Financial Literacy Series: How to Protect Your Identity During Financial Transactions

No one wants to be the victim of a crime – especially one that involves your money and one that does not come with the satisfaction of an arrest. Faceless and nameless cyber criminals and hackers continue to steal from innocent victims. As part of our continuing series on financial literacy, we take a look at some major ways to stay safe and protect your ID.

1. Keep a Secret: Do not share any of your personal and private numbers with anyone. Keep your Social Security number private as well as any PIN numbers or financial-related passwords. Keep passwords updated and changed as well.
2. Throw it Away: Sensitive paper items that you no longer need should be shredded and then thrown away or recycled. This includes paper bank statements and credit card offers.
3. Worry about Missing Mail: If you always receive your bank statements in the mail, you should contact the bank if you do not to make sure there is not any unusual activity. Any financial services that can be done with online versus paper will help protect your identity as well. Strangers can access your mail, so do not put outgoing mail in your box with the flag up as another way to protect yourself.
4. Credit Reports: You are entitled to a free copy of your credit report from the three reporting agencies through annualcreditreport.com. Take advantage of this a few times a year to help you keep an eye on anything usual that has surfaced, such as a credit card that you did not apply for.
5. Mobile protection: Your smartphone is super smart and knows everything about you. Do not leave it sitting around in public and have a passcode to lock it up in case it is lost or stolen. If you are getting rid of your current phone, take the time to wipe it clean or reset it to the manufacturer’s settings.
6. Ask Questions: If you are not sure about any transactions on your credit card, contact the company as soon as possible to double-check any suspicious activity or if you have any questions about transactions.
7. Report Fraud Immediately: If you think you have been a victim, contact your bank or credit card companies as well as the credit agencies. Also, head out to your local police department and file a report.

Our Team is Here for Your Financial Transactions

At Cash 2 Go, we will help you take care of your money needs with a range of services in our locations that are conveniently set around the Chicagoland area. Our team takes security seriously as well as providing key services to make your daily life easier. Our money services include: check cashing, gift card exchange, currency exchange, electronic bill pay, utility company payments, prepaid debit cards, notary services and money orders. We can answer your questions through our online contact form.