Don't trade financial information for freebies6 of 7Many legitimate organizations sponsor sweepstakes, lotteries, drawings and giveaways for marketing purposes. But plenty of not-so-legitimate outfits also run these kinds of activities not to hand out freebies, but to collect data that can be used for identity theft crimes.Be suspicious of offers that seem too good to be true, regardless of how or where they're presented. That free T-shirt may be a lure to entice you to fill out an application for a credit card that doesn't exist. Once you complete the application and get the T-shirt, those data are out of your control."The people who have been victims of identity theft have lost their sense of trust, and I will tell you maybe that is realistic in today's world," Foley says. "You should be questioning things and not (be) so accepting." Related Articles:Subscribe to Bankrate's Weekly RoundupID theft? Fight backVantageScore or FICO?Related Links:How do I get my credit report?FICO score estimatorProtect your personal info advertisement
Many legitimate organizations sponsor sweepstakes, lotteries, drawings and giveaways for marketing purposes. But plenty of not-so-legitimate outfits also run these kinds of activities not to hand out freebies, but to collect data that can be used for identity theft crimes.
Be suspicious of offers that seem too good to be true, regardless of how or where they're presented. That free T-shirt may be a lure to entice you to fill out an application for a credit card that doesn't exist. Once you complete the application and get the T-shirt, those data are out of your control.
"The people who have been victims of identity theft have lost their sense of trust, and I will tell you maybe that is realistic in today's world," Foley says. "You should be questioning things and not (be) so accepting."
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