| Every year, there are about 10 million people in | | | | 1. Dumpsters – Many thieves lurk behind |
| U.S. who are victims of identity theft. You | | | | hospitals, apartment buildings and corporate |
| certainly don’t want to be one of them. The | | | | offices. They try to search sensitive financial |
| identity thieves catch their prey from many | | | | information from the garbage. If they find |
| places. If you know some of their tactics, you will | | | | lucrative documents like pre-approved credit card |
| be able to protect your identity in a better way. | | | | offers, insurance papers, salary slips or bank |
| Beware of the dangers lurking around the | | | | statements, they can ruin financial life of people. |
| following places. Here goes the list - | | | | It is always a better practice to shred all the |
| 1. Locations of ATM machines – Some thieves | | | | papers which are to be thrown away. Never |
| may be targeting ATM locations to capture PIN | | | | throw away important papers like your bank |
| numbers of your bank cards. This is possible | | | | statements or salary slips. They are useful for |
| particularly in a shopping mall. They may be behind | | | | tax purposes. |
| you watching your actions very carefully. Once | | | | 1. Gas stations – Sometimes card readers are |
| you press your pin number, they will remember | | | | installed on the credit card slots of the stations. |
| it. Once you finish your work and leave the | | | | These readers are hard to find and fraudsters will |
| machine, someone will try to pick up your wallet. | | | | be able to take details of hundreds of cards at a |
| By the time you realize the loss of wallet, they | | | | time. Sometimes a particular gas pump is |
| will be trying all your cards on other machines for | | | | targeted by the thieves for this purpose. |
| taking out maximum cash. Many people assign | | | | You need to look at the card slot of the gas |
| the same pin number to all their cards. This is a | | | | station carefully before inserting your card. If you |
| very dangerous practice and thieves get instant | | | | smell something doubtful, speak to the operator. |
| lottery once they get hold of your wallet. | | | | 1. Mailboxes – Everything relating to your life |
| It is good to avoid ATM machines from shopping | | | | keeps on coming in the mailboxes. Bank |
| malls. | | | | statements, utility bills, credit card statements, |
| 1. Parking lots of restaurants – Here the | | | | medical advices, mortgage correspondence and a |
| thieves work hand in hand with a waiter inside the | | | | lot of other sensitive documents could be found |
| restaurant. The waiter will take away your card | | | | from your mailbox. |
| for processing. At that time he will swipe the | | | | You should lock your mailbox and keep the keys |
| card twice – first for processing your | | | | with limited number of people. While on vacation, |
| payment and second for skimming your card | | | | you should request your friends or neighbors to |
| details. Then these details will be handed over to | | | | collect mail on your behalf. You should take out |
| be thieves waiting outside and with these details | | | | mail from the box within a short time of its |
| your cards will be emptied in no time. | | | | delivery. |
| It is advisable to make cash payments at | | | | 1. Your home Computer - Thieves may not keep |
| restaurants. If you have no choice, you should | | | | their feet in your residential area but they will |
| object to the practice of taking your card away. | | | | hack your computer from outside. Sometimes |
| Instead, you can go to the counter and watch | | | | people with wireless laptops wonder around the |
| the processing carefully. | | | | residential streets and try to locate homes or |
| 1. Social networking sites – Details are easily | | | | businesses using wireless connections without |
| available to thieves from many social networking | | | | encrypted servers. Once they are successful in |
| sites. If your e-mail address is open for | | | | locating one, they can get access to the |
| everyone to view, they may guess the password | | | | information stored on that server. If you are |
| from the other details which are available on the | | | | making payments of your bills online or making |
| way page. Posting of unnecessary information | | | | some financial transactions over the net, your |
| like your workplace details or details of your | | | | information can be taken away without your |
| family members will also create serious problems | | | | knowledge. |
| for you as the thieves get clues from there. | | | | Always use firewalls and encryption software on |
| There is no harm in surfing social networking | | | | your personal computers. This will shield your |
| sites. However you should be careful in providing | | | | identity. |
| details as they will be available to the public. Your | | | | 1. Parking lots of gyms – When people go to a |
| friends know your details anyway. So try to | | | | gym, they don’t want to take their wallet |
| give only those details which are harmless. | | | | inside. Instead, they will keep it in the glove box |
| 1. Your workplace - This is the most lucrative | | | | of the car. Thieves lurking around parking lots of |
| area for identity thieves as maximum information | | | | gyms can easily locate such people. These |
| is available from this source. They may bribe a | | | | people will not come out at least for an hour. So |
| cleaning contractor or a former employee or | | | | they can take out the wallet and get all strategic |
| even an existing employee to get the details of | | | | information. This is done especially in early |
| others. This is the place where the details like | | | | mornings on late evenings. They can keep |
| your social security number, your retirement | | | | everything intact so that the car owner will not |
| details, details about your medical insurance cover | | | | be aware of any such incidence. |
| and your bank details are easily available. | | | | Always make a point to take your wallet inside |
| You should always discuss with the human | | | | the gym with you. There may be lockers |
| resource department about the precautions they | | | | available at the gym where you can keep your |
| are taking to protect your details. Always use a | | | | wallet safely. |
| strong password to access your computer at | | | | No one is excluded from the clutches of identity |
| workplace so that other people will not be able to | | | | thieves. So it is very important for you to |
| log on to it. | | | | protect your identity to save your financial life. |