It’s time to add the three “Ds” to the three “Rs”

Remember when the three “R’s” were your biggest concern? Hopefully you were successful in navigating through that stage of your life and, as a result, you confidently face the future.  In the words of former President George H. Bush, that was a “kinder, gentler time”. Today, as an adult, you are faced with the need to navigate another life stage. This one is neither kind nor gentle and is not a passing stage. It is a permanent threat to your financial life. It’s called identity theft.
You must now move beyond the three “R’s” of readin’, ‘ritin’, and ‘rithmetic and learn the three “D’s” of deter, detect, and defend. Why? Identity theft is a serious crime. If your personal information is stolen it can be used, without your knowledge, to commit fraud or other crimes. It can cost you time. It can cost you money. It can destroy your credit. It can ruin your good name.
“It’s not that we have so much of this type criminal activity on the part of locals,” said one Hardeman County banker. “Technology has brought the world to our doorstep.” Practice the three “D’s”. They are your first line of defense.
The first and most important “D” is to deter identity thieves. By being aware of methods others may employ to steal your information and taking some common sense precautions, you may avoid the problem altogether. One common way of acquiring your information is known was "dumpster diving." Thieves rummage through garbage looking for bills or any other papers that might contain your information. There is an easy- to-use deterrent for this. Simply shred any financial documents or other paperwork containing personal information before discarding them.
Phishing and Hacking are two methods thieves use to gain information through your email account. Phishers pretend to be banks, companies, or government agencies. They send you messages requesting your personal information. Deter them by never giving information by way of the internet. Phone calls and mailings are also phishing methods. Again, deter them by never providing your personal information over the phone or by mail.
Hackers attempt to gain your personal information by accessing your email or other online accounts. You may have read about the successful hacking of some well-known companies’ databases. Deter hackers by never clicking on links sent in unsolicited emails. Keep your computer’s anti-spyware and anti-virus software up-to-date. Never use obvious passwords such as your mother’s maiden name, your birthdate, or the last four digits of your Social Security number. Passwords should contain both capital and small letters combined with numbers and symbols. A dozen assorted characters make a strong password.

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