Tips to Protect Your Identity

One of the fastest growing—and most insidious—crimes in the country, ID theft affects nearly 10 million Americans a year, according to the Federal Trade Commission. But, there are ways to keep your identify secure…just follow these simple, anti-theft strategies.

By Jane Katz

Keep your social security number to yourself. This is the key to your identity. Don’t carry your Social Security card around with you. If it gets into the wrong hands, that could mean trouble. Instead, store it in a safe place in your home.
Cut down on the credit cards you carry. There’s no reason to keep all your credit cards on you when you go out. Just keep one in your wallet; leave the rest at home.
Read your bank and credit card statements. Don’t just file away your monthly reports without going over each one carefully. If you notice any suspicious activity, contact the financial institution immediately.
Make a photocopy of all your credit cards so you’ll be able to report the information immediately if they’re lost or stolen.
Shred all paper with your personal and/or financial info, including all those unsolicited credit card applications you get in the mail. ID thieves are dumpster-diving pros.
Don’t get phished. Even if a letter or e-mail looks official, never give out your social security and credit card numbers or passwords to any “company” that contacts you; that holds true for phone calls as well. Don’t give out personal information unless you initiate the interaction.
Only disclose personal info on Websites that offer a secure transaction.
Don’t use obvious passwords, like your date of birth or address. Also, it’s also a good idea to periodically change your passwords.
Keep track of your credit reports. You can receive one free report a year from each of the three credit bureaus. Simply go to annualcreditreport.com. If you think you’ve been a victim of identity theft, contact one credit bureau (Equifax at 800-525-6285; Experian at 888-397-3742, or TransUnion at 800-680-7289) and request a fraud alert be placed on your account. That credit bureau is required to send the alert to the two other bureaus.