As the world of financial transactions is increasingly shifted online, more and more financial matters can be taken care of from the comfort of your double bed with a laptop and a wireless connection. Whether you're doing the weekly shop or trading thousands in stocks and shares, modern technology has made it so that you barely have to lift a finger. But with all that money moving around electronically, identity theft has become increasingly prominent. Here are ten tips to help you avoid identity theft…
Only buy from trusted websites
One of the easiest tricks crooks use to steal your identity is to create a fake e-commerce site and get you to enter your private financial information on it.
Use a secure network
If unsecured, your wireless network can be tapped into by hackers, identity thieves, and other ne’er-do-wells.
Regularly Monitor Your Credit Report
Ask your credit agency to send you a copy of your credit report every so often to make sure that everything is as it should be with your credit.
Use Different Passwords
Although you may not have to use a different password for every email and social networking account you access, it’s important to at least use a different and
Be careful about using public computers
When away from home, it’s easy to go to the library or an internet caf and act as if you were in your own living room.
Use those annoying security questions
As annoying as they are, security questions are a great way to prevent identity thieves from hacking into your life.
Don’t bother with spam
As alluring as their titles may be, the emails redirected to your spam folder by your email account’s spam filter really are worthless at best and harmful
Verify calls from your bank
Be wary of anyone who calls you claiming to be from your bank.
Mobile devices can be stolen or lost
If you happen to have your personal financial information stored on a mobile, PDA, or USB drive when that device is lost or stolen, well, a non-praying
Use online alerts
Many banking and credit institutions now offer to send you an alert when your accounts reach certain parameters such as being nearly empty or conducting a large transfer o