| By now everybody has heard of some horror | | | | stuff may show up in your report. Get your free |
| story about identity theft from TV shows or | | | | report every four months from each bureau. If |
| magazine articles. In the popular culture, | | | | you are using a PDA, password protect it to |
| references of identity theft are found in the | | | | prevent others from accessing it. |
| novels and movies, notably Frederick Forsyth's | | | | Phishing is a popular method to steal sensitive |
| novel, "The day of the Jackal" and the 1995 | | | | information for identity theft purposes. Don't be a |
| movie "The Net." In real life, the Identity Theft | | | | phishing victim. Avoid clicking on any link that |
| Resource Center ( reports 8.9 millions identity | | | | comes to your way through e-mails or IM. The |
| theft victims in 2006. | | | | e-mail will disguise itself coming from your financial |
| So, what is an identity theft? An identity theft | | | | institutions (your bank or PayPal accounts) and will |
| occurs when somebody steals vital pieces of | | | | urge you to click a link to verify your accounts or |
| personal information, e.g. your social security, | | | | resort to such other tricks. Sometimes, it can be |
| credit card numbers, etc. and uses that | | | | outright threatening. If you click the link you will |
| information for financial gains by taking your | | | | end up in the thief's website. And if you enter |
| identity. The most common form of identity theft | | | | your user name and password, the thief will have |
| involves credit card and mortgage frauds. But it | | | | enough information to log into your actual account. |
| can also be used for vicious crimes like drug | | | | Open online accounts for all your credit cards and |
| dealings, terrorism, etc. | | | | financial accounts. Online accounts are not only |
| You may be surprised to know that many minor | | | | convenient for faster bill paying, paperless |
| identity thefts are committed by someone you | | | | transactions, etc.; they also help monitor your |
| know. So, don't make it an easy job for a person | | | | accounts frequently, instead of waiting for the |
| to steal your personal information from your | | | | monthly bill or statement to arrive. Monitor your |
| wallet, checkbook, etc. Avoid leaving things | | | | accounts online every week and if you see any |
| containing your personal information lying around | | | | suspicious charges, checks, etc., call you banks |
| for others to have an easy access to that | | | | immediately. Also setup e-mail based account |
| information. | | | | alerts, if available, to alert you when charges are |
| Shred, shred, shred. Buy a cheap paper shredder | | | | made to your accounts. |
| from an office supply store and shred all your | | | | If possible, avoid putting your outgoing mails |
| paid bills, used check books, etc. before tossing | | | | containing bills and checks in your mailboxes for |
| those into the trash. Put aside 30 minutes every | | | | easy access by a thief. Drop them in mailboxes |
| Saturday morning for shredding anything that | | | | located in the post office or street corners. |
| contained your personal information and you | | | | Better yet, setup online bill payment with your |
| intend to trash. Make it a habit. | | | | bank and avoid the snail mail for bill paying. |
| Never give out your personal information like your | | | | You also need to keep your computer safe. |
| social security number; birth date etc. over the | | | | Thieves can get into computers through spyware |
| phone when the call you received is unsolicited. | | | | and unsecured wireless or network connections. |
| Your financial institutions have those information | | | | Use anti-spyware programs and turn on your |
| and they will not ask you for that. Sometimes, | | | | Windows default personal firewall program. To |
| for verification purposes, they make ask you the | | | | prevent viruses infecting your computer, use an |
| last four digits of your social security number. | | | | anti-virus program. Setup accounts for each user |
| Don't pay to get anybody to get a copy of your | | | | of your computer and ask them to use strong |
| credit report. Because of a congressional | | | | passwords that include a combination of letters |
| mandate, all three-credit report bureaus will give | | | | and numbers. |
| you a copy of your credit report for free every | | | | Another way to prevent anybody, including you, |
| year. Go to to obtain your free credit report | | | | from opening any credit in your name is to freeze |
| every year from TransUnion, Equifax, and | | | | your credit. This option is not available in all states. |
| Experian. While obtaining your free credit report, | | | | If it is available in your state and you opt for this |
| these bureaus will push some paid services. Just | | | | option, you need to lift the block before you allow |
| ignore those. | | | | anybody, e.g. an employer for a new job, creditor |
| Don't get your free credit reports from the three | | | | for a car loan, etc., to access your credit |
| bureaus all at the same time. Then you have to | | | | information. Though it is almost like a foolproof |
| wait one year before you can get your reports | | | | system to prevent identity theft, it is the also the |
| again for free. In the mean time, some unwanted | | | | most inconvenient method. |