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These suggestions were gathered from various attorneys and law enforcement agencies that specialize in helping people to prevent and reduce the risk of having personal information stolen that will lead to identity theft.
50 Ways to Prevent Identity Theft
STOP identity theft before it happens.
Protection Techniques...
1. When writing checks, be sure to use only a gel pen with black ink. Gel ink has pigment that cannot be chemically stripped. A Uni-Ball 207 is a great choice and can be found at any office supply store.
2. LADIES: When you go to the grocery or any store with a shopping cart, place your purse in the cart's child-seat and then put the child's seat-belt thru your purse handles. That will stop a theft from the commonly used "grab-and-run" action used by many thieves in grocery stores.
3. Stealing a child's identity is quickly moving to the top of the list for identity theft. Your child has a clean credit history which makes it easier and more profitable to steal. Read more important information about Child Identity Theft.
4. Consider making your home phone an "unlisted number." Or have your number listed in the phone book with your first initial only.
5. Buy a cross-cut type shredder. Shred all your important papers with account numbers on them -- especially pre-approved credit applications and those blank equity checks some banks send out to tempt you. You may not want them, but thieves do!
6. Be very aware that "dumpster diving" really does exist. Make sure that you do not throw anything away that someone could use to become "you." Anything with your identifiers must be shredded (cross-cut) before throwing it away.
7. Be careful at ATMs and using Phone Cards. "Shoulder surfers" can get your "pin number" and get access to your accounts. It is good to stand close to the keypad so that anyone else around you cannot see the location or order of the keys you press.
8. When you use an ATM, NEVER throw away your receipt in the trash can conveniently placed beside the ATM machine. Take the receipt home with you and destroy it there. Some machines put too much information on those receipts that a criminal could use, and thieves prowl through those trash cans whenever possible.
9. This IMPORTANT TIP was shared by one banking chain: If you find yourself being heldup or forced to withdraw cash from an ATM machine, tell the thief you have no cash in your account and no credit left on your credit card. If the thief continues to demand money, approach the ATM as usual with your card. Many ATMs today have a special feature to alert law enforcement in the event a crime is in progress.
To alert the bank and law enforcement, after inserting your bank or credit card - enter your password backwards. Some machines will give the requested amount, but some will immediately confiscate your card which will send the thief in search of another victim. The bank will notify law enforcement, and the date and time on the surveillance camera will be noted for viewing by the authorities. (It is recommended that you check with your bank to see which security feature they have with their ATM machines.)10. DO NOT sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, you should write: "PHOTO ID REQUIRED." If the stores do not follow this direction and your credit cards are used by thieves, the stores share in the blame for unauthorized charges on your cards.
11. Memorize social security numbers, passwords, and pin numbers, never write them down to carry in your purse or wallet. In fact, do not carry any personal identifiers you do not absolutely need.
12. NEVER NEVER allow anyone to take your Visa, Master Card, American Express, or bank debit card out of your sight! If you eat in a restaurant, do not give your credit card to the waiter to pay for your meal. The extra time it takes for you to pay the Cashier as you leave the restaurant may save you from many years of complicated and expensive credit repair.
13. Buy a Locking Mailbox to protect your mail until you can retrieve it at your leisure. Your mail contains info that you don't even want your own family and friends to know; why would you leave it so easily available to a total stranger?
14. If you travel out-of-town frequently, a locking mailbox is a must have! A large secure Mailbox can also protect your packages from theft and weather damage.
15. NEVER NEVER place your outgoing mail -- especially payments -- in your mailbox for the postman to pick up. The red flag will not only alert the mailman you have outgoing mail, but will alert everyone else (especially criminals) that you have mail that is sitting there free for the taking.
16. Getting a post office box is a good second choice from a locking mailbox; but with the cost of gas going up, these daily trips to the post office can be inconvenient, as well as expensive.
17. Have your name removed from all promotional lists. This will stop those "pre-approved" offers that identity thieves love to steal out of your mailbox. Read how to be removed from unsolicited junk mail.
18. Unless you have a locking mailbox, get all of your newly ordered checks delivered to your bank - not to your home address. You can then go to the bank and personally pick up your order. Blank checks are a goldmine to identity thieves.
19. The next time you order checks, instead of putting your first name, have only your initials and last name printed on them. That way if someone takes your checkbook, with no first name they will not know if you are male or female, or know if you sign your checks with just your initials or your first name - but your bank will know how you sign your checks. This difference in signatures could help out later when you have to prove that your checks were stolen and it is not your signature.
20. When you are writing checks to pay on your charge cards, DO NOT put the complete account number on the "For" line. Instead, just put the last eight numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of your number; but anyone who steals your bank statement, or might be handling your check as it passes through all the check processing channels, will not have access to it.
21. NEVER NEVER have your Social Security Number printed on your checks. You can write it on if required by a merchant, but if you have it printed, anyone can get it. Fewer businesses are asking for a social security number and will accept your drivers license number instead.
22. Speaking of your driver's license, some states use your social security number as your driver's license number; but ALL states will now accept requests for an assigned DMV number instead of your SS#.
