Steps You Can Take to Help Prevent Identify Theft

• Don't give out personal information on the phone, through the mail or over the Internet unless you initiated the contact or you are positive you know who you are dealing with in the communication.
• Don't carry your Social Security card.
• Secure personal information in your home, particularly if you have roommates or have workers or outside help in your home.
• Deposit outgoing mail in post office boxes or at the post office rather than leave it in your mailbox, and promptly remove delivered mail from the box. If you are planning to be away, contact the Post Office to arrange a vacation hold.
• Shred or tear your charge receipts, credit applications, insurance forms, physician statements, checks and bank statements, expired credit cards and credit offers that you receive before placing these documents in the trash.
• When you go out, carry only the identification information and credit/debit cards that you will actually use.
• Place passwords on your credit card, bank and phone accounts, and don't use passwords that contain information easily available (such as mother's maiden name, your birth date, last four digits of your Social Security number, etc.).
• Check on information security procedures used by your workplace or at businesses (such as doctors' offices) that collect personally identifying information from you.
• Give your Social Security Number only when absolutely necessary. Ask to use other types of identifiers.
• Pay attention to your bills - if you don't receive a bill on time check with your creditor (a missing bill could mean that a thief has taken over your account and changed your billing address).
• Beware of promotional scams.
• Keep your purse or wallet in a safe place at work.
• Cancel all unused credit accounts.
• When ordering new checks, pick them up at the bank instead of receiving them by mail.

Click here for Information on Reporting Identity Theft.