Opportunities for thieves to discover information about you are countless. Identity thieves are smart; you have to be smarter.
Destroy all sensitive documents
- There are several countermeasures you can take in order to help prevent identity theft. After getting through your mail, cleaning your desk at home or work, or cleaning out your car - do not simply throw your personal things into the dumpster. Receipts, utility bills, bank statements, loan statements and credit card offers and statements must be completely destroyed before you throw them away. Consider buying a paper shredder and shred everything you are throwing away to eliminate the possibility of someone finding out information.
Check the signature on the receipt
- Some time ago people believed it would be difficult to use another person’s credit card. After all, you must sign your name when buying something with a credit card, right? You should protect your credit cards in the same way that you protect your cash. Merchants hardly ever check that the signature on the back of a credit card matches the signature that is signed on a receipt when something is purchased.
Inform your creditor about the stolen card
- If you have lost your credit card, or it has been stolen, immediately inform your creditor about the situation. The credit card company will temporarily freeze the account in order to prevent any purchases from going through. Additionally, they can trace the place where somebody has tried to use your card. This will be helpful in the efforts to find the thief.
Read your bank statements carefully
- The most important countermeasure you can take on a daily basis is to read your credit card statements and bank statements right after getting them. Search for any purchases that you did not make, and contact the credit card company as soon as you find something suspicious. If identity theft is caught early enough, it can frequently be stopped before it gets out of control.