10 Tips to Help Prevent Identity Theft

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Shopping online. Visiting the doctor. Buying gas. In nearly all of the things we do from day to day, there’s the risk of identity theft.

You could unknowingly give your information to a fraudster thinking you’re shopping at a legitimate site. Your doctor’s office could experience a data breach. Or, you could come across a tampered credit card reader at the gas pump.

The risks your identity faces go on and on. So, what can you do to stop it? Unfortunately, virtually no one today can completely negate the risk of identity theft. But, we can all take some important steps to help prevent it.

Here are 10 sensible habits to adopt that will help you protect your identity:

  1. Limit what you carry in your wallet, and know what’s there in case it goes missing. First things first, don’t carry your Social Security card on a regular basis. Instead, keep it in a locked safe at home. Have a form of identification or some other card with your Social Security number (SSN) on it? Carry a photocopy of it instead of the real thing, and cut out or otherwise render your SSN unreadable. As for credit cards, only carry the ones you need. Finally, make photocopies of the front and back of the cards you always keep in your wallet and store them in your home safe. If one (or all of them) goes missing, you won’t have to search high and low for the card issuer’s contact information.
  2. Keep your computers, software and other electronics secure and up to date. This means using strong passwords or enabling passcodes – remember not to write them down. It also means installing firewall, spyware and virus protection. Keep everything up to date (and backed up) for the latest security enhancements. For your portable devices, consider installing software to remotely wipe your data or locate the device if it’s ever lost or stolen.
  3. Don’t over share. Does every entity that asks for your (or your child’s) SSN really need it? Take a moment to think instead of automatically jotting it down. At the very least, maybe only the last four digits will do. In addition, be careful what you share online. Posting your full address, phone number, license plate number or your birth date online, even if it’s in a photo, may help others piece together a full picture of your identity.
  4. Do check your credit reports throughout the year. You’re entitled to a free credit report from each of the three bureaus once a year. And, since the information on each report is oftentimes largely the same, you can stagger your requests and receive a different report once every four months. Once you receive it, check your report for accounts and other activity you don’t recognize. Even a credit check from a company you haven’t done business with could be an attempt at identity theft. To order your free credit reports, call 1-877-322-8228 or visit http://www.annualcreditreport.com/.
  5. Keep an eye on your accounts. Your account statements can alert you to identity theft sooner than your credit report, in most cases. Check regularly for unauthorized charges or withdrawals and other illicit activity, such as address changes or additional cards you didn’t request.
  6. Watch your surroundings. Whether you’re using the ATM or a portable device, you want to be sure others nearby aren’t watching as you type in your PIN or password. And, just because you don’t see anyone nearby doesn’t mean they’re not there. If you’re using a shared or public WiFi, everyone else on the same network may see the data, including passwords or account numbers, you submit. Be sure to conduct sensitive transactions on secure networks.
  7. Reduce your mail. Start by opting out of pre-approved credit card offers by calling 1-888-5OPT-OUT and following the prompts. This should stay in effect for five years and help curb the risk of someone else obtaining a new credit card in your name. Next, sign up for paperless billing with your financial and service providers and/or schedule automatic payments through your bank. The less mail containing personal and account details that comes to your home, the less likely it is to fall into the wrong hands.
  8. Be skeptical when someone asks for your information. Scam artists don’t always have to steal your information. Sometimes they convince you to give it up willingly by telling you via a phone call, email, snail mail or text that you won a prize or need to verify your account. To claim the prize or account, you’ll, of course, need to supply some sensitive information. Requests like these are almost always inauthentic – what’s known as a “phishing” scam. So, stay on guard and contact the entity through a known, verified method to inquire about the matter, rather than providing personal details on the spot.
  9. Mind your garbage. If you’re throwing out account statements or other documents with personal information, you’re making it easy for dumpster divers to learn a little, perhaps a lot, about you. They may even learn enough to take over one of your accounts. So, shred your sensitive documents and then recycle them – don’t just throw them out in the garbage.
  10. Tidy up at home. Tax returns, credit cards you use infrequently, checkbooks, passports, birth certificates – these and other important documents should all be stored under lock and key. Whether it’s in a home safe or a locking desk or file cabinet is up to you. And, don’t leave the code or key in an easily discoverable place.

Despite your best efforts, you may still discover that your identity has been stolen, If so, take immediate action to:

  • Fill out the Federal Trade Commission’s Identity Theft Affidavit.
  • Take your affidavit to the police and file a report. Be sure to get a copy for your records. It will come in handy if you need to close fraudulent accounts, straighten out your credit report and more.
  • Call your financial providers to request new account numbers and, if needed, cards.
    Contact one of the three credit bureaus to place a fraud alert, which will encourage creditors to contact you before opening new lines of credit, on your credit report. The bureau you contact will share it with the other two.
    Experian: 1-888-397-3742
    Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
    Transunion: 1-800-680-7289

And, if you’re involved in a data breach and offered free credit monitoring, be sure to take advantage of it.

In today’s world of hyper connectivity and speed, it’s easy for your information to end up in the wrong hands. But, by being cautious with how you use and share your information, and checking for misuse, you can help keep your identity secure.

Reposted with permission from the original author, Safeco Insurance®.

Top image by user Sari Montag used under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Image cropped and modified from original.

Own a home? Here are two policy options you should know about

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If you have a homeowners policy, you probably expect it to cover all the costs of rebuilding your house in case it’s damaged or destroyed by a covered hazard. But are you certain you have enough coverage? Read about two common situations you may be unaware of — and the affordable options that can help put your mind at ease.

Extended dwelling coverage

Since reconstruction costs are different from market value, your current homeowners policy may not accurately reflect the true costs of rebuilding your home. Extended dwelling coverage helps you rebuild if construction costs change and add up to more than your current policy limits.

To illustrate this concept, consider this real-life scenario. Your home is currently insured for 100% of its replacement cost, with the cost based on the value of your house when the policy was originally written. However, a wildfire sweeps through your area destroying your home along with hundreds of others nearby. Due to the high demand caused by the natural disaster, construction materials and labor costs increase 20% in your area. So your $200,000 home will now cost $240,000 to rebuild. If you had 20% extended dwelling coverage, you’d get the $240,000. Without it, you get $200,000 and will have to make up the difference out of pocket or settle for less house than you originally had.

Building ordinance or law coverage

If your home is damaged by a covered loss and needs to be rebuilt or repaired, you are required to build according to current building codes. And since codes have grown more rigorous over the past 20 years, this could mean much higher costs to rebuild than you anticipate. That’s where a building ordinance policy, or law coverage, comes into effect — and it could save you thousands of dollars.

Again, let’s take the example from above and assume you have a $200,000 homeowners policy. With a 10% building ordinance policy, you would get an extra $20,000 to apply to the new building code requirements you must meet. Without this policy option, you’ll have to pay the difference to bring your house up to code.

Extended dwelling and building ordinance policies offer valuable protection from gaps in coverage in case of an unforeseen covered event, and all for an affordable annual premium. To better understanding your risks, and to protect yourself from a loss that may exceed your policy limits, give us a call today.

Reposted with permission from the original author, Safeco Insurance®.

Top image by Flickr user David Sawyer used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 2.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.

How to avoid animal-vehicle collisions (and what to do if you can’t)

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About 2 million times every year, animals and cars collide on U.S. roadways — often causing serious and even fatal injuries to drivers and passengers, along with about $1 billion in damage. And these collisions spike in the fall and winter, thanks to migration and mating patterns as well as reduced visibility caused by shorter days and weather conditions.

But as random as these collisions might seem, there are things you can do to improve your chances of avoiding one. Here are some tips to keep in mind when you’re behind the wheel — as well as some guidelines to follow if you ever do hit an animal.

Avoiding wildlife

  • Be especially careful at dusk and dawn: Not only are these active times for large animals to be out and about, but visibility is decreased as well. From 5 p.m. to midnight and 5-8 a.m. are particularly dangerous times. And remember, animal vision is very different from ours: While deer see well in low-light situations, headlights can completely blind them.
  • Watch for signs, too: Areas with a lot of wildlife, or where frequent incidents have occurred, often will have posted warning signs. Don’t disregard them. Watch your speed and be hyper-alert.
  • Expect more than one: Did you just see a deer? Don’t relax quite yet, even though you didn’t hit it — there likely are more in the area.
  • Stay calm: If an animal is in the roadway, try not to swerve wildly — you could hit something else, such as another car, or end up in a more dangerous situation than you were before. Hit the brakes, hit the horn, and make safe maneuvers whenever possible.

After an accident

  • Call 911 immediately: Of course, if there are any injuries to you or passengers, you’ll want to get aid there as quickly as possible. But even if everyone is OK, police can help deal with traffic issues and removing the animal.
  • Do not touch the animal: Even a harmless-looking deer can cause significant injury, especially if it is frightened. And if you hit something even more dangerous, like a bear (it happens!), stay in the car. Often, they can withstand being hit by a vehicle.
  • Document the damage: Once any injuries are treated, take photos of the accident scene and vehicle damage and write down details. Get information from witnesses and file a police report if necessary. This will help when it comes time to file an insurance claim.
  • Talk to your insurance company: Animal-related claims are typically covered under comprehensive coverage. Your insurance agent or carrier can help you determine your options after an accident — but it’s a great idea to learn more about your coverage before you need to use it.

Remember, stay alert, avoid distractions and watch your speed. If you’re already a safe driver, you’re probably already doing these things — and if you’re not, well, there’s no better time to start! Your fellow drivers (and your local animals) thank you.

Reposted with permission from the original author, Safeco Insurance®.

Top image by Flickr user marneejill used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 2.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.