Identity Theft: Stay Educated- Tip of the Week

Protect Your Social Security Number, Passport, and Bank Cards
Your Social Security Number may be more accessible than you think. It has in essence become a national identification number. It appears on a multitude of personal records such as employment, financial, medical, education records, etc. Due to this, it is very important for you to take simple precautions at home to help minimize the likelihood of someone stealing your identity.

Never carry your Social Security Card around with you (unless of course you need it for a particular purpose). In general it it highly unwise to carry your Social Security Card or anything that has your SSN written on it with or near you Driver's License or State Identification Card. It is more advisable that you memorize your SSN since you will often need it for identification purposes.

You should never use you SSN as part of a username or password especially in relation to online or computer based accounts you may have. Also, you should never divulge your SSN to telephone solicitors, or in a response to spam or phishing scam emails. Make sure that when you have to use your SSN, such as on job or apartment applications, you know who will have access to your information.

When you are not using your Social Security Card for a specific purpose it is best to have it locked up or in another secure area that only you can access. A safe of some sort is your best bet, you could even go with a combination lock box or one that has a sophisticated/difficult to compmramise lock. If you utilize a security measure such as this, it is also recommended that you put your passport in it as well and only take it out when you need it. Passports are used for international travel and identification so you definitely don't want this to get into the wrong hands.

You can also take this approach with your bank cards or credit cards, especially if you have more than a couple. If you carry all of your cards with you and your wallet/purse gets stolen then you have to go through the hassle of contacting all of the banks and credit card companies with which you have accounts. Carry  only the ones you need or that you know you're going to use that day, this will minimize your financial woes should your wallet get lost or stolen. If you are in this situation and you have taken this precaution you will still have access to your cards that were safely locked away which will make your ordeal a little more manageable.

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