How to Understand, Fight & Prevent Identity Theft

Identity theft is the act of a criminal stealing your personal or private information in order to commit fraud such as opening an account in your name!

So, how do criminals steal your identity in the first place?

* Phishing. The act of phishing is to impersonate an organisation, such as your bank, and send out fake emails and even fake websites. Find out more about phishing and how to protect yourself here…

* Digging through your garbage. Don’t be fooled, criminals will even stoop low enough to dig through your bins to try and find old bank statements or documents that include any of your personal information.

* Watching your movements. Some professional identity thieves will even watch, eavesdrop and spy on your in order to discover your personal information. Make sure to be aware of your surroundings during financial transactions.

* Hacking. One of the most common ways to steal your information is through hackers breaking into your computer and stealing your personal information.

While we often hear about identity theft happening online, it is also occurring offline and we need to be aware of these dangers. Here’s how to thwart identity thieves…

> Your trash doesn’t always end up at the dump, and recent studies show that criminals are spending more and more time digging through your garbage searching for important documents than they are online. So, when you’re disposing off an old bank statement, etc. make sure to put it through the shredder first.

> A major source of identity theft is through stolen handbags, wallets, purses, check books and credit cards. Keep your valuables close to your side when you are out and about and report and cancel any stolen cards immediately.

Always take the correct precautions – protect yourself by shredding documents, locking your post-box and emptying your wallet or purse of anything that you don’t absolutely have to carry.

Be vigilant at all times…

-- Even though we should all be alert at all times, those who have been victims of identity theft before have to be even more careful following an identity theft incident.

-- Always take extra precautions by checking your account activity and balances on a regular basis. If you see something suspicious – report it.

-- Get help! Should you feel that your cell phone or computer isn't protected efficiently, give The Computer Guyz a call on 087 001 0511/2 or email contact@tcgcape.co.za and we will do what we can to assist you!