Reading Time: 2 minutes

Identity theft is the fastest growing crime and is costing Americans millions of dollars, not to mention the many hours wasted resolving issues. Here are some tips to keep your identity safe:

1. Shred personal records. Hackers still literally resort to “dumpster diving” to obtain personal information to exploit.  records and statements
2. Only reveal your social security number to well-known establishments. Keep the actual card in a secure location.
3. Shop online at only well-known establishments, and even then double check to make sure it is not faux site run by hackers.  Take a close look at the actual URL and make sure they are running SSL to be sure the site is the real thing.
4. Carry only the credit/debit cards you absolutely need to use and secure the rest in a safe location
5. Monitor your credit report on a regular basis and act quickly on any wrong or suspicious information you see.
6.  Review your bank cards statements carefully and report unrecognized transactions immediately.
7. Do not reveal personal information on social media. Hackers are increasingly using social media to research and target specific individuals. Knowing personal details is a big help to them to perform identity theft.
8. Don’t just delete sensitive information on your computer. Use a wipe utility to make sure it is truly gone.
9. Use strong passwords. This means at least 8 characters with combinations of upper and lower case, alpha and numeric and including a special character.
10. Use Comodo Internet Security to ensure that you will not be the victim so spyware and keylogger programs.

TEST YOUR EMAIL SECURITY GET YOUR INSTANT SECURITY SCORECARD FOR FREE Source: https://blog.comodo.com/pc-security/10-steps-avoid-identity-theft/