It may sound crazy, but even kids as young as 10 can benefit from being careful with what information they give out. Look at Myspace and Facebook and what information some people post. Real names, where they live, where they will be and at what time. That is a set-up for danger. Cyber stalkers use sites like these to pick out victims. Don’t be one.

Be careful who you accept as a friend online. The other person could be posing as someone you may know or like to know and may be someone with bad intentions. If you let people see everything you post, you could set yourself up for trouble. There are scammers out there who will take over the identity of a friend of yours, post that they were mugged and had all of their money stolen and they will ask you to send or wire money to them. Don’t fall for that.


If you have a checking account or credit card, be very careful about your statements. If you get paper statements, make sure you don’t miss one in the mail one month. People have been known to randomly steal mail out of mailboxes and have stolen checking account information. If you have a credit or debit care, be very careful about giving out the number. Never throw statements or anything with you account number in the trash without shredding it first. Don’t just tear it up, people have been known to steal trash and look for such things. They will put a statement together like a puzzle and will charge things to your account.

Never give out financial information to someone who calls you or who sends you an email. Scammers are all over the place these days. Some will send emails that look like they came straight from your bank. When in doubt, call the bank. People will also call you claiming to be from a bank and will ask you to verify your account number. Ask what the call is about and then call the customer service number on your bank statement.

This information should give readers a good start on keeping your identity safe, but it isn’t the end. Scammers are always looking for new ways to take advantage of people. Please remember to always vbe vigilant about protecting yourself online and off.