Avoid identity theft
Identity theft has become an epidemic in the United States. With the advent of the debit card and people only using credit, credit, credit, it has become increasingly easier for identity thieves to get a hold of your information.
There used to be a time where identity thieves were required to be quite crafty to get your information, now with more people choosing to buy online, they can do it in the comfort of their own home.
The Federal Trade Commission estimates that about 9 million Americans have their identity stolen each year. And sometimes the aftermath is a grim one. Here are some of the ways that thieves get your information: dumpster diving, skimming, phishing, changing your address, stealing and pretexting.
Okay sure, dumpster diving and stealing, but what do the rest of them mean? Skimming is when thieves steal your credit card number by using a fancy storage device, like after you card is swiped. Phishing is when they pretend to be a financial or other type of collection agency and they get you to give up your information. Pretexting is when they bait financial institutions or phone companies to give up your personal information.
Most people do not find out about identity theft until it happens and the damage has been done. Most banks will not force you to pay any amount that was incurred on your credit or debit card if your identity was stolen, but other people are not so lucky.
The internet has become a hot bed of identity theft because there are less than stellar companies out there that will take advantage of you. This is one of the reasons Steve Barbarich started his own company after attempting to buy a Jacuzzi online. He found that the retailers had almost zero customer service and did not care about their customers.
Be wary of where you spend your money online. Go for reputable businesses.