Protecting Your Identity
August 20, 2020

We all go to tremendous measures to protect what is ours. We install sirens in our homes to frighten intruders and alarm systems in our cars to scare off robbers.

But what steps do we take to protect our identities?

The new burglary: a personal intrusion

Identity theft is becoming more common today as we exchange personal information in the mail, over the phone and via the Internet.  Maintaining control and ownership over your identity is as much a part of your financial well-being as staying debt-free and purchasing appropriate life and disability insurance policies. Just like positioning motion detectors and panic buttons for your home and car, there are easy ways to minimize the risk of someone stealing your identity.

Protect your most prized possession: your identity

  • Order a credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus: Equifax (800-685-1111 or equifax.com),  Experian (888-397-3742 or experian.com) and Trans Union (800-916-8800 or transunion.com).
  • Shred materials that contain your personal information (account numbers, passwords, birth dates, social security numbers).
  • When sharing sensitive information over the Internet, check for “https” at the beginning of the URL – the “s” indicates a secure site.
  • Do not provide your Social Security number to companies that do not need it. When supplying personal information, find out how it is being used first.
  • Avoid using easily guessed passwords such as your mother’s maiden name or your birth date. Change passwords often.
  • Stay alert of billing cycles and inquire about bills that do not arrive on time.
  • Retrieve your mail when it arrives to prevent theft of correspondence containing private records. Use public mailboxes to send mail with personal data.

Following these guidelines will certainly deter a thief, but there is no surefire way to prevent an identity break-in. If you do have an ID crisis, report the crime to one of the major credit bureaus, which will notify the other two agencies. Ask the bureau to place a “fraud alert” on your file and request a notification if new accounts are opened.

Identity theft may not be as obvious a home invasion, but it can be even more tumultuous to completely rectify. Protect your name, guard your credit. Put an alarm on your identity.

Elizabeth Paal Goss is a Registered Representative of Lincoln Financial Advisors. Securities and investment advisory services offered through Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp., a broker/dealer (Member SIPC) and registered investment advisor. Insurance offered through Lincoln affiliates and other fine companies. 307 International Circle, Suite 390, Hunt Valley, MD 21030.Heritage Financial Consultants, LLC is not an affiliate of Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp. CRN-3098153-052220