Every three seconds someone’s identity gets stolen. But with a couple simple steps you can protect your identity from identity thieves.

(1) Protect your Social Security number.

For identity thieves this is gold. They may have your name and birth date, but without a Social Security number they can’t get very far. In truth, all they really need is a Social Security number and they can misspell your name and still get credit.

The only place your Social Security number should be is in your head. Keep the actual card at home locked away. In some states they can print your Social Security number on your driver’s license. Don’t, ever, period. That would put all your key information on one single card.
If someone asks you to provide your social security number, ask them why the need it, how they are going to keep it and how they are going to safeguard it. In truth, you only need your social for government related activities and when applying for loans and credit. Don’t give your social out to everyone who asks.

(2) Get a cross cut shredder.

You have to be careful about your trash. Most people routinely get bank statements, credit card statements, credit card offers, health insurance forms and more in the mail. And if they don’t need them, they throw them in the trash. You should never do that. Identity thieves don’t mind getting their hands dirty and they will go through your trash to retrieve these types of documents. A shredder is the best way to protect yourself against this. Invest in a good shredder. Before you dispose of important documents, shred them.

(3) Be really careful giving out personal information.

Never give out personal information over the phone or the internet unless you know who you are dealing with. And I mean, REALLY know who you are dealing with. May identity thieves call pretending to be a bank or financial institution just to steal your information. These institutions should already have your personal information on file, and there would be no reason for them to ask for the information over the phone. If something seems fishy, hang up.

(4) Monitor your credit report regularly.

If an ID thief uses your Social Security number and applies for new credit in your name, there may be no way for you to know about the new account. Without checking your credit report regularly, you wouldn’t know that the new account had been opened. So it is important to monitor your credit report for strange activity.

Author: Alex Rowe
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Credit card currency-exchange fees