Identity theft is a massive problem, with over half a million reported identity theft cases in 2019 alone. It is not easy to protect oneself from identity theft either. However, it is only made worse for those in the military, as active duty makes it much harder to protect your identity. Despite the use of SSN on military documents and IDs slowly fading out of practice, there are still many ways that may put your information at risk. Here, we will talk about how to protect the military from identity theft.
Ensure Password Safety
It is easy to overlook password safety for the ease and convenience of efficiency and speed. However, reusing passwords or choosing common types of passwords is extremely dangerous when trying to protect against identity theft. As soon as someone has broken into one account, the rest of your accounts will also be placed at risk.
Protect Your Paper Trail
A large step in protecting yourself from identity theft involves keeping your paper trail small and guarded. If a thief gains access to your bank statements or SSN card, it can quickly lead to a breach in your safety. Therefore, it is important to keep your documents safe from all prying eyes, either by placing them in safes or scrapping any documents you do not need. This is more vital for members of the military, as they will have a very difficult time keeping their documents safe while on active duty.
Utilize Active Duty Alert
This is a unique way to protect yourself from identity theft that is only for military members on active duty. This is essentially an alert on your credit account that requires identity verification in order to create a line of credit in your name. This helps prevent any theft of actual money or credit, even if your account has been compromised. The unique aspect of the Active Duty Alert is that it lasts for a year instead of the normal three months for non-military individuals.
These are just a few of the most important ways to keep yourself safe from identity theft. Protecting your assets can be quite difficult, as those in the military are especially susceptible to identity theft. These tips on how to protect the military from identity theft should help keep those who serve our country safe.
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