Are you vulnerable to ID Fraud?
Five things that make you vulnerable to ID Fraud
If it’s got your name and address on it, shred it before throwing it away. Some details on their own won’t be enough for fraudsters, but even your full name and address give away valuable clues. So shred letters, bills, statements, receipts and junk mail with a cross shredder - strip shredders, don’t shred enough.
People do actually stand in queues with the aim of looking at your pin before stealing your card. So next time you are at the cash point or in the supermarket be aware that there could be a “shoulder surfer” behind you. Shield your PIN with your hand whenever you’re typing it in, just in case a camera has been installed to gather PIN numbers.
Networking sites like Facebook are great fun, but we ten to talk openly about all sorts on them, giving information away to complete strangers. Never use a date of birth as a PIN and then talk about when your children were born on your networking page. Set your profile to ‘private’ so only invited friends can view it, and make sure your children follow these rules too.
If the bank phones up and asks you to verify your ID, or e-mails asking to confirm your password, don’t fall for it. Your bank will never contact you to ask for such information. If in doubt, contact your bank on their usual phone number.
If you’re not buying from a familiar name when you shop online, do some research on the internet before you buy. Check there’s a head office address and landline number. When you get to the checkout page make sure you can see the padlock symbol and that the web address now has ‘https’ rather than just ‘http’. Use your credit card, as thieves can only spend up to the maximum limit rather than being able to empty your bank account. Also, if the item you’ve bought costs over £100 and there’s a problem with it that the company won’t help with, you credit card provider is jointly liable.
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