your identity.