5 Ways To Keep Your Personal Information Safe From Scammers
Paul Wilcox
Identity theft is becoming increasingly common, and protecting yourself is important. One way to keep your identity safe is to get an unpublished phone number. This is often overlooked but phone companies sell customer information including name, address, and calling records to anyone who will pay for it.
This puts you at risk for identity theft because the more companies with your personal information, the more chances it will be abused or lost.
Using a post office box is another option. By having your bills and statements sent to a post office box, you'll be safer from criminals who steal these things out of people's mailboxes. It can also keep you safer from people who want to connect your name and address by researching your utility bills. A post office box will help shield your physical address.
While you're at the post office, always mail bills and other letters containing checks and personal information from the post office. This will eliminate the chance that your personal information will be stolen out of your mailbox.
This is a common method used by identity thieves, but can easily be avoided by ensuring you never put anything containing personal information in your local mailbox.
Don't ever put your phone number, social security number or any other private data on your checks. Your name and address (your PO box address, remember?) should be all that is printed on them. Some stores ask you for this information but it isn't required if you show them the proper identification. Many businesses are using electronic check verification now anyway so don't ever give out your personal information.
Your social security number is particularly important to safeguard. Even if companies request it, don't give it to them unless they're using it to run a credit check. Again, limiting the number of places that have this information limits the chances of it being stolen.
When you apply for a job, don't give them your social security number until you are hired. There is no need for them to have it until that time, and once again if you supply it when it isn't required, it's just one more place that has it and is a potential source of theft.
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