Falling prey to identity theft is not something any of us expect to happen to us. However, when it does, it can siphon-off all your hard-earned cash with the blink of an eye, thereby leaving you wondering what happened and compelling you to take several rounds of the cybersecurity officer. And not only money, but there are also many things that can go wrong if you are a victim of identity theft.
Protecting your online identity is of utmost importance, and this is what we will discuss in this article. Also, go through the essential tips to safeguard yourself from being robbed of your identity and reduce your chances of being a victim of identity theft.
Why is safeguarding your identity important?
The reasons are many, but here we will explore the 3 most important reasons. Check these out.
Advanced technologies make you susceptible to cyber crimes
Social media platforms are ideal for sharing promotional content and where online businesses promote their products and services. Often, there are links, videos, and other forms of content that will take you to another website. Most of the time, these links are harmless and will take you to the site of the vendors, but once in a while, you might land up in a phishing site.
As such, you must click on links only if you are sure about the landing page and where it might take you. If you are not sure which links to click and the ones that you must avoid, install an Identity Guard software application that will ensure your safety while you are online.
Shopping from online portals
These days, everyone wants to get their stuff delivered at their doorstep. This is possible if you order goods online, make payment through secured transaction portals, and then have your goods delivered at home. You must guard against personal banking information from getting stolen while you make online payments. A failure to do so can make you a victim of online fraud and consequently, identity theft that can leave you puzzled and financially at a loss.
Increasing prevalence of online banking
The fact that most people carry out online banking transactions makes you vulnerable to online fraud. It is one of the most important reasons you must guard against fraudulent transactions that might occur in your name.
Even if you have not carried out any illegal transaction, if someone misuses your identity, he or she can carry out a faulty or illegal transaction in your name. So, you must be protected.
There are several instances when someone gets up in the morning to find out that a lot of cash has been siphoned out of their bank account. These are instances of identity theft or fraudulent transactions. However, all these can be avoided or kept at bay if you have security software installed in all your devices connected to the virtual world.
Protect yourself from legal proceedings
Your digital footprint in the public domain is there for everyone to see. What you post online can be used against you or to defend you in any legal proceedings. There are known instances of people losing court cases because of what they had posted online.
There are several instances when someone gets up in the morning to find out that a lot of cash has been siphoned out of their bank account. These are instances of identity theft or fraudulent transactions. However, all these can be avoided or kept at bay if you have security software installed in all your devices connected to the virtual world.
Tips for staying safe and avoiding cyber fraud
Check this out-
Shred important documents
Never leave any document or paper with information or personal details about your banking transactions and personal bank account. Shred and discard or tear them up into pieces and dispose of them in a safe place.
Keep documents in a safe place at home
When storing relevant documents like your social security documents, birth certificates, inheritance or property papers, and your educational qualification records, keep them safely in your home. Even bank vaults are not safe; many times fraudsters drill the vaults to remove the contents; it happens because they are not insured.
Keep password protected
If you have to type in your password on any website, keep your account safe with the help of a strong password that cannot be easily deciphered or decoded by the hackers. A combination of special characters, numerals, and alphabets is better.
Do not let out information over the phone
None of the banks or financial institutions asks for your personal identification number or bank details or passwords over the phone. So, never let out these details to anyone that has called up and is asking for the same.
Provide personal details only if necessary
You must not provide any personal information to anyone unless required. And even if you have to give details, furnish when you are sure that you are dealing with an authentic vendor or service provider.
Keep your devices locked
This is one of the most critical aspects that you must pay heed to. Set a password for all your devices that you use for online banking transactions or at POS or point of sale. Only you can enter this password and access the device.
One of the final tips is that you know you are safe if you are using a dependable and reputed identity theft software application. It will keep you safe from all fraudulent activities and mainly identity theft. Private information should always stay private to the maximum extent because otherwise, it can be used to defraud you or spoil your reputation by hackers. You also need to remain vigilant so that you can take appropriate remedial action in the case of any security breach.
