My OperaYou Could Be the Next Victim of Identity Theft So Beware
Thursday, July 15, 2010 1:41:40 PM
Based on reports and statistics, cases of identity theft continue to grow every year and millions of people and businesses have already become a victim. This could happen to anyone like your family members, your friends, and it could also happen to you so you’ll have to be smart, careful, and alert in order to protect your self from becoming one of the victims.
Reading about this type of crime would help a lot as you could get lots of information about the methods used by thieves to steal your identity so you could easily figure out the way to safeguard your self and your loved ones from thieves.
Most people today are dependent on their credit cards. If you are one of these people, then there is a big possibility that you will become the next victim of identity theft. Credit cards are one of the most common targets of thieves because all they have to do is to get your credit card number and your name and they could now start making purchase using that information.
Most victims have found out that they have been victimized when they saw their credit card billing statement reaching the maximum credit limit and full of transactions that they didn’t make. The best way to prevent this from happening is to avoid using your credit card and as much as possible, try to pay in cash and save the use of your cards for emergency purposes only.
If you are always using the ATM to withdraw cash and to do other transactions, you are also increasing your risk of becoming an identity theft victim. Thieves today are alstaking advantage of modern technology and are now using sophisticated device to steal other people’s money. They will place a device inside the ATM’s card slot and if you will not be careful enough, you will insert your card and enter your PIN code without realizing that the device is already reading and recording those data.
The thieves could now reproduce the card just like the one you are using and they could now use it to get your money from any available ATM. To prevent this, you could go directly to your bank and do all the transactions there or make sure that you are only using trusted ATMs like those close to the bank, those that are guarded, and go for ATMs that are located in a well-lit area.
Shopping online could also make you more prone to identity theft. You don’t really know who you are dealing with because all the transactions are done online. No mater how many times a merchant assures customers that they offer secure online payments, you can never be sure that they are always telling the truth. You will take the risk of entrusting them with your financial information like your credit card number and some sellers even require bank account numbers.
If you really want to shop online, it would be better if you will go for well-known shops and boutiques and those that have been around for some time. You could also search for some reviews of the most trusted shopping sites recommended by real buyers like you who can even share their own buying experience so you could easily determine what kind of service you could expect from that store.
Visit the Identity Theft Protectionwebsite for free advice on Identity Theft from a reputable security expert.
