Identity theft is a hot topic these days.  So much is digital that thieves have an easy time stealing credit card numbers, bank account numbers, and other aspects of your identity.

Unfortunately, you also have to watch out for ever-increasing numbers of businesses just waiting to take advantage of the fear of identity theft.  Just recently, I heard on the radio a commercial for a company that monitors your credit report — for an astronomical charge, of course.  And then there are businesses like FreeCreditReport.com, which claim to be free, but really all that is free is the initial report — which you have to sign up for a membership in order to get.

These days, it takes a lot of vigilance to surf the ‘Net without having your identity stolen or being sold snake oil remedies for imagined problems.  Here are a few precautions to take to protect yourself.

• Destroy all sensitive printed information with a paper shredder before throwing it away.  Home shredders are invaluable tools for protecting your privacy and preventing identity theft.  You never know who might be looking through your trash!  Homeland security shredders provide the best security and peace of mind.
• Be careful what websites you give your personal information to.  All websites seem to want you on their mailing list these days, but be sure to check out the validity of any website you are giving your information to!
• Use different passwords for different accounts.  Once, a website I had a membership with was hacked, and everyone’s passwords were compromised.  Since I used the same password for many of my accounts, I had to change all of them to prevent other, more sensitive accounts from being hacked.
• Don’t fall for miracle cures.  Everyone is worried about identity theft, but don’t be taken in by businesses seeking to capitalize on that fear.  You can protect yourself reasonably well just by being careful about where you enter your personal information and what you download onto your computer!

The Internet can be a scary place, but with a little prudence you can avoid being a victim of identity theft or scams!

[Tag]identity theft, Internet scams, credit report, snake oil, paper shredder, home shredders, homeland security shredders[/Tags]