2008/10/08 00:00:00
By Janet Farley
They’re coming. Nothing will stop them — not rain, sleet, snow, or predictions of our economic demise. The holidays are right around the corner, and you can be sure identity thieves will be right there with them. Before you start flashing your cash and making it easy for the bad guys to steal your small fortune, heed the following 12 tips.
1. Lighten your load. If you can’t ease up on the calories or the shopping, at least lighten the load in your wallet. Limit the number of cards you carry when you do your shopping this holiday season. Leave anything with your social security number or any other unnecessary identifying information at home. If, like so many of us forgetful folk, you’ve scribbled your PIN on something in your wallet, remove it and commit the numbers to memory. The less you carry, the less you have to lose.
2. Watch out for the shoulder surfers on either side of the counter. There you are, innocently trying to get some cash from the ATM or checkout. Close behind you is someone with a good memory or a cell phone camera trying to get your magic numbers — or maybe the guilty party is right in front of you, seeking the carbon copy of your receipt or double-swiping your card.
The bottom line is to keep your eyes on your card, cover the number pad as you enter your PIN, and get any copies of your transaction that should be tossed by the clerk.
Use only ATMs you are familiar with, and be aware of anyone remotely interested in your precious digits. If the cashier starts to walk into another room with your card, tag along or insist your card stay with you.
3. Maintain your own paper trail. Once you’ve made your holiday purchases, hold on to your receipts. Keep them in a safe place at home, not in your wallet, especially if the receipt has your entire card number. Having a good place to store your receipts will come in handy should you need to return anything, too.
Keeping the receipts also will allow you to reconcile your purchases against your end-of-the-month statement. Make sure your receipts match the purchases on your account as soon as your statement arrives in the mail — if your account is accessible online, do it on a regular basis. Report any questionable charges immediately to the card issuer.
4. Don’t make it easy for the bad guys. If you’re out shopping, avoid leaving valuables in plain sight in your car. Keep your cell phone charged, park in well-lit areas, check your car’s front and back seats before getting in, and travel in pairs, if possible. Remember all the creepy stories you have read in various forwarded e-mails, and just play it safe.
5. Ignore the junk mail in your inbox. We get it everyday, and at times the messages can seem so important. Odds are pretty good, though, that if you don’t recognize the sender, it is junk mail. The best course of action is to delete it. If you accidentally open it (or if you just can’t resist opening an urgent message from the Bank of Whatever), avoid clicking on any links in the body of the e-mail. It might appear legit, but don’t count on it. Take the additional step of notifying the real source of the bogus e-mail you received.
6. Shred the snail-mail junk. Dumpster divers don’t just target the garbage of the rich and famous. They like yours, too. Anything that provides them with a piece to your identity puzzle is welcome. For example, the number of preapproved credit card applications you receive might dwindle given our current economic quandary, but they probably won’t stop altogether. Even your existing credit card companies send you upgrade opportunities.
You’ve probably heard it before, but it bears repeating: Invest in a decent crosscut paper shredder and put it to good use on a daily basis.
To get your name off the Direct Marketing Association mailing lists, visit the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a nonprofit consumer information and advocacy group. The fact sheets available explain how to get off these distribution lists.
7. Just hang up. The telephone rings, and the person on the other end of the line claims to be from your bank and asks to confirm your account information. Or it’s someone from your credit card company claiming your card has been compromised. Or it’s someone from the fire department asking for a donation to the holiday toy drive. Even if it’s Santa Claus himself, don’t give or confirm any personal information over the telephone. This information should not be given out unless you initiated the call with your bank or credit card company. You can identify reliable companies with the help of the Better Business Bureau Online’s list of reliable companies.
8. Ensure your computer’s security. It might be a drag, but be sure to keep your systems security software — such as your firewall, antivirus and anti-spy protections — up to date. If these processes are Greek to you, get familiar with them now. They’re here to stay.
9. When shopping online, only use secure sites for checkout. After surfing for hours, you finally found the perfect gift. Before you whip out your plastic and enter your account number, make sure you are about to make your purchase from a reputable company with a secure checkout system.
How will you know? Look at the bottom right-hand corner of your computer screen. There should be an icon of a lock or an unbroken key there. Then look up in the address line at the top of your browser and you will see https rather than just http. The “s” stands for secure, and if you don’t see it, your transaction could be viewed by others. In that case, pick up the telephone and call the company to place your order (again, assuming it’s a reputable company in the first place).
10. Make preparations before you travel. If your holidays involve travel, make sure you stop your mail and newspaper service in advance. Invest in a timer for your lights and let a trusted neighbor or friend know of your travel plans. Ask them to keep an eye on your place, and return the favor for them sometime.
11. Be prepared, just in case. Despite your greatest efforts, your information still might end up in the hands of thieves. Have your emergency backup plan in place before fraud strikes. Make a photocopy of all your credit and debit cards, front and back. Store them in your safety deposit box or in a fireproof lockbox at home.
Should you lose your credit or debit cards, notify the issuer(s) right away. If you’ve made photocopies, you should be able to easily find the companies telephone number on the copy of the missing card, along with the actual number and expiration of the card itself.
By law, if you report the loss or theft, you have no further responsibility for unauthorized charges. The maximum liability under federal law is $50 a card.
12. Monitor your credit report. Finally, take advantage of your free annual credit report as authorized by the federal government. You can access it by visiting Annual Credit Report. According to the FTC, this is the only authorized online source for you to get a free credit report under federal law. You can get a free report from each of the three national credit-reporting companies every 12 months.
Note that other sites claim to offer free credit reports, but might charge you for another product if you accept one of their reports.
Those living overseas might not be able to request the report online. Instead, you will have to send a written request for your report.
Once it has come and gone, you’ll want to look back on this holiday season fondly. Take these steps to protect your identity, and you’ll have only happy memories to reflect upon.
Other Safe Shopping Resources
About the Author: Janet Farley is author of
The Military Spouse's Complete Guide to Career Success (Impact Publications, 2007) and
The Military-to-Civilian Career Transition Guide (Jist, 2004).
Copyright Janet Farley and Military Officers Association of America. All rights reserved.
