Identity fraud is becoming an increasingly common problem; nowadays, there are so many ways for criminals to find out private information about innocent victims, both online and in the real world. It’s important to do everything you can to protect yourself against anyone looking to steal your identity, and it’s easy to make it difficult for them. Follow these 5 top tips from our experienced team of private investigators to ensure you’re as protected as possible, so no one can use your identity for their own means…
1. Be careful with your social media presence
One of the easiest ways someone can use your details to steal your identity is through your social media account. In the most extreme cases, people have found entire fake social media profiles that were set up using their images and details, without their knowledge or permission. It’s natural to want to share on social media, but keep things within a reasonable limit; never post details of your phone number, your address, your work or your financial situations.
2. Shred documents that contain your personal information
Old bank statements, official documents from your work, letters from hospitals…all of these things can contain sensitive personal information that could possibly be used to clone your identity. Make sure that once you have taken what you need from these documents, you shred them so no one can find them and take the details.
3. Have a private detective conduct a background check
If you’re nervous about conducting any kind of business with another person, a background check will give you the facts you need to either carry on with no concern, or back out with confidence. We can conduct checks that thoroughly mine the history and details of the person in question, and find out about any misdemeanours they have been involved in. This way, you’ll know that you’re in safe hands and that your identity won’t be imitated.
4. Double check the reputation of businesses
On or offline, before you transfer any funds or release any of your personal details to a business, double check their reputation. You can do this a number of ways; ask a private detective to carry a background check, read their online customer reviews, or search for them online to find out what people are saying about their service. If you see anything alarming, do not hand over sensitive information.
5. Be careful with passwords
Nowadays, everything requires a password, from your work computer, to your bank account, to your Facebook profile, to your online shopping accounts. These are an easy way for criminals to access personal information from you, so be vigilant with them. Do not use the same password for everything, no matter how easy that is for you to remember. Try to memorise all of them, don’t leave them written down or stored somewhere on your computer. Make sure you follow the accepted guideline; passwords should never be an obvious date or name, and should contain a tricky combination of characters.If you are concerned about your identity being stolen, contact us here at Global Investigations. We can conduct a background search and advise you on the best course of action to ensure this never happens to you.