5 Best Ways To Stay Safer From Identity Theft When You’re Online

Carly Brashears
©Shutterstock.com
©Shutterstock.com

Unfortunately, scammers trying to steal your information and identity online aren’t going away. The Federal Trade Commission received more than 1 million reports of identity theft from consumers in 2023.

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Having your identity stolen can have serious consequences for your personal finances and sometimes takes hours of work over months to sort out and repair. So while scammers get more advanced, you need to as well.

Here are GOBankingRates’ suggested five best ways to keep your identity safer when you’re online.

Also see common mistakes identity theft victims made.

Be Proactive

While many people wait until after their identity is compromised to act, one effective way to stay safer online is to be proactive. In addition to the other tips in this article, getting a comprehensive identity protection service now, before you suffer from identity theft, is one of the best ways to help protect your identity.

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Keep Your Sensitive Information Private

This starts with your Social Security number. Guard it closely and if someone requests it, make sure to ask why. Then only share if it’s absolutely necessary.

Your Social Security number is the most important single piece of information, but the same goes for all of your personal information. Don’t share your birthdate, bank account numbers, etc. with anyone you don’t know or trust online.

While it might be easier to store your credit or debit card information for faster checkouts when shopping online, this is just exposing your data to more risk if thieves steal sensitive information from a company’s servers.

Use Strong Passwords

It can be tempting to use simple passwords because they’re easy to remember and keep straight, but this makes things too easy for a scammer. Use complex passwords that thieves can’t guess and always change your passwords if a company you do business with has a breach of its databases.

There are password generators and password managers available if you’re having trouble creating or remembering complex passwords. Password managers, in particular, are very helpful because you shouldn’t reuse passwords among multiple accounts. If a scammer gets one password, you don’t want them getting all of your accounts.

Learn How To Spot Scams

Many online scams start in your email inbox. You should be very careful about the links you click or attachments you download unless you’re completely sure who you’re receiving them from.

Also, make sure to check the identity of someone reaching out to you unexpectedly. If you’re unable to verify a person’s identity but want to continue the conversation, get their contact information from an official website and then email them yourself.

Stay Alert

There are countless ways that you can stay safer online with minimal effort. They mostly come down to paying attention and being vigilant in how you protect yourself. Some examples include:

  • Lock your phone and use its security features.

  • Update your sharing and firewall settings when you’re on a public wi-fi network and, when possible, use a virtual private network or VPN.

  • Review your credit card and bank account statements to ensure you recognize all of the transactions.

  • Install firewalls and virus-detection software on your home computer.

Each of these steps can help you strengthen your defense against identity theft. And remember, you don’t have to do it alone.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 5 Best Ways To Stay Safer From Identity Theft When You’re Online

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