Identity Theft: 8 Simple Ways to Protect Yourself

According to a recent survey released by Javelin Strategy and Research, identity theft rose 22% in 2008. With a five-year high of nearly 10 million people victimized last year, and another identity stolen every three seconds, identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America. And if you become a victim, it can be one of the worst to fix.

Financial costs aside, identity theft victims can spend hundreds of frustrating hours talking to credit card companies, banks, police and credit bureaus repairing the damage. When you factor in that thieves may hold onto information for as long as six months before using it, and that a single stolen identity can be used over and over again, the full weight of the crime really begins to take shape. That’s why it’s more important than ever you take precautionary steps to ensure your personal information stays personal.

Todd Davis, CEO of LifeLock®, the leader in proactive identity theft protection, offers these nine tips to help you avoid the hundreds of hours, dollars and headache it can take to repair the damage of identity theft:

1. Place fraud alerts on your credit report.
Fraud alerts notify creditors that they should take reasonable steps to verify your identity before issuing new lines of credit, etc. This makes it extremely difficult for thieves to use your information for their financial gain. If you have a good faith suspicion that you have been or are about to become a victim of id theft, you can place fraud alerts with all three major credit reporting agencies, but alerts last only 90 days and must be renewed continuously to be effective.

2. Order ALL THREE free credit reports.
Whether or not you are a victim of identity theft, take advantage of your free annual credit reports and check them for any potential problems or inconsistencies. But be careful. Some companies try to lure you in with promises of a free credit report and then charge you a fee. You DO NOT need to use a credit card to get your free report. Visit www.annualcreditreport.com to get yours.

3. Opt out of unsolicited credit card offers.
Not only are pre-approved offers annoying, they also present an easy opportunity for thieves. Opt out of pre-approved offers of credit at www.optoutprescreen.com. You may choose a five-year opt-out period or permanent opt-out status. This reduces the possibility of someone rifling through your mail and opening credit using your name.

4. Don’t let your mail sit in the mailbox.
Believe it or not, identity thieves still obtain information by stealing your mail. Junk mail, bank statements, bills, pre-approved credit offers, and W-2s all contain the personal information that a thief would need to impersonate you. Don’t give them the chance. Be sure to pick up your mail as soon as it’s delivered or have it delivered to a locked box.

5. Become acquainted with a shredder.
All read mail should go through the shredder before it goes to the trash. Using a shredder on all of your personal documents makes the job for any would-be identity thief infinitely more difficult.

6. Beware of unsolicited emails from the IRS or other government agencies.
The IRS recently reported receiving over 30,000 messages regarding fraudulent emails disguised as official IRS communications. By clicking on links contained in the email, not only are you directed to a fake IRS website that requests your personal and financial information, officials also fear that it may automatically download malicious software designed to steal your passwords and other account information. How do you know what’s real and what’s not? To be on the safe side don’t open any unsolicited emails and certainly never provide your information.

7. Protect your Social Security number.
Don’t carry your Social Security card with you or give out your Social Security number if it’s not necessary. If a business, doctor, or financial institution asks for your social, ask why they need it and see if it’s possible to substitute another identifier.

8. Let experts help protect you.
While preventative measures can be done by anyone, nothing can stop all identity theft. Credit monitoring only alerts you after someone has misused your identity, but many companies do exist to provide consumers with expertise in helping to protect your identity. When selecting one of these companies, make sure that they provide convenience, support, protection and a guarantee that will aid you if you do become a victim.

In the unfortunate event that your identity is compromised, file a police report immediately and notify all of your banks, creditors and document issuing companies.

As a special offer to all MyChangeAddress.com Users, MyChangeAddress.com has partnered with LifeLock® to provide a 10% discount off membership in LifeLock’s identity theft protection service. LifeLock® works to help stop identity theft before it happens, and guarantees that if you become a victim of identity theft while a member because of a failure in their service, they’ll help fix it at their expense, up to $1,000,000. (Restrictions apply. See LifeLock.com for details).