Did you know that you could be the next victim of identity theft? Unless you take action to keep yourself safe, identity theft could happen to you. Crooks love getting their hands on private financial information, and their methods for doing so are becoming very sophisticated. You can protect yourself from identity theft by learning about their tactics and taking measures to out think them.
We all like to use ATM's-they are very convenient. But that convenience may cost you. Some thieves put signs on ATM's which tell customers the machines are not working. They then put a fake machine nearby, which are made to memorize the debit or credit card information as it is scanned. Once you scan your card in a fake machine, the criminals have your information!
Do you carry your debit card pin number with you? Some people do; it is easy to forget that number. However, carrying it with you is dangerous, because if someone steals your wallet, they can easily use your debit card because the pin number is included. Write the number in code if can't memorize it, so that if anyone else sees it, they cannot decipher it. Also, when you type your pin number into a key pay, shield the pad with your hand so others cannot see what you are typing.
If you throw away receipts from ATM transactions or a fill-up at the gas station, you are leaving a paper trail that could lead to your financial information being stolen. Always take your receipts with you, and shred them when you are finished with them.
Someone may be watching every keystroke you make on your computer. Keyloggers can be either hardware devices or software programs, but their function is the same: to log or record each keystroke made on a given computer.
There are some good uses of keylogging, such as watching over children's computer habits. But crooks can install the software on your computer when you are not aware of it and then steal your identity.
We all like to use ATM's-they are very convenient. But that convenience may cost you. Some thieves put signs on ATM's which tell customers the machines are not working. They then put a fake machine nearby, which are made to memorize the debit or credit card information as it is scanned. Once you scan your card in a fake machine, the criminals have your information!
Do you carry your debit card pin number with you? Some people do; it is easy to forget that number. However, carrying it with you is dangerous, because if someone steals your wallet, they can easily use your debit card because the pin number is included. Write the number in code if can't memorize it, so that if anyone else sees it, they cannot decipher it. Also, when you type your pin number into a key pay, shield the pad with your hand so others cannot see what you are typing.
If you throw away receipts from ATM transactions or a fill-up at the gas station, you are leaving a paper trail that could lead to your financial information being stolen. Always take your receipts with you, and shred them when you are finished with them.
Someone may be watching every keystroke you make on your computer. Keyloggers can be either hardware devices or software programs, but their function is the same: to log or record each keystroke made on a given computer.
There are some good uses of keylogging, such as watching over children's computer habits. But crooks can install the software on your computer when you are not aware of it and then steal your identity.
About the Author:
Find the best alarm system by studying alarm system reviews. Expert Mark Mahaffey knows how to keep you and your family safe. Visit his website to learn more about products that get great alarm system ratings.
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