Personal information

Next time you are at an ATM watch what people do with the receipt they get from the machine. How many people just kind of put it into the garbage which is at the machine? What people don't think about is the information that is on that piece of paper. The information that is on it are, most of the access card number, the transaction that you did and also the balance in that account. By just leaving that piece of paper around you are giving people access to some information about you.

The other thing people do is simply throw their credit card and/or bank statements in the garbage or into a recycle bin quite often in public locations. Without shredding the personal information that is on them you could end up with identity theft. The information that you are simply throwing out is the information that is required for someone to either attempt or to steal your identity.

It is always interesting to listen to people complain and not understand that they provided the thief with the information they were looking for. Another thing people do is while out, in public, they give out their credit card information over the phone. All it takes is for someone to make note of the credit card information and use it. Some online systems match the address and name of the person with the credit card information and some don't. Image the purchases that could be made with just a credit card and expiry date. I have even heard people give the three digit code off the back of their card while out in public. Purchases that require credit card information should not be done out where others can hear you. Most people don't care and aren't really listen but all it takes is that one person to hear the information and that's it.

Personal information is called that because that is what it is. The information that can identify you or be used to make systems think it is use doing the transaction or activity. The use of personal information should be done in locations that have limited access so that you aren't giving away a lot of private information out in public.

Protecting your personal information is very important and is something that needs to be considered all the time. Always make sure that when you are doing something or discarding something you aren't given someone else access to your information.

If you are one of those that does all your credit card purchases over the phone out in public maybe it’s time to rethink what you are doing. In some cases you have given out a lot of personal information within ear shot of a lot of other people. You may have given out your name, address, phone number, and credit card number with expiry date and csv code. You have now given a lot of people enough information that they could actually steal your identification so at least make some really good purchases on your credit card before you realize what has happened.

Personal information such as bank statements and credit card bills should be destroyed before you put them into the recycle or garbage. We have a shredder at home and anything with personal information on it gets shredded and then that bag is put out for recycling. It would be very hard to find the information that is needed this way and that is why we do it. Credit card purchases are made at home if over the phone and if on the computer again it is at a location that we know the internet that we are using and it wouldn’t be a fast food restaurant’s free wifi.

Keep your personal information personal and that will help you stay safe and not have to try and figure out if you really did make that purchase or not on your credit card.