Below are some tips on things you can do to reduce the likelihood of your identity being stolen. This is not an exhaustive list, and unfortunately, even if you are constantly vigilant, you may still become a victim of identity theft.

Secure Your Mail

Think about how much "junk mail" you receive in an average week. Like most Americans, you probably receive daily offers for "pre-approved" credit cards, insurance, and other business opportunities in the mail. Although most of these offers are legitimate, they can wreak havoc on your life if they fall into the wrong hands. To keep this from happening, follow these tips:

Pick up your mail daily to minimize the risk of it being stolen.
If you are going out of town, ask the Postal Service to hold your mail until you return.
If you discard correspondence such as credit card offers or anything else with individual identifying information, make sure to SHRED it first. Many of us simply tear the materials in half, but a thief who is looking through your garbage can easily reconstruct the papers and complete the application using your identity.
Place outgoing mail in a U.S. Postal Service mail receptacle, rather than your own mailbox. The flag on your mailbox that alerts the postman that you have outgoing mail also alerts identity thieves that you have important documents such as checks and credit card numbers in your mailbox.
If you want to cut down on the amount of unsolicited offers you receive, call 1-888-5-OPT-OUT (1-888-567-8688) to be removed from the database that generates credit card pre-approval offers.

Keep Your Financial Information Private

In today's market, most of us do not carry large amounts of cash. We rely on our ability to use credit and debit cards and to write checks. These resources are valuable tools, but you must be careful when using them to make sure that they do not fall into the wrong hands. These tips may help you limit the risk of someone gaining access to your credit and debit cards and checks and/or the information printed on them.

Carry only the credit cards you need to use at the time. Leave others in a secure place. When in public, be aware of people around you who may be trying to read the numbers on your credit cards and/or checks.
Limit the information printed on your checks, and make sure that your checks are stored in a secure place.
Pick up new checks at the bank, rather than having them delivered to your home mail box.
Be stingy about giving out account numbers or other financial information to people.

Keep Telephone Calls Private and Know Who You Are Talking To

Cell phones and cordless phones have become a part of life in America, and they are very useful. Most of us don't give a second thought to discussing our personal lives on these phones, even though our privacy is not guaranteed. We are likely to believe that people who call us are who they say they are. To avoid having prying ears hear your personal information, and to ensure that you don't inadvertently offer your personal information to identity thieves, here are some tips for handling your affairs over the telephone.

Be very careful about giving your personal information out over the phone, particularly when you are talking on a cell phone or a cordless phone. If you must do so and you are in a public place, make sure to hold your voice down and be aware that people around you may be listening to your conversation.
Be wary of giving your personal information to a person or company that contacts you (as opposed to one you contact). Ask the person to give you a number you can call to verify his/her identity, and ask the person to send you any information they would like you to consider in writing.
If you want to cut down on the number of sales calls you receive, register on the national Do Not Call list by calling 1-888-382-1222 or going to www.donotcall.gov.

Use the Internet Carefully

The internet is an amazing tool that lets us find information easily. Unfortunately, it is also a tool used by identity thieves to find out information about you. There are a number of ways that identity thieves can try to take advantage of you using the internet. To avoid having your personal information stolen over the internet, keep these tips in mind:

Be very careful about giving out any personal information over the internet. Never give out personal information over the internet unless you are using a secure website. You may be able to determine if a website is secure by looking at the beginning of the web address in your browser's address bar - it should say "https://" instead of "http://".
If you make purchases over the internet, use a credit card or charge card when shopping online so that you will have the protection of the Fair Credit Billing Act. The Fair Credit Billing Act is a federal law that provides protections to consumers who have billing errors on open end credit accounts. Billing errors include things such as unauthorized charges, charges for items the consumer never received, and credits/payments not posted to the account. To take advantage of these protections, you must contact the credit card company in writing at its "Billing Inquiry" address, and your written notification must be received by the credit card company within 60 days of the date the first bill with the error was mailed to you. For more information about this and other federal protections, contact the Federal Trade Commission.
"Phishing" occurs when identity thieves use fraudulent emails and websites designed to look like legitimate banks, retailers, and credit card companies to obtain your personal information such as account numbers, passwords, and Social Security numbers. To avoid becoming a victim of "phishing," be suspicious of any emails you did not solicit which urgently request your personal information. The companies you do business with already have that information. Be aware that most "phishing" emails will not be personalized, unlike most emails from your bank and credit card companies. You should never use the link provided in an email to go to a web page. Instead, call the company or type the web address into your browser. Do not fill out forms over the internet asking for your personal information unless you know for certain that the email is legitimate.

Protect Your Social Security Number

As you know, your Social Security number is a key number that identifies you. If an identity thief obtains your Social Security number, he can use it in any number of ways to destroy your credit and steal your identity. To avoid having your Social Security number stolen, follow these tips:

Be VERY cautious about giving out your Social Security number. If someone asks you for it, ask him/her why the number is needed, what will happen if you do not give out the number, etc.
Do not carry your Social Security card in your wallet. Store it in a safe place, and take it out only when you know that you will need it, such as when starting a new job.

Regularly Monitor Your Credit Report

Even if you follow all of these tips, there is no way to completely prevent your identity from being stolen. Often victims of identity theft do not find out that their information has been stolen until they receive a collection notice or they are turned down for a loan or job based on poor credit. To keep this from happening to you, check your credit report periodically. If you find anything on your credit report that should not be there, take action immediately. In June of 2005, Alabama consumers will be able to obtain a free copy of their credit report from each credit bureau once every twelve months by calling 1-877-322-8228 or visiting www.annualcreditreport.com.

Consumer Protection » Identity Theft: Take Action to Avoid ID Theft

Take Action to Avoid Identity Theft