Beware Identity Theft

Ladies, I know this is not new to many of you, but hte latest report states that 1 in 3 people in USA will be victim of ID theft this year 2008 with loss of money!
Beware! Beware!
We're all prone to this horrible first world malice.....peolpe phishing,vishing,spamming, dumpster diving, mailbox theiving, credit card scamming their way into your bank balances.
A couple of tips....
1. never give personal info to someone you dont know
2. Shred - all imp papers old credit cards, bank statements, anything that can have personaaly identifiable info woth your Social security no, bank acct info with your name, address, tel no, etc on the same page
3. Initite all calls or emails when you need to give personal info - dont ever give it to someone whi callyou - of ots your bank,etc call back at the tel no of the bank that you have.
4. Beware of these fly by night indian cos. which offer you call india phone calls etc as you cant be sure who you're giving your details & credit card (CC)info to....be careful
5. Dont leave mail lying around in public places / mailboxes etc....
6. Dont leave outgoing mail in incoming mail box
7. Be wary of who handles your CC - dont let it leave your sight if possible
8. Dont open emails from peolpe you dont know & dont reply with bank/CC details to emails coming from your bank - it could be a scammer
Be Smart , keep your eyes open & you will be fine....

Stay Safe folks & keep poisting your views & thoughts


Cheers

That was a info we all need especially when shopping online...
Any tips for secure online shopping other than the lock symbol and "https"..........

Hi shravanthika,
the https is a good one thanx. The lock symbol is not the best proof but the https shows that the page is secure and is the best bet.
Also for shopping online, if possible use the browser to get to the shopping website rather than click a link from an adv. ( can be linked to fake site) same thing for bank etc. and then check to see when you have to give ur personal info wht the browsert addrerss is - https should always be....
shall update as I came across more ,
Meanwhile Ilites do share your ideas/advice
Cheers