As a mom, you know all too well how vulnerable your
family can be at times.
With that being the case, you want to do everything
possible for them to make sure they live happy and healthy lives.
In today’s digital age, one of the biggest fears any mom
should have is her or someone in her family falling victim to identity theft.
Given the ease with which identity theft thieves
oftentimes strike, it is imperative for moms (and their partners for that matter)
to do everything possible to lessen the odds of becoming the next victims.
So, are you ready to do all that is necessary to protect
your family from identity theft?
Keeping
Identity Theft Thieves at Bay
While there may appear to be no surefire way to protect
you and your family from identity theft, there are a number of pro-active steps
you can take to certainly lessen the chances of being attacked.
Among them:
1. Getting
the best protection – If you think the notion of finding the best identity theft protection will be difficult, it really isn’t.
Start by turning to the Internet to see which I.D. theft providers would best
suit your needs. If you find yourself confused with all the different options
out there, there are companies that break down all the various providers,
allowing you to decide which one is best for your situation. By letting others
do the reviews and provide worthwhile opinions on the different services, your
choice of I.D. theft protection services will become that much easier. The main
thing is that you end up with a provider, one able to monitor any suspicious
activities involving your financial and personal data. By being alerted to
possible trouble, you lessen the chances of suffering a major financial attack,
one that could turn your world and that of your family upside down.
2. Avoid
assisting thieves – Even though you and/or your family will not knowingly help
identity theft thieves, some of your actions can open the door for them to walk
right on in. For example, do you properly dispose on things such as receipts,
credit card and bank account statements, old credit cards that have expired? If
not, you are increasing the chances of thieves disrupting your life and the lives
of your family members. Always make it a point to shred any unnecessary
paperwork and/or old I.D. cards. By simply tossing them in a garbage can and
putting outside your home, you are essentially asking for trouble. When you
dine out or buy goods and services, be sure any credit card receipts are not
left sitting around on tables and counters. Even with only the last four digits
of your credit card, a wise identity theft thief has enough information to
start looking into your financial data. Lastly, be careful if you get an email
or phone call asking for personal information. From IRS scams to phony social
media pyramid schemes, don’t willingly give out information like a credit card
number, your Social Security I.D. etc. For one, keep in mind that the IRS
always does business via regular mail, not calling you up and asking for
personal information.
Practicing
Safety on the Internet
3. Your
online activities do matter – If you’re like many moms out there, you typically
spend time on your computer multiple times a week (if not daily). In doing so,
make sure you not only have a virus protection program, but that you also don’t volunteer personal data. While some Internet activities (making
an airline reservation etc.) will require credit card information, a home or
mailing address etc. many others will not. Be especially careful of any
suspicious emails that come your way, notably those asking you to open an
attachment. Identity theft thieves simply sit back and hope you make a mistake,
a mistake that can give them access to your personal data.
As most moms will tell you, they have enough on their
plates just raising a family.
For those looking
to unwind a little more, not having to worry about identity
theft is one more problem to be checked off the list.
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