What You Can Do To Help Protect Yourself Against Identity Theft

1. Remember that it doesn't take much for someone to obtain your personal information. A good thief can use "social engineering" to get as much information about you as possible.
2. Don't use your mother's maiden name as verification. With all of the genealogy web sites around, it's very easy to find out what it is. Use your grandmother's maiden name or some other name that you can remember and use consistantly.
3. Rip up or shred ALL mail intended for the trash. It doesn't matter how insignificant the information may seem to you, it may be just the piece of information that an identity thief needs.
4. Don't carry your social security card with you. To an identity thief this is valuable information. Chances are that, if the thief has your social security card, he probably has your credit cards, too.
5. Never give your social security number out. A merchant certainly should not need it for you to make a purchase. Ask why the person needs your number. If they can't give you a good reason for you to give them your number, they could be trying to scam you.
6. Get a copy of your credit report each year from the three major credit reporting agencies (see below). But BEWARE... these same agencies will try to sell you monthly "protection" programs. Don't fall for their tricks.
7. Ask the credit reporting agencies to "block" any requests for your credit history unless you authorize the request in advance. If someone requests a report on you, the agency has to contact you for your permission first.
8. Don't let your computers store your passwords and credit card numbers. It's easy pickings for a hacker and you can never be sure if the stored data is encrypted properly - or at all!
9. Encrypt the data on your laptop hard drive. That way, if you lose your laptop or it's stolen, the thief won't have all your information at his fingertips. I program I recommend is madeSafe.
10. Protect ALL your computers against unauthorized access and viruses. Yes, there are viruses that will mail people files from your hard drive without you even knowing it. For more information on protecting your computers, see my page on computer security tips

One More Thing...

Ask your employer what they are doing to protect your private information. Many businesses are required by law to protect all personal information. Your place of business may also have a Chief Privacy Officer on staff who can answer your questions.