Identity fraud - how to save yourself with these simple steps

Author: Joy Mali
Identity fraud has become a popular item in the news today. It prevalence has grown over the years in time with the advancements in information sharing and exchange platforms over the Internet. This has made it a major financial and legal predicament for a lot of people. The effects of identity fraud have become very severe over the years. It often resulted to years' worth of legal and financial troubles as victims try to recover and fix their records. What making matters worse is that, there is not even a complete piece of legislation governing this matter. Thus, as more and more people get dependent on internet use, a lot of people are put at risk. As people's online activity increases, their level vulnerability in being victims of identity theft also rises. This is when it becomes crucial for people to understand what identity fraud really is and how it can affect their lives. It also becomes very important for them to know practical ways on how they can practice id theft protection on their own.

What is Identity Fraud and its Indicators?

Before discussing identity theft prevention, the first thing you need to understand is what identity fraud is and how it may affect your life. Firstly, identity fraud is a type of crime wherein a culprit steals your personal information, such as credit card information or social security number, for personal gain and fraudulent purposes. Due to the currently loosely regulated access to information over the internet, a lot of scammers are able to get to other people's information illegally. It has become easier for them to retrieve people's personal information either through specialized machines or devices or personally by deception. These scammers could use specially- programmed viruses to access your hard drives, phishing attacks, specialized skimming devices, and misleading online advertisements. And the thing about committing a crime over the internet is that, it offers a high level of anonymity.

The usual signs of identity theft include questionable transactions in your credit card bills, credit card bills that never come, and dubious calls from collection agents informing you of things you never purchased. These are the first few indications that will let you know something must be done.

So, How Can You Protect Yourself?

Being attentive of your personal information is your first line of defense to any form of identity fraud. But aside from this, here are some precautions you may practice in order to help you prevent identity fraud:

1. Get a back-up hard drive for your files– It is not safe to store all your files in one location only. Once a virus attacks your system, everything in your main storage will get infected.

2. Always back-up your file no matter where you keep them– Regardless if you think your email storage is safer, it is always better to keep a back-up somewhere else. Electronic copies are not indestructible. They could get damaged too, or worse, hacked.

3. Be wary and careful in emailing– Malwares are often sent as email attachments. Always be skeptical about weird and questionable attachments. You will also want to be inquisitive of strangers who email you. You would not want to simply give them your social security number just because they tell you that you won something, which requires identity verification.

4. User error can also be detrimental– Always be attentive of what you send and upload online. Click with caution, as there can be no such thing as an accidentally sent social security number to a stranger who is obviously pretending as an IRS employee.

5. Sometimes, it still pays to keep hard copies– Especially with official documents; it helps to have a printed back-up, which should be stored in a secured place.

Aside from these things, there are several identity protection services out there that you can apply for. These will help you protect yourself from frauds more effectively. However, it is also important for you to remember that vigilance and accountability can actually help you big time. As responsible consumer of technology, we need to be responsible of our own assets and information and be mindful of the risks.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/spam-articles/identity-fraud-how-to-save-yourself-with-these-simple-steps-6605268.html
About the Author
Joy Mali is an active blogger who is fond of sharing interesting finance related articles to encourage people to manage and protect their finances. Know more on the importance of checking your credit score to protect yourself from theft and fraud.