| The first and most important thing you can do to | | | | away, even if the card has expired, and throw |
| become better prepared and protected against | | | | the tiny pieces into more than one trash bag so |
| identity theft is to lose the attitude that "it could | | | | even if one bag is found the card could not be |
| never happen to you". Identity theft is much | | | | put back together. |
| more common than most people believe, and the | | | | - Report any stolen or lost credit cards |
| belief that it won't happen to you leaves you | | | | immediately. |
| much more vulnerable than someone who actively | | | | - Destroy receipts, tax information, credit card |
| takes steps to protect themselves against the | | | | applications, mortgage information or canceled |
| crime. Identity thieves are able to obtain | | | | checks before throwing away- and keep such |
| information they need to assume someone else's | | | | documents in files in a locked file cabinet inside |
| identity- often with little effort. | | | | your home. Don't rule out the possibility of the |
| Take Care to Protect Personal Information | | | | babysitter or housekeeper or guests taking |
| Do you shred information before you throw it | | | | paperwork lying around your home. |
| away? The easiest way for identity thieves to | | | | - Keep a close eye on your credit reports and |
| gather information to assume your identity is | | | | credit card statements to watch for anything out |
| through the paperwork you throw in the trash. | | | | of the ordinary, or transactions you know you |
| You may as well hand a thief your credit card, | | | | didn't make. Investigate anything suspicious |
| social security card and driver's license if you're | | | | immediately. |
| throwing out (without shredding) credit | | | | If You Are a Victim of Identity Theft |
| applications, resumes, credit card and utility bill | | | | Victims of identity theft often spend months or |
| statements. | | | | years trying to recover from the crime. Not only |
| Sometimes thieves will intercept your incoming or | | | | may it cost victims money, but their credit score |
| outgoing mail by taking items from your mailbox. | | | | is going to be ruined and will take work and time |
| With enough information, perhaps gathered | | | | to repair. While the three major credit bureaus do |
| through various bank statements or credit card | | | | have policies for fixing credit scores and reports |
| applications, the data can be pieced together by a | | | | after identity theft crimes have occurred, it does |
| thief to use your name to apply for loans and | | | | take a long time for the errors to be corrected |
| credit in your name. You may want to consider | | | | and repaired. |
| mailing documents from a post office mailbox | | | | Before the report and score is corrected, the |
| rather than a personal mailbox- the little red flag | | | | victim is going to have a difficult time obtaining |
| you put up on your box to signal your mail carrier | | | | any sort of financing (from credit cards to |
| that you have mail waiting for pick up is also a | | | | student loans to car loans or mortgages). In some |
| signal for identity thieves of a potential victim! | | | | extreme cases, identity theft victims are even |
| Preventing Identity Theft | | | | arrested for crimes they didn't commit. |
| Other than shredding paperwork prior to throwing | | | | Being a victim of identity theft interrupts your life. |
| it away, there are a few other methods you can | | | | It is far easier to take appropriate steps to |
| use in order to protect yourself against identity | | | | protect yourself than it is to repair your credit |
| theft: | | | | reports and credit score after your identity has |
| - Cut credit cards into tiny pieces before throwing | | | | been stolen. |