Your identity is the one thing you can’t afford to lose!. There was a time when identity theft was as simple as a worker at a restaurant or store taking your credit information and running up charges. It was annoying and could even cause some damage to your credit, but it couldn’t derail your life. Unfortunately in today’s modern era of electronic banking, bill pay and more, identity theft can mean a total hijacking of your life. Protect your identity to protect your life, because today, it IS your life.
Tips to Protect Your Identity
All it takes is one nefarious individual finding a piece of information to practically ruin your life. That’s because when a person steals your identity, he or she has access to your credit, bank accounts, and the ability to open up new accounts, all the while draining your existing funds and racking up new charges that you’ll be stuck with. That’s why identity theft protection is key. Here are some ways you can help protect your identity from all the crooks waiting out there:
Invest in Identity Theft Protection
First and foremost, invest in identity theft protection services. These services actively guard your identity and credit against theft and other forms of hijacking, like opening up fraudulent accounts. If anything ever does slip through the cracks, identify theft protection services will help you rectify the problem.
Be Selective in Online Shopping
Only make purchases through reputable retailers if you use a credit or debit card to shop online. Look for trusted retailer names and never use credit or debit card information on websites that are not secure. You’ll know they’re secure because most sites will say that they are SSL (Secure Socket Layer) protected.
Never Give Anyone Your Card of Social Security Information
Unless you are at a store and your card is being run, never give out that number! And never, ever give your social security information to anyone who is not serving a company in an official capacity. For example, you will have to give your social security number on a job application or financial statement. That’s as far as it should ever go. Never just give your information to a customer service agent or the like.
Protect Your Accounts
Create account passwords that are difficult to replicate and give each account a different password. Making them difficult to replicate makes your account harder to hack. Using a different password for each account means that your other accounts are protected in case one becomes compromised.
Protect Your Identity with the Tools at AFI
Armed Forces Insurance (AFI) has been protecting the financial future of its customers for over 100 years and helping safeguard against identity theft. From insurance information to fraud protection to information on PTSD and more, AFI is committed to helping those in the armed forces protect themselves and their family with quality insurance as well as the knowledge they need to keep other aspects of their lives protected and on track. If you’re in the military, give AFI a look. Learn more.
LaToyia Dennis
November 17, 2017Agreed! You have too these days. It is good to be protected.
Hannah rooks
November 17, 2017I think identity theft is something most people don’t think about until it happens to them. And we probably should think about it sooner! Thank you for these tips!
MICHELLE GWYNN JONES
November 17, 2017One really needs to pay attention to what is going on with their credit and identity. Out with a friend she got a THIRD call from lifelock and went to hit ignore. I suggested she look at it and sure enough someone had bought something and they were desperately trying to determine if it was a valid purchase of hers. It was not.
robin rue
November 17, 2017I am super scared about my identity being stolen. I try to take precautions, but it’s a scary world out there. Awesome tips.
Erica
November 17, 2017I’m so scared of having my identity compromised. I’ve had my credit card number taken before. And while that’s really annoying, it isn’t the end of the world because you aren’t responsible for the charges and they’ll issue you a new card. But I dread the day someone would get my social security number. I’ve known people who’ve gone through it and it’s a nightmare.
Karen Morse
November 17, 2017That’s really interesting. With all the hacking going on, it would be nice to have something that can help your protect yourself. This sounds really awesome!
Beth Davidson
November 17, 2017Someone stole my identity last year to file taxes. Isn’t that the weirdest thing? Anyway, since then I have been much better about passwords. I use LastPass for everything so I can have super complicated ones and not have to remember them all.
andrea
November 17, 2017I worked part time at a bank and I really know the importance of protecting your identity. you so gotta be careful with online shopping, that is a big one.
Cassie
November 17, 2017Excellent tips here. We had our credit card details used illegally recently and I still have no idea how they got it but in the end it’s best to really think about who you are giving your card details too online
Lori geurin
November 17, 2017These are great tips to help protect your identity. It seems like identity theft is more common than ever now days; You can’t be too careful with your personal information.
Theresa
November 18, 2017This information about protecting your identity is so important these days! There’s always a new way for your personal info to accidentally get released to people, so this is useful to know.
Brittany
November 18, 2017Identify theft is a real threat. It is nothing that should be ignored. Thank you for these great reminders and tips!
Jen Walker
November 18, 2017I also have to add to be weary of any emails asking you to log in to your accounts with a specific link included to verify information. I’ve been getting a lot of that lately, and no reputable company will send you a link to log into,
Krystle Cook
November 19, 2017Protecting your identity is so important. Too many times this stuff gets leaked and people’s lives get turned upside down.
