Quick Tips for Safeguarding your information
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One way to help your confidential information stay confidential is to protect your Social Security Number. Keep your Social Security card and any other cards with your SSN on them, in a safe place — not your wallet. |
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Keep photocopies of all your credit cards, ID cards, passport, and other important documents in a safe place. Make sure to copy the backs too for customer service information. Then you can handle lost or stolen items quickly and confidently. |
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Call your credit card company before you travel, especially when you go abroad. Let them know your itinerary and that you’ll be using your card on the trip. A credit card company may sometimes cancel an overseas transaction as a security measure. So keep them in the know, and enjoy the trip! |
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Check your credit reports from all three agencies regularly. You are entitled to a free annual credit bureau report by going to www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling 1-877-322-8228. The reports, produced by Experian, TransUnion and Equifax are compiled independently. You need to make sure each one is accurate. For a healthy credit profile, and the best loans rates, it’s essential. |
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Frequently check your credit card account online to identify erroneous charges. It is quicker than waiting for monthly paper statements. |
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Always check your receipts against your credit card statement as soon as you receive it. Fraudulent activity on your account can occur in small increments, so you might not be alerted to it. Unchecked, such charges could go on indefinitely. So know your activity and read your statement carefully. |
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Use a cross cut shredder to destroy all of your sensitive documents, old receipts, and mail. It is a great defense against fraud.
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Sign the back of your credit card immediately after you activate it. |
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