Security Issues And Ways To Prevent Identity Theft27 September 2005
Identity theft, is a growing concern. Identity theft comes about in different ways, but the most common method is when a criminal gets hold of Personal Data.
Criminals usually get hold of personal information such as a persons name, address, phone number,social insurance number,credit card details etc. and they then use this information to establish a bank account or to get a loan. Criminals may even apply for a credit card and buy items in the name of the person whose identity was stolen by them.
There are certain clues that a person is being targetd when there is activity on a credit card or bank account, that was unauthorized personally by the owner. People may receive calls from a financial institution, enquiring about an account, that was not even opened, or may not receive some overdue bills, as they were stolen with the intent of obtaining important personal information,which can then be used by Identity thieves. Often times, people get calls about an approved loan when in fact no application for a loan was made by the individual. People with internet connections get emails that look "Authentic" as coming from a well known company that the individual usually deals with, but in fact that "known" company did not send the email requesting an update to an account or suggesting that the account may be terminated, if action is not taken immediately. A good rule of thumb is that when such an email is received, not to click on the link but instead go directly to the company website to look up if any problem exists.
The best way of course in preventing Identity theft is to keep all personal information secure, and includes shredding all personal documents such as credit card statements, bills etc and not give out credit card details to anybody except known entities. People often leave important items in their car which can be broken into and personal belongings get stolen along with personal information.
The most common source of stolen identity comes from lost or stolen credit cards or check books left unattended and not as commonly thought of as being mainly stolen from cyberspace. However, care must be taken in cyberspace as the problem of identity theft is on the rise on the internet as well.
To protect from Identity Theft while surfing the internet, people will enjoy better protection by installing Spyware removal software. Spyware is growing in leaps and bounds. Spyware infiltrates computers, without the knowledge of the computer user and resides in the computer and transmits personal information, to identity thieves and other persons, that can sell such information, thereby placing people at risk. A free Spyware scanner is available from www.Deletespyware.net which will scan a computer and will show if a computer is infested with adware, spyware, trojans, all of which pose great danger to privacy and internet security. Get a Spyware scanner now and stay safe.
Source: PR Web
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