In a recent report, the University of Texas at Austin Center
for Identity noted that 53% of identity theft incidents were “non-digital,”
that is caused by an office burglary or theft of a laptop, or other physical theft.
With the publicity over the last few years about identity
theft, we may tend to think that ID theft only occurs via electronic means such
as through data breaches, email phishing schemes, or other digital means.
However, this report shows that guarding your identity physically is just as
important as guarding it electronically.
The report’s findings highlight the old-fashioned security
recommendations of locking up valuables and keeping them out of sight of casual
observers. You normally take precautions for valuables such as expensive jewelry,
or other valuable items. Now, you need to expand what you secure to your identity.
This includes your Social Security card and your Social Security Number, your
check book, your credit/debit cards, and any information that someone else
could use to impersonate you for their own gain, and to your detriment.
Another finding of the report is that 99% identity theft
incidents occurred locally, as opposed to a national data breach or other national
identity theft incident.
So how can you protect yourself. Some things that you can do
include:
·
Keep documents such as your Social Security
card, locked up in your safe or your bank’s safety deposit box or at least out
of sight.
·
Do not routinely keep your Social Security card
in your wallet and minimize the number of credit and debit cards that you keep
in your wallet.
·
Take your wallet or purse with you. Do not leave
it in your car, especially where it can be seen by passersby.
·
Secure your digital devices. Make sure that you
use a password. PIN, or biometric capability on your smartphone and your tablet
or laptop computers to ensure that no one can see the personal information that
you might be carrying in them. Also, keep them with you, or store them out of
sight if you need to keep them in your vehicle. Car prowls are a lucrative
method for thieves to gain access to your personal information.
·
Reduce the amount of paper records that you keep
at home. Statements and other documents that have personal information such as account
numbers, Social Security numbers, etc. can be used by a burglar for identity
theft, especially if they are lying around or are intercepted from your mailbox
by a mail thief. Try to reduce the number of statements and invoices sent to
you via the mail. Use online accounts to review your statements and pay your
bills. If “https:” is in the web address of the bank, vendor, or financial
institution’s web site, doing business is secure.
·
Use a locking mailbox for your mail. Check your
mail daily. If you can, take your outgoing mail to the local post office.
Consider signing up for “Informed Delivery” from the Postal Service. Informed Delivery
sends you a daily email with pictures of your mail that you will receive that day.
·
When you are finished with sensitive documents
and your statements, shred them with a cross-cut shredder.
CNBC:
U.S. Postal Service:
The University of Texas at Austin, Center for Identity:
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