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An Identity Theft Prevention Primer
Identity theft prevention is a necessary security step in our
paperless world. More and more people are shying away from bank
lineups for the convenience of internet banking and doing business
online. In doing so, they become potential unwilling victims of
identity theft. Here is a short primer on identity theft prevention.
It becomes important for consumers to know the principles of
identity fraud prevention, since the concept is tied so closely with
identity theft prevention. The two ideas really go hand in hand. So
the question becomes: How much personal information can the average
person find about him or herself online that can be damaging if it
fell into the wrong hands?
When considering identity theft prevention and the personal
information readily available via the internet, it may surprise some
people to know that even the most essential statistics quickly
arrive at a criminal's fingertips. For example, sites like
Anybirthday.com give out -- you guessed it -- anyone's birthday. A
birth date is a critical piece of information for people concerned
with identity fraud prevention, since most thieves are looking for
just this type of personal information to commit identity theft.
Other websites should be of concern for those trying to optimize
identity theft prevention measures. Record search sites like
completeddetective.com and findsomeone.com can locate previous and
current addresses with only a person's first and last name. Criminal
and civil court records are available through public databases.
Of course, the biggest possibility for identity theft comes from
online accounts. While the Internet Age has made it easier for us to
do our banking and pay our bills, any online account has the
potential to be compromised. These include:
* Bank Accounts
* Services like PayPal
* Accounts for your bill paying services.
* Individual accounts with online merchants
The danger for online accounts is having a weak personal
identification or PIN number versus a strong one that could hinder
any identity theft prevention efforts. A weak password could lead to
identity theft easily. Experts agree that PIN numbers or passwords
should be a sequence of numbers, letters, and special characters
like exclamation points or dollar signs.
It's also a good idea, no matter how much you trust people, to keep
the numbers and passwords private, so that there is little chance of
someone finding out and either withdrawing your money or closing out
the account entirely. Managing your money over the internet can be
convenient and fast, but the wise consumer keeps safety in mind,
too. To be safe, always consider the possibility of identity theft
prevention while online.
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