Amber Myers
November 19, 2017This is so important to remember. I always worry about my identity being stolen. We are military, so I’ll check out AFI.
Bradley Allen
November 19, 2017All good advice, I’m always careful online, normally sticking to amazon when I shop!
Blair villanueva
November 19, 2017Great tips!
In shopping, i use a different names to protect my data. I am so OC in data protection and privacy. This is one thing you can never share.
Nicole
November 20, 2017I totally agree with you about the online shopping! I try to use paypal to pay when I can since paypal is good about things like that!
Cristina Leau
November 20, 2017First of all, I just love your photos, so clean and stylish. I like the tips you gave here. Yes we do have to take better care of our identity, after all we only have one.
Cindy Ingalls
November 20, 2017I try to be selective about where I shop online because you never know if the sites are secured. I also keep an eye on my accounts to make sure I’m familiar with every charge.
Heather
November 21, 2017Someone stole my identity four years ago. Not only did they take personal information, but they were actually living under my name with access to everything about me. It was horrifying and took so much to get it under control. Sadly this is so common and aside from living under a rock, not fully preventable. I’m so happy there are tools out there to help keep us safe from predators.
Anosa
November 21, 2017The scariest thing today is all of our lives are online and can easily be stolen, I am loving your tips on how we can best protect our lives online
nina
November 22, 2017This post is so informative and helpful. It is truth that identity is very important to be protected, thieve always have tricky ways to steal it.
Thanks so much for sharing this!
kitty
November 22, 2017Never hard of this before… Its something new for me… I would love to share this with other bloggers and readers 🙂
kim
November 23, 2017Such an important post! Thanks so much for all of the tips. I probably need to do a better job of protecting my identity.
Ayana Pitterson
November 23, 2017I have never heard about AFI and I am active duty. But, I understand that this is definitely something we ALL should be thinking about, especially with the amount of latest hackers doing their nonsense online. Thanks for sharing. Will check them out.
Heather
November 25, 2017Identity theft protection is so important! It is something I have been thinking a lot more about lately, and it is crazy that we have to even think about something like that in a civilized world. These are awesome tips, thank you!
reesa
November 25, 2017It’s scary how much of our personal info is out there for the whole world to know. I worry about this everyday!
Ana De- Jesus
November 25, 2017The possibility of someone committing identity theft can be a scary thought but I agree that being selective about who you shop with can help. Thank you for the advice!
Tatjana
November 25, 2017Make sure to also check your free annual credit report for irregularities and opt out of pre-approved credit offers.
Rose
November 26, 2017I had not heard of them when I was in the military. I am glad to hear of that benefit to the military.
Andrea
November 26, 2017I need to get more info on this and start applying this on a daily. Thank you for sharing such great tips with us! They are all wonderful.
Sarah Bailey
November 27, 2017These are some great tips to make sure your identity is secure, it is so easy to fall foul of something these days so doing all you can is a must.
Sarah
November 27, 2017These are some great tips. I really want to loo kinto getting identity theft protection soon with all of these data breaches happening.
mydeliciousmeals
November 28, 2017It’s so important to protect your identity nowadays, we’ve already had our credit card numbers stolen a couple of times. Thank you for these great tips!
Melissa Vera
November 29, 2017Thank you for these tips. I would also like to add to make sure your work knows not to share your social security number without checking to make sure that it is absolutely needed. That is how my husband’s social security number was leaked.
Jessica Joachim
November 30, 2017I had my identity taken one time when I was younger and it was awful! The amount of hoops I had to jump through to get my money back and get everything changed after someone drained my bank account were insane!
Kansas Bonanno
November 30, 2017Great tips on keeping yourself safe! It’s always so important to keep everyone safe. Thank you for sharing these tips.
Joanna @ Everyday Made Fresh
November 30, 2017This is one of those things that I’m like, it will never happen to me. I take small precautions, but I like all of your tips!
Rachel
December 1, 2017Identity theft is such a crazy, oddly life ruining thing. The whole country runs on our credit scores so it is important to protect them.
Anonymous
December 2, 2017With the huge breach of confidential information this summer, who can you trust with your information? I just don’t know.
Kristina
December 5, 2017Great information! It is important to protect our personal belongings and our identity. It’s scary what can happen.
kumamonjeng
July 24, 2018Good to have some heads up before anything bad happen. Thanks for sharing the the crucial tips for protection. Worth to invest before it get too late and regret.
stacey
October 19, 2018All of the above is so true. In the military it is important because we move around often. and thankfully, up and until recently we had to use our social security number so often.