Social Media and Online Shopping Can Lead to Online Identity Theft
Social media is catching on fast with new users every day. Be careful of the dangers that come with not being careful during use.The article “How To Create A Strong Website Password†provides helpful information on how to proctect your social media accounts with Facebook, Twitter, Digg, Squidoo and other websites.. If your password has been stolen, the amount of damage that can be done to your accounts is unlimitedespecially if you use the same user names and passwords for your social media websites and other online activities, such as online banking, purchases, etc. Many store their private information on their profile, believing that it is safe. However, storing your name with your birth date and other private information can prove to backfire on you if someone steals your password.
Are you one who stores their credit card information on the website of favorite online retailers? This makes it much easier to purchase each time you log in. This information is only as safe as the server it is saved on. Online shoppers should not underestimate the “skills†of computer hackers who can easily break into the records of stores and businesses. Rather than saving your credit card to your account, try entering it upon checkout.. If you do choose to save it online, look into the security policies of the website. Another common online scam to get your credit card information is called “phishingâ€. Scam artists disguise themselves as an online retailer and then ask you to provide personal information for their records. These type of scams are often run through email or pop up windows, so never provide your information unless you type in the website name directly. Never provide information by clicking an email link or on a pop up window.
There really should be more obvious information on how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of identity theft out there. Sadly, most people won’t look into protecting their information until they are affected. They might receive a letter from a company they do business with letting them know that their personal information has been compromised and that they are either being offered free credit monitoring or need to look into getting their own credit monitoring service.
There are also services that will monitor your credit and notify you when your address is changed. This might not seem to be a problem, but what if you were notified that you have another address associated with your social security number that you knew nothing about! Many people save their mailing address online and then a computer hacker can easily access and change it, without the owner being notified right away.
Researching more on this subject and sharing it with others you care about will make a difference. You could protect yourself and others from becoming a victim. Doing a search for how others like the services they choose to use, such as LifeLock reviews, can be very helpful. This is a very popular service, so you could try looking on Google for a LifeLock promotional code or discount.
Tags: identity theft online, online identity theft, social media identity theft