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Lock up your personal information. Dispose of financial documents safely. Ask why someone needs personal information. Opt out of credit card offers. Keep your laptop locked. Dispose of electronic devices safely.
You should keep financial documents (like bank or credit card statements) in a secure location at home. You should also make sure that your purse or wallet is stored in a safe, secure place at work. Someone only needs to take a peek at your credit cards and driver's license to steal your identity. Also try to limit what you carry around with you. The more identifying information you carry, the more that can be stolen from you. To protect yourself from identity theft, you should shred receipts, credit offers, physician statements, bank statements, and expired credit cards. Also destroy the labels on prescription bottles before throwing them out. People sometimes forget that identity thieves sometimes steal medical information to gain access to prescription drugs. You may find yourself constantly being asked to provide your Social Security Number and other personal identification, such as your driver's license or date of birth. Ask the person requesting this information why they need it. Oftentimes it is not necessary for individuals to have your personal information. Ask why they need the information, how they will keep the information safe, and what recourse you have if the information is stolen. You should never share personal information with someone who calls you out of the blue claiming to be from a bank or other financial institution. These people could be impostors. If you are called, then call the company directly before sharing information. Many credit card companies send offers to "prequalified" or "pre-screened" individuals. You might worry that someone will get ahold of this offer and sign up for the credit card in your name. You have the option of opting out of all pre-screened offers, either for five years or permanently. To opt out, you can call 1-888-567-8688 or visit optoutprescreen.com to make your request. Try not to store too much financial information on your laptop. Furthermore, make sure the laptop is always secured. If you work on your laptop in a public space (such as a library or cafe), you can purchase a laptop lock. This lock secures your laptop to the table or desk, thus making it difficult for a thief to physically take your laptop. If you use a company laptop, then lock it up every night in a filing cabinet or in your desk drawer. By doing so, you eliminate the ability of someone to walk out with your computer. If you are throwing out a used cell phone, computer, or laptop, you need to erase the personal information stored on the device. Accordingly, you should purchase a utility wipe program to overwrite the hard drive on computers and laptops. With a cell phone, check the operator's manual to see how to permanently delete information. Remove the SIM card as well as phone books, list of calls made, voicemails, messaging information, organizer folders, photos, and web search history.