Protecting your home and your family with a home security system is always a good idea, but you might want to also take a look at protecting your identity from actions that can occur even in a well-secured home setting.
Following are some tips to minimize your risk of becoming a victim of identity theft:
- Never give out your social security number without first knowing why it is needed or how it will be used. While some businesses will not be able to provide you with the service you are requesting without this information, you should always ask why they need it, how it will be used, and how they will protect it. If you do not get satisfactory answers to these questions remember the decision to share is ultimately up to you.
- One man’s trash is another man’s treasure; especially if the other man is trying to steal your identity. Never assume that the trash is a safe place to toss paperwork, receipts, bills, or expired credit cards without those items first being shredded. Your trash could literally become another person’s treasure trove.
- Consider passwords as important as a locked and guarded safe. Rather than using easily available information like your birthdate, your house number, or parts of your phone number, take the time to create a password that cannot be traced back to any other layer of your life that could easily be obtained off of public information such as birth or tax records; or worse, the previously mentioned discarded trash.
While these tips may seem basic, you’d be surprised at the number of homeowners that have not adhered to them and become a victim of increased identity theft statistics.
Chances are you have taken or are in the process of taking measures to secure your home with an alarm system – so why not incorporate the above action items at the same time for added peace of mind?
