Suffolk-Sawyer Professor Gives Tips to Avoid Identity Theft

A professor at Suffolk University’s Sawyer Business School was featured by the WalletHub blog in an article about protecting yourself from identity theft.

Benjamin K. Ngugi is an associate professor of information systems and operations management at Sawyer.

If you’re looking for a professional service to protect yourself against identity theft and keep your personal data safe, Ngugi advises choosing a provider that has been in continuous operation for at least five years and has numerous positive reviews.

You can also take steps on your own to protect yourself from identity theft, Ngugi says in the WalletHub article. He advises putting an identity lock on your social security number so that you’ll be alerted if anyone tries to open a new account and putting alerts on your bank and credit cards as well.

Even with alerts in place, keep an eye on your financial statements so that you can spot any red flags, such as unfamiliar transactions, Ngugi advises. When you’re ready to discard any statements with personal data, shredding them helps deter identity thieves, Ngugi says.

Be careful with the personal information you share on social media, Ngugi cautions. Thieves can use this information to figure out the answers to authentication questions and break into your accounts.

Finally, you should make a habit of checking your credit report every quarter, he says.

Ngugi tells WalletHub that he’d like to see the federal government establish a better process for victims of identity theft to use to clear their names. “The recovery process is currently more frustrating than the identity theft itself,” he says.

regions: Boston

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