I read an article from a financial institution this past month and was shocked to discover that an estimated 10 million Americans became victims of identity theft last year. This is such a serious issue, and there are so many ways that our identity can be stolen, I wanted to share with you some ways you can safeguard your personal information to minimize the chance of this happening to you.
Protect your name, address and phone number, date of birth, bank and credit account information, driver license and social security numbers. Only give out this information when absolutely necessary and never over the phone, through the mail or over the internet unless you initiated the contact and are certain you know who you are dealing with. Never give this information out to anyone who calls, emails or contacts you unsolicited.
Don’t pre-print personal information on checks, especially not your driver license, social security or phone number and store new, unused or cancelled checks safely. Monitor accounts and bank statements each month and check your credit report on a regular basis.
Avoid putting sensitive information in the trash. Get into the habit of shredding any paperwork or financial documents that contain personal information before you discard them.
Your mailbox is a very easy place for someone to steal information about you. Make sure that it has a lock and that you retrieve your mail on a daily basis. Where possible avoid having bank or credit card statements and utility bills sent to you in the mail and use online options instead. If you do receive them in your mailbox, keep track of them and contact the company if you don’t receive them as usual. You can reduce pre-approved credit card offers that are sent to you in the mail by opting out at www.optoutprescreen.com. Instead of putting outgoing mail into your mailbox, use an official postal service mailbox.
Our computers, phones and the internet are other places where we are very vulnerable to identity theft. Protect your computer or laptop by setting it to require a password when it is turned on. Guard PIN numbers & passwords and change them often. Don’t use obvious info such as your birth date, pet’s name, mother’s maiden name, telephone number or last four digits of your social security number. When making online purchases, only use websites you know are secure and protect your data. Never click on links or images in unsolicited emails; instead type in a Web address that you know.
Install and keep up to date firewall, anti-spyware and anti-virus software to protect your computer. Take care of your smart phone. Delete text messages and emails from your handheld device that contain any personal information as soon as possible. If you do lose your phone, immediately change passwords on any email or other accounts that could be compromised so that they can no longer be accessed from your phone.
Check out my May Organizing Tips to find out how to organize and protect the contents of your wallet in the event that yours is lost or stolen. I hope it never will be, but it’s always helpful to be prepared, just in case. And if you need help, don’t hesitate to contact me.
Make it a safe month,
~ Jodie ~
Wallet Organization Tips to Prevent Identity Theft
When was the last time you looked closely at the contents of your wallet? It doesn’t take long for it to become crammed full of old receipts, credit or debit cards, membership cards, phone cards, notes from your kids, photos, stamps, etc that in addition to keeping your wallet a mess, can give away a lot of information about you to potential thieves.
To protect yourself as much as possible in the event that your wallet is lost or stolen, it’s important not to carry around a lot of unnecessary personal information and to be aware of exactly what you have inside at any given moment. Take a few minutes to organize the contents of your wallet using the steps below.
1) Empty out the contents of your wallet. Remove anything that doesn’t belong or is trash. Shred any expired cards or other personal information.
2) Separate the cards you need to have with you 24/7 such as your driver’s license and one or two credit/debit cards.
3) You may also want to keep store membership cards that you use frequently, your medical & dental insurance cards and prescription benefit cards, membership cards for automobile organizations and/or library cards.
4) Do not keep any bank account information, your social security card, birth certificate or passport in your wallet.
5) Use your wallet to hold a small amount of store coupons, gift cards and store credit receipts, so that if you find yourself at the store, you have them with you to make purchases. Keep them to a minimum and go through them regularly to keep them up to date.
6) Your wallet is not a photo album. Limit the amount of photos you carry around with you. Keep just a couple and leave the rest at home.
7) Before putting anything back into your wallet, be sure and photocopy the front and back of each card in there. Keep in a safe place so that you have all the information you need at your fingertips in the event that your wallet is lost or stolen.
8) Regularly purge store receipts from your wallet and keep with other monthly financial items in your home.
Contact Jodie Watson:
If you have any questions, would like to schedule a free professional organizing telephone consultation, or would like Jodie Watson to speak at your next corporate function, group meeting, social event, or retreat, call at (818) 590-7800. You can also contact Jodie on Facebook and Twitter or visit her website at Supreme Organization.
Tags: Jodie Watson, organization tips
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