How To Protect You And Your Family From Identity Theft

By Mack Jackson Jr.

Over 16 million new victims of identity theft are reported every year to law enforcement.  According to The Federal Trade Commission, Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America.

Did you know that 1 in 20 adult victims are from computer fraud?

The people who are the most vulnerable victims are the very young and the elderly. Individuals that are less than 18 years of age would not usually check there credit report for anomalies. However, some parents have been surprised to find out that their child has a fraudulent credit file.

Technology and the Internet have bred cyber thieves from around the world. The activities of these cybercriminals are always challenging law enforcement officials. The primary effect of an increase in cybercrime is that individuals using the Internet feel less safe utilizing this medium for electronic commerce. Consumers fear that hackers will intercept their personal information and commit fraud crimes. Uncertainty in consumer confidence in the internet marketplace would impact global trade and consumer privacy.

Cybercrime and data breaches have become a top concern for businesses of all types and sizes for the past few years. Cybersecurity solutions are becoming smarter and more effective; no one remedy is going to protect a company, either in the short-term or the long-term.

Many issues contribute to this trend, from the relentless nature hackers and cybercriminals themselves to the growing penetration of the Internet of things (IoT) in the workplace. Connected devices may be improving the way we work, but in some cases, they are opening networks up to vulnerabilities.

According to the American Gem Society, cyberattacks are a concern to the jewelry and gem industry. Hackers use ransomware is a type of virus that attaches itself to a harmless-looking email or website and lock up your data until the business owner pays to unlock their data.

What is the best defense against cybercrime?

While you may think that a high-tech problem such as cybercrime requires a high-tech solution (and you would not be wrong), the best defense is much more straightforward. Educating your employees to help them spot the red flags that lead to a breach will always be a frontline best practice.

Knowledge is Power

There are ways to protect your personal information. The best way is to be aware of your PII, personal-identifiable information. The loss of your private information is a serious issue, and it could cost you time and money to regain your identity. 

Here are some steps that give you the knowledge to protect yourself and your family from fraud crimes.

1. Check your wallet and purse.

?      Don't carry your Social Security card and especially cards of your children or spouse, in your wallet or purse. Under our normal daily activities, it is not necessary to carry these items. Your Social Security card is the primary target that thieves use to obtain personal information.

?      If your Social Security number is on your health insurance card, remove that too.

?      Consider putting your driver's license in a separate holder. This way, if stolen, your wallet and driver's license and the personal information contained on it may still be safe.

?      Don't carry all your credit cards with you. If you take only one card at a time, you reduce the risk of someone gaining access to all your accounts.

?      Don't carry a list of Internet passwords with you.

2. Keep photocopies and records of your credit cards and other accounts in a safe place. This will make it easier to contact your account providers, and cancel your account quickly, should your card be stolen. This process goes for Internet providers, banks, and other passwords too.

3. Never give your Social Security number to someone without knowing the recipient. If asked for your Social Security number, always ask the question of why.  And if they don't need it, don't feel obligated to provide it. Ask if there is some other information you can give them instead of this valuable personal information.

4. Change your mail habits. The safest way to safeguard your mail is to use a locked box. Consider renting a post office box, and drop bills into an official U.S. locked mailbox instead of leaving them in a non-secured personal mailbox in front of your house. Don't place sensitive, outgoing mail into an open bin at school or work.

5. Safeguard your banking information. When you order new checks, have them delivered to the bank instead of your home or office. The bank will hold them until you pick them up. It would be best if you also considered paying your bills online. Banks and creditors have bill payment services that are available online to process transactions. Many companies will even send electronic invoices directly to your email account.

6. Shred. One of the most foolproof ways to guard against dumpster divers is to shred your documents. Before you throw personal data away, put it through a shredder. There are many inexpensive personal shredders available through discount, department, and office stores these days. A cross-cut shredder, sometimes called a diamond shredder for the shapes it cuts the paper into, is safer than a shredder, which merely cuts paper into strips – but any shredding is better than none. These shredders are inexpensive and worth the money. You should shred: Credit card receipts

?      Credit card applications

?      Expired credit cards

?      Account statements

?      Loan applications

?      Court records

?      Anything containing your Social Security number

?      Anything containing any personal information ?

I would also consider purchasing a scanner and scan all documents and save them on your computer system before you shred them. Then make a backup of your saved scanned documents.

7. Be careful with your credit, debit, and ATM cards.

?      While you can't guarantee a waiter won't 'skim' your credit card, you can minimize your risk by using it less. Always check and verify your credit card with your bank online. You do not have to wait for your bank statements at the end of the month.

?      While ATMs might have undetectable skimmers, and independent ATMs are more likely to have been tampered with than those that belong to banks. And make sure no one is looking over your shoulder!

?      Don't ever give out your credit card number, either over the phone or in person, unless you initiate the purchase. 

?      Copy the front and back of your credit cards, as well as the customer service numbers. Store the information in a safe place. You can scan this information too and save it on your computer.

8.  Make sure your anti-virus and anti-spyware software are up-to-date.

?      Avoid phishing scams. Never follow a hyperlink in an email. Verify the official address of the company's website yourself, or call the company to see if the email is legitimate.

?      Don't respond to "remove me from your list" links. This type of notification will tell a scammer that your email address is active and make you a potential mark. Most email software programs have spam folders where you can move these and other unwanted email files for purging from your inbox.

9.  Never give information over the Internet unless the transaction originated with you. It would be best if you always protect yourself from telemarketers. Yes, not all telemarketers are operating illegal businesses. But be careful. If you're interested in what a telemarketer wishes to sell, ask that they mail you information on the product. Don't give your personal information or credit card number to anyone over the phone to an unsolicited caller.

10. Register with the National Do-Not-Call Registry and the Direct Marketing Association lists to help protect you from unwanted calls, letters, and emails.

?      Contact The Do-Not-Call Registry to unsubscribed from registry lists at https://www.donotcall.gov.aspx. With a few exceptions, once you have registered here, telemarketers generally cannot call your phone for five years.

?      The Direct Marketing Association may be contacted at www.dmaconsumers.org or by mail at Mail Preference Services Direct Marketing Association P.O. Box 643 Carmel, NY 1051.

Identity theft is a serious issue that can affect your life. We can help fight identity with knowledge and awareness of our personal information. Stay focused and #staycyberwoke.

Find out more about cybersecurity awareness programs that can help you mitigate cyber attacks at your home or business. Contact Mack Jackson Jr. at 702-868-0808 or www.mackjacksonjr.com

References

Association | top jewelers, diamond education. Retrieved from https://www.americangemsociety.org