The majority of people we deal with every day are honest. Unfortunately, some are not and would like nothing better than to gain access to our bank account, PIN or credit card number so they could help themselves to our money.
Rebecca Ruede, branch manager of Florence's
US Bank, has several suggestions as to how we can keep our identity private.
- Never give out personal information on the phone, through the mail or over the Internet unless you initiated contact or know with whom you're speaking.
- Don't put outgoing mail in your mailbox over night.
- Make a list of your credit card, check card and bank account numbers, along with customer service numbers, and keep it in a safe place other than in your wallet.
- Shred all personal documents and unwanted mail.
- Check your bank and credit card statements every month.
- Change your passwords regularly. Use a combination of letters and numbers.
- Keep your Social Security card in a bank lock box.
- Protect your computer by running anti-virus software. Make sure you have a good firewall.
- Delete suspicious email without opening it.
- Be aware of email and online fraud activity in order to protect yourself. Beware of phishing, i.e, asking for personal information such as Social Security number, account numbers, PIN numbers, etc.
