Online ID Theft

Have you heard that your identity can be stolen off you? Yes! it's as real as seeing your fingers protruding from your palms on your hands.

This is one of those technology side-effects. Or to be more specific, online activity side-effects. Somewhere lurking behind a corner of the virtual world is an ID thief waiting to consume any teeny weeny detail of yours. These thieves even in the real world. Read more through this BBC report.

Knowing that things like this do happen, will you still take the risk by doing your banking online? shop online? subscribe to numerous online magazines or news sites that ask for your personal details?

I think for the convenience and advent, I would. How do I do it? Well, I would of course exercise these online activities with caution.

• Divulge as little personal information as possible to online subscriptions.
• Alternate or change passwords as often as possible.
• Never believe emails that claim your bank is doing some personal detail update online, thus you need to supply your password and personal sign on.
• Do not easily sign up to services online that are FREE, thinking they are, you do not technically pay anything. BEWARE! Some of them might be scam tactics, read their Privacy Statements and Terms & Conditions in detail before signing up.
• Never dispose off bank statements, documents with personal details without shredding them beforehand.

Well, those are the best practices I can think of at the moment. If you come up with more, do let me know.