Dan_Shues
03-27-2004, 07:35 PM
Bankers and creditors didn't just make up "identity theft" to sell you some optional credit-protection service. It's a real threat, and here’s some tips to help you develop a plan to protect your identity and minimize your responsibility if you become a victim.
A good security plan has two parts: one focused on security rules to prevent identity theft and another focused on all the things you need to do when you discover a theft. The plan doesn't need to be longer than a page or two.
<b>Plan one: Precautions </b>
You should establish security precautions for yourself and your family, in the home and elsewhere.
<b>Protect your household</b>: Create security rules for your house. Include a plan for how mail should be handled, who shreds credit card offers, what happens when everyone goes on vacation, and where friends and neighbors cannot go in the house.
<b>Protect yourself</b>: Have everyone check their credit reports regularly. I recommend at least every three months. Learn how to read your report and understand what it tells you.
<b>Secure the house</b>: Burglars increasingly focus on identity theft for bigger payoffs. Make sure to keep yourself and your documents safe. Consider a burglar alarm, security lights, window and door locks, data safes, locked filing cabinets, and which floorboard you want to hide your tax returns under.
<b>Protect your PC</b>: Use security technology. Firewalls keep hackers out. Antivirus software keeps viruses and worms out. Encryption protects sensitive data. Web filters keep your family members (especially the young ones) away from websites they probably shouldn't see.
<b>Plan two: Know who to call</b>
If you realize someone stole your identity, you'll probably panic. Most people do. Don't waste a lot of valuable time trying to gather the information you need to minimize the impact of the crime. Before you become a victim, make a checklist of the following.
All your accounts and account contacts
The credit and legal agencies you need to contact if something happens
The forms you'll need to fill out if you become a victim
The hours you save immediately after discovering someone stole your identity could translate to saving yourself a month worth of footwork down the road.
A good security plan has two parts: one focused on security rules to prevent identity theft and another focused on all the things you need to do when you discover a theft. The plan doesn't need to be longer than a page or two.
<b>Plan one: Precautions </b>
You should establish security precautions for yourself and your family, in the home and elsewhere.
<b>Protect your household</b>: Create security rules for your house. Include a plan for how mail should be handled, who shreds credit card offers, what happens when everyone goes on vacation, and where friends and neighbors cannot go in the house.
<b>Protect yourself</b>: Have everyone check their credit reports regularly. I recommend at least every three months. Learn how to read your report and understand what it tells you.
<b>Secure the house</b>: Burglars increasingly focus on identity theft for bigger payoffs. Make sure to keep yourself and your documents safe. Consider a burglar alarm, security lights, window and door locks, data safes, locked filing cabinets, and which floorboard you want to hide your tax returns under.
<b>Protect your PC</b>: Use security technology. Firewalls keep hackers out. Antivirus software keeps viruses and worms out. Encryption protects sensitive data. Web filters keep your family members (especially the young ones) away from websites they probably shouldn't see.
<b>Plan two: Know who to call</b>
If you realize someone stole your identity, you'll probably panic. Most people do. Don't waste a lot of valuable time trying to gather the information you need to minimize the impact of the crime. Before you become a victim, make a checklist of the following.
All your accounts and account contacts
The credit and legal agencies you need to contact if something happens
The forms you'll need to fill out if you become a victim
The hours you save immediately after discovering someone stole your identity could translate to saving yourself a month worth of footwork down the road.