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Your Personal Finances are at Risk: Prevent Identity Theft

By Mark Mahaffey


Did you know that you could be the next victim of identity theft? Unless you take action to keep yourself safe, identity theft could happen to you. Crooks love getting their hands on private financial information, and their methods for doing so are becoming very sophisticated. You can protect yourself from identity theft by learning about their tactics and taking measures to out think them.

ATM machines are very useful, but crooks like to use them to steal your debit card information. Sometimes criminals will place an out of order sign on an ATM machine and then set up a pretend machine nearby that looks like a real machine. When you enter your card in this fake ATM, it reads and records your debit card numbers and other data.

Do you have a hard time memorizing your pin number? Some people do and therefore carry the number around with them. But this is dangerous, because if a crook steals your wallet, they will also have your access information. It is better to write it in such a way that no that no one else can tell what it is. It is also smart to cover the the machine with your hand when you key in your pin number, so that no one else can see the numbers you push.

When you fill up with gas for your car, do not throw your receipt away at the gas station. Doing so leaves a paper trail that could lead someone to your financial information. Rather, take your receipt home with you and dispose of it by shredding or burning.

Another way your identity may be stolen is by keyloggers. Keylogging allows another person to watch every key you press on your computer keyboard. Keyloggers may be either software or hardware devices, but their purpose is the same: to record or log your every keystroke.

While there are some legitimate uses of keylogging, such as tracking test-customers' use of new software or keeping an eye on children's computer habits, the danger comes when criminals use keylogging to steal passwords, credit card numbers, and bank account information. Computer criminals can install this software on your computer without your knowledge, leaving you vulnerable to identity theft.




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