Identification theft is a problem that affects numerous people every year. Unfortunately, many people believe they could never be a victim of identify theft until it actually happens. It is estimated that identify theft is one of the most rapidly growing crimes in the country. Perhaps even worse is the fact that many people do not even realize they have become a victim of identify theft until several months have passed and they begin to receive collector's calls and overdue bills. By then your good credit could be completely ruined and it can often take a significant amount of time and money to repair the damage.



There are many different forms of deception and fraud that are used by identify thieves. One of the most common methods is to steal credit card numbers in order to charge on accounts that are already in existence. Another method is to steal personal information in order to open new accounts and then charge on those new accounts.

There are steps you can take to protect yourself from identify theft. Begin by checking your credit reports on an annual basis. This is your best line of defense. Make sure you obtain credit reports from all three major credit reporting agencies. They are TransUnion, Experian and Equifax. Look for information that may not be correct or any discrepancies in information. If you do notice information that is not accurate, report it immediately.

Take care to protect personal information such as your social security number and driver license number. You should never provide your social security number to anyone unless you initiated the contact. Furthermore, avoid carrying your social security number with you in the even your purse or wallet is stolen.

When you have your checks pre-printed, avoid having your driver license or social security number printed on your checks. This is an easy way for thieves to obtain the information they need to steal your identify should you lose your wallet or it should be stolen. If you need to provide it when writing a check, do so quietly.

Do not carry your PIN numbers or passwords with you. Do not allow your PIN numbers or passwords to be seen when you are using an ATM or a debt machine at the checkout line.

When selecting passwords; try to come up with passwords that will be difficult for anyone else to figure out. Do not use your birth date, your mother's maiden name or the last four digits of your telephone number or your SSN. Use a combination of lower case and upper case letters when possible.

Make sure you know when your bills are due. If a bill is late, contact the company immediately in order to find out why. If you have a missing statement, it could mean that someone has either pilfered mail from your mailbox or they have contacted the company and had them change the billing address so that you will not be aware that charges you have not made are accruing.

When you are finished with statements, make sure you shred them rather than just throw them away. If you receive unsolicited credit card offers and applications, shred those as well rather than just throw them away. Shred any documents that have personal information and which you do not intend to keep.

When you need to mail bills, take the time to actually take them to the post office to mail them or place them in a locked mail drop. As surprising as it may seem, there are some thieves that actually patrol areas in order to steal mail and personal information.

Make sure you have a firewall program on your computer in order to protect personal information as well as to prevent hackers from hacking into your computer and stealing your personal information.

Keep in mind that many thieves utilize the Internet to steal personal information. One of the most common ways to do this is to send emails that look as though they are official and request information. They may even seem as though they are being sent on behalf of your credit card company or bank. Always check with your bank or credit card company first to verify they sent the email before you respond and provide any information. If you discover that email did not originate from the bank or credit card company; report it immediately to your Internet service provider.

Protecting yourself from identify theft does take some time and effort, but it is definitely worth it. Recovering from being the victim of identify theft can be emotionally exhausting as well as expensive and time consuming. By taking the time to exercise a few proactive steps you can avoid becoming a victim and all of the hassles that accompany it.