Once in a while, someone gets hacked one way or another. There is a wide range of reason why this can happen to you and me as well. Identity Theft in colleges is on the rise, according to a wide variety of identity theft reports. Most of the stolen information involves credit cards, which is a scary thought for anyone who is already on a tight budget and working two jobs to make ends meet. Which gives me further cause to provide you with some important guidelines to protect yourself from being hacked?
Keep your Address and Numbers to yourself:
Popular Youtube personalities in the past have had his Sim card stolen simply because the thief knew where he lived and what his number was. The thief called the phone company and told them that he was the owner of the sim card and that he has lost his original Sim card. He then proceeded to tell the company that he has changed his home address over the phone. The company delivered the YouTube’s Sim card to the thief’s doorstep. This is one such example of how your information can be used against you. This is the reason you should keep your address and your number hidden unless it’s required.
Credit Cards:
Try not to use credit cards unnecessarily, But keep one credit card as a part of your contingency plan if you suddenly run out of funds. The more credit cards you have the more likely you are to be a target of a person with malicious intent.
Loan Information:
Keep this information to yourself; it’s not worth telling someone something like this over a friendly chat. Sensitive information like this can land you in an awkward position where many people approach you for your money especially if you are studying in a college, this can lead you to drain your funds prematurely.
Cash:
Cash is absolute, not information required just money. It is one of the safest ways to go on a shopping spree. Also, Cash is accepted everywhere unlike credit cards, so it’s much more convenient as well.
Finance Management:
Many Banks provide free online banking, use that to your advantage and monitor your transactions carefully whenever you end up using your credit card. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to establish a credit freeze or a security freeze that will prevent identity thieves from accessing your credit card, in case you end up losing your credit card. You can also set account limits; it’s generally helpful even if no one is trying to steal your funds. I generally, set it up so that I don’t lose my way and end up spending hundreds of dollars on shoes. It’s a very good way to keep track of your spending as well. Also, if someone or some Ad on the internet provides you with any credit card offers then decline that offer without giving it a second thought because it’s probably a hoax. Also, ATM’s are a haven for thieves most identity thieves use ATM’s as their main source of stolen information. So, try your best to avoid them.