How To Prevent Identity Theft and credit card fraud

Criminals are going high-tech. No longer can you imagine the robber with his swag bag, stripey top and black face mask. There are many ways a criminal can get information from you without you ever realising they have it.

First of all you need to ensure that purchase a good quality shredder. A cross cut shredder will give you the best security protection. Shredders cost anything from £20 up to £100 depending on what you require. You can also purchase shredders that will destroy old credit and bank cards and also compact discs which may contain sensitive information.

Make sure you shred all unneeded receipts, especially any with payment details on them. If you are disposing of old bank statements or credit card bills make sure they are also put through the shredder. A criminal would think it was christmas if he found these in the rubbish.

Personally, I shred anything that has my name and address on it just to be sure.

If you do not already own a good quality cross cut shredder, I can highly recommend this model from Amazon.co.uk Delivered FREE with Super Saver Delivery in the UK

A cyber criminal can retrieve personal information from your computer via the internet and again, you would never realise until it was too late. Make sure your computer is adequately defended from attack by installing a good anti-virus product.People always have personal preferences when it comes to anti-virus software but I can recommend AVG Antivirus with ewido anti-spyware. You can purchase AVG Anti-virus here for immediate download.

If you think your computer may already be infected with viruses or spyware contact PC Guardians to have it cleaned up and checked out.

Never accept file downloads or open email attachments unless you know they are from a trusted and reputable source. One click on the wrong file is all it takes to compromise your security.