Common Sense - Your Best Defense against Fraud

Haven't you always been told... If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is. This sweet, simple piece of advice is more valuable now than ever before. Just apply this ideal to various activities that you perform throughout the day, whether online over the computer, over the phone, or through the mail and you can protect yourself and avoid nearly all scam artists.

The first, best defense against fraud is to use common sense:

• Only do business with a company that has a good reputation and can be verified through the Better Business Bureau
• Do not open emails from businesses or people that you do not know
• Do not follow or click on any suspicious links in emails even if the emails came from someone you do know
• Don't give your personal information out over the phone unless you know who is on the other end. This can be extended to removing any potentially personal information from your greeting or voice mail recording so that it does not include information like "You've reached [your name]; I'm not available..."
• Don't carry all of your personal information with you
• Don't visit web sites that you don't trust
• Shred any papers and documents that have your personal information printed on them before throwing them into your garbage

Above all, if you have concerns about your credit reports, credit scores, or your risk of identity theft, subscribe to and take advantage of identity theft risk management and credit monitoring services such as we offer at ID Guards. With these services, you can receive alerts at the moment suspicious activity is detected on your financial accounts, bank records, personal data, or credit reports - allowing you to start fixing any problems before the thief even has a chance to cause any problems for you.