What is Identity Theft?

There are many different types of identity theft that you need to be aware of, from physical theft of property and confidential documents to online fraud.   Everyone is at risk from this type of crime regardless of age, location or circumstance so it is important that you take steps to protect your identity against unscrupulous individuals.

Physical Identity Theft

You will have a number of key identity documents such as your birth certificate, passport, drivers license and Social Security Card, and these are very valuable documents and should be kept in a safe, secure place as if they are stolen they could be used for a number of serious fraudulent crimes from impersonation for tax fraud purposes through to human trafficking.  Never carry around key identity documents unless you absolutely have to (and then never leave them unattended) and make sure you dispose of old or obsolete documents in your care by shredding them, and not just throwing them in the rubbish.

Check the general security of your property, and make sure there are no obvious points of entry for opportunistic thieves, and make sure you lock doors and windows when you are going out.

Postal Identity Theft

The theft of documents containing your personal information such as bank statements, utility bills and pay slips is unfortunately quite common through the postal system, so you do need to make sure you check that you have received every bill or statement you were expecting each month, and chase them up if they are late.  Report any loss of post straight away to the US Postal Service on 1-800-275-8777 (Mon to Fri – 8am to 8:30 pm or Sat – 8am to 6pm ET).

If you are going to be away from home for a long time consider having your mail redirected to your local post office, so that it can be kept securely for you until you return, and also if you have any concerns about your post (such as living in a shared house) you could set up a private mail box either through USPS or a respected private mailing company and pick your mail up in person.  Banks can also arrange to have your new credit/debit cards and cheque books delivered directly to your local branch for you to pick up in person.

Online Identity Theft

Online identity theft can occur in a number of ways, and you should be very careful about what information you publish online as you cannot guarantee who will read it.  Never input personal details into websites that do not have a privacy policy, as they could be forwarding your details onto third parties and also never buy online from any website that does not have secure SSL encryption in place (look for a golden padlock and VeriSign logo and the prefix ‘https’ before the URL in the address bar).  Make sure you have up to date antivirus software in place to protect your computer from malware which could be used to compromise your security.