In this day in time your personal information such as your address, credit card number, checking account number, and even your telephone number, is at an all time high of theft. Telemarketing companies and marketing companies will pay top dollar for your personal information depending on the type of information collected. Identity theft and other related crimes are also at an all time high.

There are a couple things that you can do to help reduce the risk of having your phone constantly ringing day in and day out with a telemarketer on the other end and to keep your personal information secure from theft.

1) The number one mistake and the easiest way for a person to steal your information is actually in a very accessible place known as your trash. Most criminals of identity theft find your bills, check stubs and other personal info in your trash. Make sure you discard your personal info in a proper way, shredding is one way to cut down on this.

2) The internet is the number one source of information distribution in the world. When buying, applying, or signing up for something on the internet make sure it is a reputable company and they have a secure online certificate, otherwise known as a SSL cert. This scrambles all the information on the page into a code so others cannot see what is being typed into the screen.

3) Beware of scams either via phone or on the internet. If you haven’t heard of the company before or are unsure of what they are telling you don’t give them any information.

4) Never give your credit card information to companies that call you asking you to pay a bill. Most of the time they are legit companies but the other half are scams. Ask them to send you a bill in the mail.