Preventing identity theft starts with you—making sure you’re aware of the threats out there, and how to avoid them.
Choice Loans, a financial lending service based in the UK, has put together a site that can help. It’s an interactive guide to various types of identity fraud, complete with 16 things you can do to detect or respond to them.
The site covers a broad swath of risks. It shares detailed information about computer viruses and malware, con artists and fraud, credit card fraud, online shopping, card skimming, card-not-present fraud, stolen credit or debit cards, mail theft, man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks, cell phone scams, online password theft, passport fraud, pharming, phishing scams, pyramid schemes, shoulder surfing, and more.
Each type of threat or identity fraud has a “Learn More” link that takes you to a resource where you can—as the name implies—learn more about that topic. The “Learn More” link on Computer Viruses and Malware, for instance, takes you to a Microsoft website with detailed information.
The How to Prevent section of the Choice Loans site also provides links to install MalwareBytes or AVG Free—both free antimalware tools that are very capable.
The Card Skimming section links to a YouTube video of a Fox News segment about ATMs that have been compromised with card skimming devices. The tip directs you to a Wired article titled “How to Protect Yourself from Debit Card Skimming,” which lists six things you can do.
You get the idea. The rest of the site works the same way—with links to help you learn more about the threat itself, and links to advice or guidance to help you recognize and avoid those threats. In some cases, the advice is more about what to do after the fact, or if you suspect that identity fraud is going on.
Although Choice Loans is based in the UK, and the site itself is UK-centric, there’s also a US version. The website automatically detects your location and presents the most appropriate version of the site for you.
The more you know about the threats you face, and the tools available for defending against them, the less likely you are to end up as a victim of identity fraud.