Privacy at ChoicePoint: Protecting Yourself

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Protecting Yourself

Protecting Yourself
: Checking Your Credit
: Have you been a victim
  of PHISHING?
: Blogging Tips
: ALERT: Targeted attacks
  on the rise, Microsoft
  report says

Protecting Yourself


	While there is no way to totally prevent becoming a victim of identity theft, there are things that you can do on your own to reduce your risk. Outlined below are positive steps you can take to help protect yourself from this crime.

What You Can Do to Prevent Identity Theft

		Purchase a shredder. Use it to destroy documents, such as bank statements and credit card bills, that contain important numbers. Periodically check your credit report for fraudulent activity. Be aware of billing cycles and alert creditors if you do not receive bills on time. A missing bill could mean an identity thief has stolen the account and changed the mailing address to cover the crime.
Place passwords on credit card, bank and phone accounts, and avoid using easily available information such as your mother's maiden name, your birth date or the last four digits of your Social Security number as your password. Physically secure personal information in your home if you have a roommate or if you employ outside help such as a maid or babysitter. Do not give out personal information over the telephone, through the mail or over the Internet unless you have initiated the contact and know the company with which you are doing business. Deposit outgoing mail in Post Office collection boxes rather than an unsecured mailbox. Do not carry your Social Security card. Instead, leave it in a secure place. Use secure Web browsers when conducting business online and be aware of privacy policies of any Web sites that request personal information. For more information on how you can protect yourself, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission offers this publication - Take Charge: Fighting Back Against Identity Theft - and other helpful tips at www.ftc.gov. You can also get expert help from the non-profit Identity Theft Resource Center by clicking here.

View the Federal Trade Commission channel on YouTube: http://youtube.com/ftcvideos

View practical tips from the federal government on how to detect fraud and safeguard your information: http://onguardonline.gov/index.html