Protecting Your Mail From Identity Theft |
By Ashley Russell on February 16, 2011
.jpg.aspx?width=75&height=75) When Americans think about identity theft, most think of theft through an electronic method, such as email, computers, and credit cards. Consequently, those are not the only ways to have your identity stolen, it can be as easy as someone opening your mailbox and going through your mail for that very same information.
Think about this: when you pay a bill through the mail, you follow the same basic steps. You walk down to the mailbox, place the envelope into the mailbox, and raise the red flag. A flag that tells not only the delivery person that you have something to be picked up, but also anyone who takes the time to look at your mailbox. Do not use the red flag. Mail carriers will check your mailbox to see if there is mail to be picked up, so as a safety precaution do not alert others that you have mail to be picked up.
Another major way that thieves can get your information through the mail is pre-approved credit card offers and other such offers that come with all of your identity information included. These things should be torn up or shredded before they are thrown in the trash so that someone cannot piece the information back together to use.
When you are sending money through the mail, be sure to send only checks or money orders that have to be signed with a matching ID in order to be used. When you are waiting for checks or money orders or even a new credit card to come in the mail, if you suspect it has been intercepted contact the sender immediately to see when the mail was sent. If it is way overdue, then have the check, money order, or credit card cancelled before the thieves can begin to use it.
If you are weary of having your identity stolen, your best choice is to use a P.O. Box. This allows your mail to be under lock and key. The downfall to this choice is that you have to go to the post office, which could be far away from your house and a hassle to check. The option for those farther away from post offices is to buy a heavy duty mailbox that has a lock on it that only you and the post office official can open.
With so many ways to have your identity stolen, just be conscious of where you give your information and how safe your everyday practices are. Many homes now use the internet daily, so consider using secure online bill paying to cut down on the amount of money and bank information that is passed through your mail box. |
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