There is no way to safeguard yourself fully from identity theft, but there are steps you can take to protect yourself from having your identity stolen. You can limit the movement of your information by properly disposing of your mail, not answering suspicious calls, and not sharing your personal information over email.

There are many ways you can protect yourself from identity theft and you should take all the necessary steps to avoid becoming a victim.

Protect your devices: It is advised to set passwords on all of your devices, such as laptops, phones, iPads, and others, to ensure their protection in case of theft. When a device is stolen, the first thing attempted is usually to access its content.

Having a passcode can slow down or prevent identity theft and the use of your information for financial gain. Additionally, most new devices allow location tracing, which can help you identify where the device is if it is turned on.

Using the appropriate tools and securing your devices with passcodes can help you protect yourself. Our phones store a lot of our information, including passwords, bank accounts, pictures, and much more, that can be used by thieves to gain access to our credentials. 

Think before you post: Unfortunately, this might not seem like a big deal, but social media can help thieves find your location. Having your life out in the open can allow identity thieves to use information from your social media accounts to create fake accounts and target your close followers with spammy links or even gather information about you from them.

Many people use their life as inspiration for their passwords, and having your pet names, school names and other personal information publicly available can help identity thieves gain access to your accounts.

Get Strong Passwords: This might seem like common sense to many individuals, but using strong passwords can help you keep your information secure. Having a weak password can make it easier for hackers to gain access to your accounts and use them for financial gain.

Be sure to use strong passwords and multiple security measures such as a code that will be texted to you to access your account. This will help you secure your account and add an extra layer of protection to it. Make sure to have lengthy passwords that include special characters and numbers.

Try to avoid common passwords or using your name, and get creative instead.

Shred documents and don’t disclose financials: When receiving important statements or other documents that contain your personal identification, make sure to dispose of them properly.

Instead of throwing them in the garbage, be sure to cut up or shred the documents, making it difficult for someone to identify their context. This can prevent thefts from finding out your account numbers and full name.

When receiving any calls, try not to disclose your personal information such as your social security number, full name, and account information. If you have to, be sure to confirm that the person you’re speaking with is from a legitimate company and not a scammer.

If you have any doubts about the authenticity of the company, hang up the call and contact the company directly.

Review your accounts: Even if you try your best to maximize your identity protections, slip-ups can happen. But it’s super important to catch them before it’s too late.

To do this, you should regularly review your account statements every month and notify your bank if there is something suspicious. Also, be sure to pull your free credit report once a year to make sure that all the information on it is accurate, helping you maintain a good credit score.