INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Bankers Association has issued a warning to protect consumers from identity theft.
The IBA said more than 10 million people in the country fall victim to identity theft by unintentionally revealing their Social Security numbers or credit card information.
“It is astounding how easy it is to obtain the needed information without breaking into a building,” said the IBA. “Thieves may go Dumpster diving by rummaging through trash looking for bills or other paper with personal information on it. Or they may use ‘phishing’ techniques pretending to be financial institutions while sending spam or pop-up messages, to obtain personal information from unsuspecting victims.”
To help protect yourself, minimize the amount of personal financial information you carry; do not carry your Social Security card; memorize password and PIN numbers; keep financial information in a security place in your home or safe deposit box; shred documents before throwing them away; do not give sensitive information to unsolicited callers; shield your hand when entering PIN numbers at an ATM or store checkout; pick up new checks or credit cards at the bank instead of having them sent to your home; and when traveling, keep personal belongings locked in a hotel safe deposit box.
