ONYX

Tips For Preventing Identity Theft And Safeguarding Your Privacy

It is important that you become proactive to keep your private information just that – private!

1. Protect your Social Security number – do not carry it your wallet or purse.
2. Fight “phishing” – don’t take the bait – do not give out your personal information unless you are the one who made the contact. Don’t respond to a request to verify your account number or password on the phone or on the internet.
3. Keep your identity from getting trashed – shred or tear up papers with personal information, credit card offers and “convenience checks” before your throw them away.
4. Control your personal financial information – don’t let your bank or any institution share your personal financial or other information with outside companies unless you have specifically given them permission to do so.
5. Protect your computer from viruses, hackers and spies – secure your computer by using a strong password – at least either characters, including a combination of letters, numbers and symbols. Have some fun with it! Install a firewall, using and updated regularly anti-virus and anti-spyware software. Make sure to secure your wireless network and bed careful if you share files.
6. Click with caution – when shopping online, check out the web site before entering your credit card number of personal information. Read the privacy policy and look for opportunities to opt out of information sharing. Only enter personal information on secure web pages with “https” in the address bar and a padlock symbol at the bottom of the browser window.
7. Check your bills and bank statements – open your credit card bills and bank statements immediately upon receipt, and check carefully for any unauthorized charges or withdrawals and report them immediately.
8. Stop pre-approved credit card offers – you can stop most pre-approved credit card offers by calling 888-567-8688 or opt out on line at www.optoutprescreen.com.
9. Ask questions – whenever you care asked for personal information that seems inappropriate for the transaction, ask how the information will be used, if it will be shared, and how it will be protected.
10. Check your credit reports, you can do it for free – monitoring your credit history is one of the best ways to protect yourself from identity theft. You can get one free credit report every year from each of the three national credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. To order your free credit report, call 877-322-8228 or go online at www.annualcreditreport.com.

For further information, you can check the Office of the Attorney General on protecting yourself from identity theft and who to contact if you are a victim of identity theft. Go to oag.state.md.us/idtheft.

You can visit these web sites for additional information, tools and resources for protecting your children online: