Protect your mail. The U.S. Postal Service offers Informed Delivery, a free service that emails photos of letter-size mail expected to be delivered that day or shortly after. Pick up your mail as soon as possible after delivery, and take outgoing mail directly to the post office. Criminals increasingly steal checks from mailboxes and alter them to access bank accounts. Be cautious at your front door. Consider installing a video doorbell or security camera. If you don’t recognize a visitor, you don’t have to answer the door. If someone pressures you to buy something or make a donation, have a response ready: “I do not do business at my door. Please leave me something to review. If I’m interested, I’ll call you.” Shred sensitive documents. Shred financial statements, bills, shipping receipts and other papers containing personal information before putting them out for pickup. If you don’t have a cross-cut shredder, look for community shredding events or permanent drop-off locations. Watch for card skimmers. Before using a card reader at a gas station or other point-of-sale location, check for anything loose, broken or unusual. If you suspect a reader has been tampered with, notify the cashier and use another payment method. Monitor and freeze your credit. Check your credit report regularly for unfamiliar accounts or activity. You can obtain free credit reports through AnnualCreditReport.com. If you see something suspicious, report it immediately to the appropriate financial institution. Consider freezing your credit to prevent scammers from opening new accounts in your name. You can temporarily unfreeze it when you need to apply for legitimate credit. Protect your wallet. Carry only the cards and identification you need. Avoid carrying your Social Security card or other unnecessary sensitive information. Make copies of the cards you do carry and keep the copies in a secure location. Periodically clean out your wallet or purse to remove information you no longer need. Secure your financial accounts. Create online accounts with your financial institutions and use a unique password for each account. A password manager can help you keep track of them securely. Whenever available, use two-factor authentication for an 21
22 Publizr Home