Are you at risk for identity theft? Here are 5 revealing behaviors

From With the explosion of the World Wide Web in the mid-90s, the risks of identity theft and fraud increased dramatically. While concerns were expressed as online payment systems became more prominent, online stores appeared and the internethas grown in the fabric of life and society, the risk has increased.

Who is at risk of identification theft? Are kids who grew up with the web more likely to be aware of the risks, or are money surfers naturally more cynical and less confident? And how do you know if your username is about to be stolen?

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Some people are more at risk than others

Identity theft is a problem that shows no signs of disappearing. Throughout history there have been people who pretend to be someone they are not in order to gain financial advantage.ier. These days, it has become an industrialized form of fraud, with operational units of criminal gangs dedicated to identity theft and the fraud (and sometimes extortion) accompanying it.

However, the risk of identity fraud is not equal. If you can keep track of your identity, it will not be stolen. If it is not stolen, fraud cannot be committed on your behalf.

So you just need to avoid identity fraud. Unfortunately, some people are more prone to identity fraud than others. Here are five key signs that you may be the target of identity theft.

1. You are not checking credit card or bank statements.

The mailbox slams, you take the envelope, but you don't open it to find out what's inside. After all, it's a bank or a bank card statemente credit. You know what you bought, what bills were paid and how much you spent on your credit car.

There is literally no need to check.

Unless… if your credit card has been cloned, there is a very good reason to verify. After all, you wouldn't know about this type of fraud without checking your card statement. And you won't learn that someone opens a loan in your name and pays the monthly payments from your bank account without reading your bank statement.

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

2. You use the same username and easy-to-remember password for each account

It 's so much easier to use the same username and password password for all your accounts, right?

After all, passwords are hard to remember. Why complicate things and waste time with a bunch of passwords and different PIN codes when you can only use one?

The point is thatOne password for all your accounts makes it easy for anyone to find your password all your data. Cloud accounts, emails, social networks - they are all accessible by your unique password. Banks and credit card accounts might require additional data, but if a scammer has your passwords for everything else, they have enough information to impersonate you on the phone.

• Here are the best password generators

3. You 've never checked your credit report

Do you think your credit report is intended for special occasions like loan and mortgage applications? Think it's only available to banks and loan companies?

If you've never read your credit report, you won't be able tohow your data is collected. You won’t see how the accounts are paid, month by month, and what credit checks have been done. Have you bought a new phone? The phone company will have performed a credit check. Have you repaid a loan? This will also be listed here.

Was your name used to request a credit by a stranger? You won't know if you haven't checked your credit report. It's time to sign up for Experian or similar services to access and check the report monthly.

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

4. You willingly click on links in emails claiming to be from your bank

When someone sends you an SMS or a pop-up email asking you to verify your login details are correct, you click the link, right? After all, you don't want to have to change that password if you can avoid it.

Online crooks looking to stealidentities have a smart way of capturing that urge to click. They send messages claiming to be from your bank, mortgage company, credit card company, even PayPal, eBay, or Amazon. The email includes the correct logo and face type to help convince you of its veracity.

In the body of the email, there is a request to verify your account details by clicking on a link and submitting your username and password. Of course, this is a scam - the username and password don't confirm anything, they are just saved by a database, along with all other information on the fake website.

5. You share everything on social networks

You've heard of sharing excessive? It 's when you tell the world about every detail of your life (eg on Facebook). Photos of foode, thoughts on the bus, where you are, where you have been, who you are with.

This is information that identity thieves can use to create a profile of you. They could use it to assault you, steal your phone and purse, get the information they need, and pass you off as a line of credit. Or they could use it to spot when you're out of the house, then break in and retrieve your banking information.

Social media is fun, but sharing everything is dangerous. Be more discreet, share the good times, but keep it to a close circle of friends and don't know where and when. Disable 'check-in' features and keep your friends list compact.

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Counter your behavior to risk

Other telltale signss could be added to this list, such as having your Social Security (US) or National Insurance (UK) in your wallet, or not securing your bank statements where visitors cannot. not see them.

But now you need to recognize the dangers. Believing "that they will not get me is not enough to prevent identity theft." Instead, responsible behavior that recognizes the importance of your financial situation is needed.

The theft of your identity card is an event that can change your life. This is definitely the one you should avoid. Fortunately, this is also the one you can avoid, simply by avoiding key mistakes and learning new behaviors that secure your identity.

• Also check out our full list of the best protections against identity theft