Taking the initiative of protecting your identity and personal information as a teen will provide security for your future. Here are some steps that teens can start taking now to make it so they are less likely to be the victim of identity theft.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media is a great way to connect with friends, family, and people around the world. However, with so much personal information being put out there, it also makes you an easy target for identity theft. Never share information such as your address, phone number, or other identifying information with people you don’t know.
PUBLIC WI-FI
Having access to Wi-Fi in public places can be extremely convenient, but there are also risks. If you need to access personal information, such as your bank account, you should ensure that you’re connected to your Network and not to Wi-Fi.
WEAK PASSWORDS
While having the same password for multiple accounts makes everything easy to remember, it doesn’t provide much security. Have different passwords for all accounts and update them regularly. For more tips on creating a strong password, click HERE.
NOT CHECKING CREDIT
Teens often don’t have credit history, so they aren’t requesting regular copies of their credit report. This means they may already be the victim of identity theft and not even know it. They will only find out once they start applying for credit cards or other loans and are denied. In most cases, those under the age of 18 do not have a credit report unless some type of fraud has already taken place.
