Your computer and steal-El Paso Inc.

We must continue in our special report on the prevention of identity theft and how to deal with it, if you are a victim. This week focuses on your computer.

Protect your computer
Update your antivirus software regularly and after any new virus alert is reported. Use a firewall program available to prevent your computer from hackers.

Download files or open hyperlinks sent from people you don't know.

Use a secure browser to protect the security of your online transactions. Enter personal and financial information only in the event that the browser's status bar icon is "the Castle" and the search URL to read "https" versus "http."

Use a strong password with difficult to guess the combination of uppercase and lowercase letters and numbers. I don't want to use automatic sign-on and always log out when you're done.

Restore Wizard
Prednámi becoming and remaining organized. You will be communicating with a lot of people and have many tasks to complete. Keep copies of all letters, immediately file the paperwork, and save all on the spot, safe and available.

Lenders and banks
If the accounts have been used or opened illegally, immediately contact your creditors. For hosted accounts, click the new account numbers and cards. You will need to provide the creditors of the police report or the Federal Trade Commission complaint and affidavit of Identity Theft victims. Monitor the future listings carefully for evidence of new fraud.

If the collection agency is trying to collect on the fraudulent account, they explain, in writing, you are a victim of identity theft and is not responsible for the debt. Ask to confirm in writing that you don't owe a balance and that the account was closed.

Checking account fraud, contact your financial institutions include the cessation of payments on all outstanding checks that you write. Close the current checks, and savings accounts and obtain new account number and password.

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