Keep Your Identity Safe
You might think that identity theft is something that doesn’t happen very often, but in our increasingly connected – and online – world, it’s becoming easier and easier for hackers to take advantage of you and wreak havoc on your financial life.
Target found out the hard way last year that hackers can get through just about any security system, but identity thieves also love it when consumers make the following mistakes:
You don’t check your bank account every day and ignore your credit scores.
Financial advisors often stress the need to keep a close eye on your credit scores. You need to make sure that no one is opening lines of credit in your name, for one thing. But it’s also important to check your bank account online as often as possible, if not every day. That’s the quickest way to spot fraudulent charges. If you hear that a business you frequent was hacked, you should automatically check your account for any bogus charges.
You use one password for all your accounts.
Security experts recommend that you use a different password for every site you access. Once a hacker has a password linked to you, they often try that password on numerous online sites, just to see if it will work. If you use the same password for your bank account, your iTunes account and your Amazon account, thieves could easily make thousands of dollars’ worth of purchases before you realize it.
You readily give out your Social Security number.
An identity thief just needs your Social Security number and address in order to ruin your life. Don’t give this number to just anyone. Doctors, dentists, web sites, even your children’s schools often ask for this number as an easy way to track you. Ask questions about security and privacy for any entity that wants to store your number. Offer your driver’s license number instead.
Hopefully your identity is never stolen, but if it is, you might need the services of a bankruptcy attorney to help you sort stuff out. Call us today at 816-842-6200 to schedule your free consultation, or you can click here to email us.