Most people don’t realize how easy it is for someone to steal your identity without breaking into your home. In public places criminals may engage in what they call shoulder surfing, watching at a nearby location as you punch in your telephone calling card or a credit card number. They may also listen in on a conversation as you give a credit card number over the telephone to a rental company or hotel.

The area near your home or office may not be safe. Criminals can engage in what they call “Dumpster Diving” and go through you trash, communal dumpster to obtain checking account numbers, credit card applications, and bank statements. These types of documents make it easy for criminals to steal your identity.

If you receive pre-approved credit card applications in the mail and disregard them without shredding them, identity thieves will try to activate them without your knowledge. Some credit card companies require credit cards once approved to be activated from your home phone, but this practice is not universal yet. Also if you mail is sent to a place where it can be easily accessed a identity thief may redirect that mail somewhere else.

During recent years the internet has been a target of identity theft. Criminals try to get personal information by spamming people and requesting personal information posing as a bank. They also sent e-mails offering some service that really is not present.

With enough of you personal information a identity thief can take over your identity and wreck your life. They can drain your banks accounts, saving accounts, charge up your credit cards, apply for new credit, and file bankruptcy in your own name. This is serious business. This will also destroy your free credit reports and good name.

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I don’t think I can write enough about this subject, identity theft is going on everywhere now. I wanted to give some more tips on what the experts recommend on safeguarding your private information from identity thieves. In the current day and time you cannot be too careful on protecting your personal information. Once it happens to you its too late and is very hard to get resolved in a timely manner.

Precautions:
• Don’t carry too many credit cards in your wallet, maybe only one is necessary.
• Don’t carry your social security card in your wallet.
• Don’t put your social security number and driver’s license number on your checks.
• Don’t pay your bills in the mail, use on-line services. You may also use the post office.
• Use complicated username and passwords.
• Memorize your username and password, never write them down
• Install virus protection software on your computer
• Don’t give out your personal information over the phone
• Check all 3 credit reports every 4 to 5 months.
• Don’t open any attachments or emails sent to you from unknown senders.
• Look out for suspicious mail that might ask you to apply for a credit card or other types of credit.
• Change your password every few months
• Shred all bills
• Opt-out of receiving credit card offers in the mail by calling 1-888-5-OPTOUT
• Get your phone numbers and address removed from reverse directories and phone books.
• Subscribe to credit monitoring services that alert you quickly
• Buy identity theft insurance.
• Review your social security and benefits carefully every year.
• Pay for stuff with cash instead of credit cards and debit cards.
• Install firewall software on your computer
• Ask business that keep your personal information about there storage and security process.
• Have you mail sent to a P.O. Box.

With 50,000 people a year getting there information stolen you can rest assure its on epidemic proportions. This crime is growing so fast that you cannot afford to just assume it will not happen to you. Protect you and your families get all of the information mentioned above in place. Its worth spending a little extra money to save yourself thousands and countless hours fixing identity theft.

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