How To Protect Yourself From Identity Theft

By: Paul Wilcox

There are a number of forms of identity theft. The fraudulent use of another person's credit card, charging up bills in another's name and seeking work in someone else's name are all examples. Unfortunately, the people who are victims of identity theft are often help responsible for debts and other problems created. This is one of the reasons you need to take steps to protect yourself.

First, you need to be able to recognize the different types of identity theft and how they occur. Checking your credit rating on a regular basis and watching your bills and statements for unusual items are just a start. You should also consider the following:

- Never give out personal information unless it is to someone that is well known and trusted to you

- Documents that contain any personal details should be shredded before being thrown away and this can include anything from bank statements to credit card offers

- Keep your social security number confidential and NEVER have it printed on your check book

- Never freely carry around important documentation and numbers as they could easily be stolen

- Get an unlisted number so you are not in the phone book

- Cancel and destroy any cards that are not used

- If your wallet or purse is stolen, contact all financial institutions you have accounts with

You can also help protect yourself by keeping important documents locked away in a safe at home or a safety deposit box at your bank. Never share your personal information through unsolicited email or phone calls. If you're traveling, leave a copy of your identification with someone you can contact in case the originals are stolen or lost.

How To Protect Your Identity On The Internet

Always have a current antivirus and antispyware program, and make sure you keep them up to date. Change your login passwords regularly and use something that is difficult to guess, ideally a combination of numbers, letters and symbols. Never respond to emails asking for account information such as your bank login or Paypal username and password. And before logging into a sensitive website, verify you are on the legitimate site.

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