23. Make sure you put an active phone number on your checks in case a merchant needs to contact you with a problem or ask about a suspicious transaction or info on your check.
24. If possible, get credit cards and bank cards with your picture on them. More and more credit companies are offering this added security feature.
25. If you start seeing signals that your identity has been tampered with - Read what you should do AFTER your identity has been stolen.
Who Needs LifeLock?
Every Man, Woman and Child with a Social Security Number
Let Professionals Protect your Identity.
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26. If you find that you have given personal information to a questionable business or website online, you can immediately make a report to the Consumer Reporting Agency.
27. Very Important: Place the contents of your wallet on a copy machine and copy both sides of your drivers license, credit cards, etc. That will help you to remember what was in your wallet or purse in case you need to report them stolen.
The copies you make will have the account numbers of the accounts you need to cancel or close, and will have the phone numbers you need to call to report the theft. Keep this photocopy in a safe place.28. Don't forget to make a list of your bank account numbers and bank phone numbers in case some of your checks are stolen and you have to quickly report a theft or close your bank accounts.
29. Also have a photocopy of your passport when traveling either here or abroad. We've all heard horror stories about fraud committed by stealing a name, address, and SS# from a passport.
30. NEVER NEVER carry a copy of your birth certificate with you. Leave it at home or in a safe place. These certificates are GOLD to theives and very hard for you to replace.
31. NEVER NEVER carry your social security card with you. It is helpful to memorize your number. Make a spare copy but keep the original in a safe place.
32. It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to regularly monitor your Credit Reports from all three Bureaus. These reports can give you one of the first signs that your identity has been stolen.
33. Credit monitoring is especially true for active duty military. If you will be out of the country, please place a "fraud alert" or "security freeze" on your SS# with the credit Bureaus so that no one can open new accounts without speaking directly with you. (There are monitoring companies that will do this for you for a small fee.)
34. Order your credit report at least twice a year. Review it carefully. Immediately correct all mistakes on your credit reports in writing. You can send a correction letter by "Return Receipt Requested" and identify the problems item by item with a copy of the credit report. You should hear back from them within 30 days. It is very important to follow-up to make sure your corrections are made.
35. Every month monitor each credit card statement. If you see anything that appears to be new activity on your reports and you did not initiate that activity, then you need to contact the Bureaus immediately to verify what the charge is for. If you find an unauthorized charge, you need to immediately put a "fraud alert or security freeze" on your accounts to STOP further theft.
36. Monitoring your bank statement each month is just as important. Your bank statements give criminals a record of your deposits and a copy of your cancelled checks that have your signature on them. Your bank balance tells the thief how much of "your money" he can steal.
37. When a credit card expires or you order a new card, watch the calendar to make sure that you get the card within the appropriate time frame. If it is not received by a certain date, call the grantor immediately and find out if the card was mailed. A missing credit card is a sure sign you may have been hit by identity thieves.
38. If you notice your credit card statements have stopped coming, this is a big red flag. Immediately call the company to find out if a change of address has been filed. This is a favorite tactic of identity thieves to keep you from seeing their activity.
39. Cancel all credit cards that you have paid off or have not been used in six months. Open credit is a prime target because thieves can use these accounts easily by simply changing the address, and you would not know since you don't get statements for accounts with a zero balance.
40. Do not put your pin number on your Bank debt card. While a credit card company will not always hold you to fraudulent charges, if someone steals cash with a debit card - your cash is gone for good.
41. When mailing in a payment, do not put your account number on the outside of the envelope. Many people may handle that envelope besides the postman, and that number can alert the wrong people that it is a payment with a check inside.
42. When a person calls you at home or at work, and you do not know this person, never give out any of your personal information. If they tell you they are a credit grantor of yours, call them back at the number you know is the true number, and ask for that party to discuss your personal information. Provide only information that you believe is absolutely necessary.
43. If ordering online, make sure you use a password that does not contain any of your personal information: like a phone number, date of birth, address, and especially do not use your mother's maiden name.
44. Those irritating spam emails can contain some of the biggest identity scams on the internet. Report Spam Emails
45. Never click on links sent inside of emails, even if they are from family or friends. But if you end up going to a suspicious site, report the site to OnGuardOnline.gov
46. It is a good idea to ask all financial institutions, doctors' offices, etc., what they do with your private information and make sure that they shred it - and tell them why. Thieves frequently target business trash dumpsters. This type of crime is frequently reported on the nightly news.
47. When you are asked to identify yourself at schools, to employers, or any other kind of institution, ask to have an alternative to your social security number. Many will understand and allow a second choice.
48. Unfortunately, your health insurance carrier often uses your SS# as your ID number. Request to change that if you can.
49. Here is great site with ways to be removed from those annoying mailing lists: Stop promotional mail.
50. It is becoming more and more important to fortify your home and business with security alarms and/or surveillance cameras. Break-ins are on the rise and home invasions can net a lot of important information to the invaders if they get their hands on your stored personal or business information.
NEVER be too embarrassed to report identity theft. Things to do immediately if you find that your identity has been stolen.
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