In 2020, the Federal Trade Commission reported that 1.3 million people were victims of identity fraud.
What can thieves use your identity for?
There was more than a 50% increase in identity thieves applying for home or apartment rentals. Nowadays, people can find themselves applying for a housing rental online. Although the latest technology makes it easier to do this, people need to know a few things before applying or typing personal information.
How to protect your identity:
- Ensure connection to a safe internet service.
- Connecting to public wifi can be dangerous. Public wifi, such as a local McDonald’s or Starbucks, is not a reliable connection for people to put information such as their date of birth, social security, or buying things online. Public wifi is much easier for hackers to steal information.
- Check the weblink before you apply.
- Websites that are secure should have a figure of a little padlock and say “secure.” If you are not sure, always click on the link and look for anything that seems suspicious.
- Monitor your accounts and credit.
- People are entitled to an annual free credit report through annualcreditreport.com. Checking and understanding a credit number can be confusing. There are resources to help through nonprofits such as the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.
Taking these steps can lower the risk of identity fraud. The most important thing is to be aware that it can happen to anyone.
How to protect your rentals?
ACUTRAQ helps employers, property managers, landlords, and many others get the information they need to make an informed decision. The workers at ACUTRAQ are familiar with identity fraud and see it happen daily. With over 12,000 satisfied customers, ACUTRAQ is ready to serve you!
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