ARE YOU PROTECTING YOURSELF FROM IDENTITY THEFT?

The holiday season may have come to an end but that doesn't mean your risk for identity theft has come to an end. In fact, Identity theft is the fastest-growing non-violent crime in North America. That’s pretty scary if you ask me. The good thing is there are ways to protect yourself from becoming the next victim of identity theft.

Protect yourself!

When it comes to protecting your password, change is key.  Be sure to change it often and don’t use the same password for all your stuff.  For example, your phone password should not be the same as your ATM PIN. It’s smart to use password-protection but be sure that it’s a password you can remember but is hard for others to guess.

Social media has become our lives. But are you posting more than you should be? When you go on family vacations are you posting real time photos? DON’T! Wait until you come home and post the photos. Letting people know you are out of town is like sending an invitation to burglars and identity thieves waiting for the opportunity to tamper with your mail or rob you.

Also, watch what you say… and who is around! Don’t talk about your finances in public. You never know who is listening to your conversations.   And never share you passwords or PIN numbers with anyone!

When it comes to your identity you can never be too careful. Be sure to check your credit card and account statements on a regular basis for any unauthorized purchases or activity. Also, be sure to check your credit once a year to be sure you no one is opening accounts using your identity.  No one likes surprises when it comes to our identity and our finances.

^Alysha