How To Protect Your Privacy and Avoid Identity Theft Online

Jason R. Rich Bestselling Author / Journalist Photographer / Blogger Download This Presentation Download This Presentation

Online Shopping & Banking Online shopping and banking is typically very secure and safe, as long as you’re careful. Only visit websites you’re familiar with and that you enter into your browser yourself. Use a credit card, not a debit card to shop. Create secure account usernames and passwords.

General Strategies For Protecting Yourself Online When visiting any website and filling out online forms, do not agree to have your information shared. Do NOT respond to s from banks or companies saying there is a problem with your account.

According to LifeLock.com… Phishing – A way identity thieves steal your information by pretending to be a company, organization, or entity that you know and trust. Ask yourself, is the from your bank, or is it from an identity thief attempting to get your account number and PIN? Every year, an estimated 3.6 million adults lose $3.2 billion from the impact of phishing theft. It is also estimated that U.S. businesses lose an estimated $2 billion per year as their clients become victims. Fake s often come from impostor online services, banks, “eBay”, “PayPal,” airlines and other well-known businesses.

General Strategies For Protecting Yourself Online Don’t post anything, including photos or “private” messages, that you don’t want to share with everyone. Create a separate account for yourself to share with “strangers” online – Use Gmail, Yahoo!, etc. Turn OFF location services or geo- tagging.

General Strategies For Protecting Yourself Online Any information you include in an online profile is typically public and searchable, including Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn or Instagram. Within profiles, avoid including your address, phone number, date of birth, current employer, current school, or other details that could help someone find you.

General Strategies For Protecting Yourself Online Do NOT give out the following details, unless you are 100% sure you know whom you’re sharing it with: Social Security Number Student ID Driver’s License / Passport Number Password Details Date of Birth Address & Phone Number

If You Agree To Meet An Online Friend In Person… Ask for a copy of their driver’s license in advance via . Video chat with them first. Confirm their address and phone number. Meet in a public place. Use common sense. Forbid your kids from meeting “online only” friends.

Password Creation Strategies Create passwords that are not obvious and that are complex. Include letters and number combinations. Do NOT use the same username and password for all of your online accounts. Do NOT use “12345,” “abcdefg,” “Password” or your birthday. Mix and match capital and lowercase letters. Example… Poor = superman Better = SuperMan617 Passwords should be at least six (6) characters long.

Ways To Remember Your Account Usernames and Passwords Write them down in a book. Use a password-protected app, such as Dashlane for the iPhone/iPad. For Apple computers and devices, use iCloud Keychain.

General Strategies For Protecting Yourself Online When using someone else’s computer, always log out when you’re finished. Never use a public Wi-Fi connection to access a bank’s website.

Protect Yourself On Facebook Don’t share too much information within your profile. Avoid tagging yourself or your kids in photos. Turn off geo-tagging. When you “Like” a page, be careful what you post. Everything on Facebook is searchable. There are more than one billion people active on Facebook worldwide.

Protect Yourself On Facebook Change your Facebook password regularly. Avoid sharing your exact city. Turn on and utilize Facebook’s Privacy settings. Don’t accept “unusual” friend requests. Watch what you say during casual conversations with strangers. You can choose who you share information with on Facebook. It’s not foolproof, however.

Protect Your Kids Online Tell your kids to avoid “chatting” or responding to strangers, even when playing online games. They should NEVER disclose their last name, town, school or any details, like their school mascot or the name of their English teacher. Never respond to questions, like “Are you home alone right now?” or “Where do you hang out?”

Protect Your Kids Online Do not allow your kids to have a computer in their bedroom. Monitor their activity with specialized software, and turn on “parental controls” on the computer. Know all of the account names and passwords that your kids use. Check their phones too on a regular basis.

If You Use A Mac, iPhone or iPad… Turn on the Find My… feature. This is done from System Preferences (Mac) or Settings (iPhone/iPad). If the device gets lost or stolen, visit and lock it down fast. Report the device stolen with your cellular service provider.

How To Protect Yourself Check your bank and credit card statements regularly for inaccuracies. Review your credit reports from all three credit reporting agencies once every six months. is free. (Avoid impostor sites.) Use Credit Karma for your credit score and credit monitoring.

Sign Up For A Service Like LifeLock Use an independent service, such as LifeLock to help protect yourself from Identity Theft. $10.00 to $25.00 per month, depending on the plan. This more than just a credit monitoring service.

Don’t Worry… In general, using the Internet to shop online, handle online banking, interact with friends, share photos, and participate on Facebook (and other online social networking services) is perfectly safe and very secure. However, you should ALWAYS use common sense when online.

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