Tips for identity theft prevention

While it is impossible to prevent identity theft altogether, there are things you can do to protect yourself. There is no need to make it easier for identity thieves. Here are some tips you can use to help you with identity theft prevention:

• Be selective when you reveal personal information. One of the best things you can do is to be careful of where you give out personal information. Now matter whether it is over the phone, through the mail or on the Internet, you need to be sure you are dealing with a legitimate and reputable company. Additionally, you should find out the reason that the person is asking for your information. You should never give out your entire Social Security Number, bank account number or other personal information. The last four digits should be sufficient for most companies, since they should have your information anyway.
• Do not give our personal information in response to an email. This is very important. It goes along with the above tip, but it does deserve extra attention. Many scammers use a practice known as phishing to obtain account passwords and other sensitive information. In this setup, an email is sent, asking you to click on a link and then log into your account. When you enter your account username and password, the scammers copy it and then have access to your account. The site you go to looks official, and so many people are fooled this way. Never follow a link to a place where you give personal information. Instead, open a new browser window and enter from the official Web site homepage.
• Erase your tracks online. It is very important that you take the proper steps to protect yourself online after shopping or any activity that requires you to provide personal information. Not only is it a good idea to have Internet security software, but you should also empty your browser's cache and close the window. This will help get rid of your information for third parties to intercept.
• Limit the number of cards you carry. Only carry the cards (ID cards and credit cards) that you need at the time. One debit card and one credit card, plus your ID card, is usually sufficient. This will limit the damage if your wallet or purse is lost or stolen. File unneeded cards away at home.
• Memorize your important numbers. Do not carry your personal identification number  (PIN), account numbers, passwords and other numbers around with you. Instead, memorize these numbers. This is important, since a list of important information could easily fall into the wrong hands. Also, do not carry your Social Security Card with you. Memorize the number.
• Choose passwords and PINs carefully. Do not choose passwords and PINs that are easy to guess. Birthdays, mother's maiden name and children's names are easy to guess. Instead, choose harder to remember protection. It may make it difficult for you, but it makes it harder for the identity thieves as well.
• Shred documents. Many identity thieves get their information from the garbage. Make sure that you shred all documents with your name and identifying information on them. This includes credit offers and other pieces of junk mail. Spending $30 to $100 on a decent shredder is well worth the price of identity theft prevention.
• Keep good records. Make sure that you keep good records of income and expenses, as well as charges. Read your monthly statements and check your records against those you receive from the financial institution. If you do not receive information as expected, be sure to call the institution and let them know. It could be that the statement was intercepted.
• Do not mail bills from your house. One of the easiest ways for identity thieves to get account numbers and other information is by taking it right out of your mailbox. When you put checks in the mail, it is easy for them to be taken from your home and used. Instead, mail bill payments at the post office.
• Check your credit report often. This is one of the best things you can do. Make sure you check your credit report often so that you can catch potential red flags. If you see a new account that you did not open, it can be a sign of identity theft.

It is important that you vigilantly protect your identity. It requires an investment of time, but the sooner you catch identity theft, the better.