As individuals, throughout our lifetime we exchange personal information with a vast number of institutions including banks, credit card suppliers, utility companies, supermarkets, government organisations and retailers. This may be to receive important services, but also to allow us to do the fun things like shopping, eating out or going on holiday.
\nFraudulent or stolen identities being used to make false applications for credit cards or loans, to obtain goods and services, or even to access money or other assets is naturally something that concerns us all. Worryingly, it is not untypical for a victim to first become aware of this when they receive a letter of demand for payment.<\/p>\n
Of course, there are a number of basic things we can all do as individuals to protect ourselves against identity crime and reduce the risk of our personal information falling into the wrong hands. If you discover your identity has been stolen, act immediately. Following these steps will help to minimise the impact and prevent additional issues from arising.<\/p>\n
1. Check your credit reports<\/strong> 2. Monitor your mail<\/strong> 3. Review bills and bank statements<\/strong> 4. Identity theft protection<\/strong> 5. Shred documents<\/strong> 6. Secure your computer(s) and mobile devices<\/strong> To help protect your electronic devices, you should also:<\/strong> Use caution online<\/strong> On social media sites, it\u2019s always a good idea to:<\/strong> Common ways fraudsters can steal your personal information As individuals, throughout our lifetime we exchange personal information with a vast number of institutions including banks, credit card suppliers, utility companies, supermarkets, government organisations and retailers. This may be to receive important services, but also to allow us to do the fun things like shopping, eating … Continue reading “Protecting your identity”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2494","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rmw-ifa.co.uk\/financialnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2494","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rmw-ifa.co.uk\/financialnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rmw-ifa.co.uk\/financialnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rmw-ifa.co.uk\/financialnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rmw-ifa.co.uk\/financialnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2494"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rmw-ifa.co.uk\/financialnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2494\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rmw-ifa.co.uk\/financialnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2494"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rmw-ifa.co.uk\/financialnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2494"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rmw-ifa.co.uk\/financialnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2494"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nAt a small cost, you can check your credit file with a credit reference agency such as Call Credit, Equifax or Experian to help identify any activity that you are not aware of.<\/p>\n
\nMake sure you receive all post that you are expecting. If you think post is missing, contact the Royal Mail. Also, arrange for the Royal Mail to re-direct post to your new address if you have moved house, and inform companies that you deal with regularly that you have moved.<\/p>\n
\nCheck bank, credit card and other financial statements frequently, and look out for transactions that you do not recognise. Check for fraudulent charges or suspicious activity. Report issues immediately. Consider receiving statements and bills electronically, setting up direct deposits, and using online bill pay.<\/p>\n
\nIdentity theft protection providers monitor your credit reports, as well as online debit and credit card number(s). If suspicious activity is detected, you will be notified and will receive identity recovery assistance.<\/p>\n
\nCarefully dispose of documentation that contains personal details rather than just throwing them away. Use a cross-cut shredder to destroy envelopes and documents.<\/p>\n
\nWhether a desktop, laptop, netbook, tablet or smartphone, your computer contains critical personal information.<\/p>\n
\nPassword-protect your device
\nInstall and update operating system, antivirus and anti-spyware software. For smartphones, also install a \u2018wiping\u2019 program to erase all data remotely if it is lost or stolen
\nUse a personal firewall
\nWhen using a wireless network, activate WPA encryption and any other security features available. Change your router\u2019s default password and SSID
\nBeware of \u2018smishing\u2019 \u2013 text messages containing links capable of downloading malware to your smartphone
\nDo not leave your device unattended or your screen visible to others
\nClose your browser when you\u2019re finished with a secure session
\nLog off when you leave or step away<\/p>\n
\nOnly access personal and financial information from a computer you \u2018trust\u2019
\nOnly do business with financial institutions and online merchants you know and trust. Watch out for copycat sites, and confirm the email address is correct
\nWhen accessing financial information or ordering online, be sure the site is secure. Look for a URL that begins with \u2018https:\/\/\u2019 and the \u2018closed padlock\u2019 symbol
\nNever reply to an email or pop-up message that requests you provide or update your personal information<\/p>\n
\nReview the privacy policy
\nChoose a challenging password
\nDon\u2019t reveal your physical address, date of birth, school names or phone numbers
\nUse privacy settings<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"