Top Tips to Avoid Identity Theft
In 2007, there were 8.4 million adult victims of identity fraud in the United States, according to research firm Javelin, resulting in $49.3 billion in losses and many hours of grief for the victims. Even though it seems so easy for criminals to steal your information, you can easily safeguard your ID by changing some habits and putting in a little extra effort. To help you protect yourself, Switched presents ten tips that will keep your money and information safe and, as a bonus, get you less junk mail in the process.

Anything with an account number, signature, social security number or any personal information can be used against you, and since most people throw this stuff in the trash, it's readily available for dumpster-diving thieves. Shredding your bills, ATM and credit card receipts, pay stubs, back statements and anything else with confidential info is a much safer alternative. If the paper shredder you use cuts horizontally and vertically across the paper, that's even better, since it makes taping the paper back together difficult. Likewise, any digital data on hard drives, CDs, or DVDs should also be fully wiped or physically destroyed. On the plus side, shredding is kind of fun.





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Comments
19
Subscribe to commentsJohn CJul 16th 2008 8:13PM
Stop putting your Trojan loading weblinks on these sites. You are a coward.
O. T.Apr 17th 2008 3:06AM
The photo for No. 1 is a slicer, NOT a shredder. (You would not expect to see printing with a shredder.)
John connorApr 16th 2008 7:01PM
my Trojan Comment was for Alex with the fake Britent S site, that w3ill load a trojan on your PC using Active X
bighognpinApr 16th 2008 8:01PM
if you catch an identity theif you can hit him over the head with your empty Monavie bottle...http://mymonavie.com/daveandrocio
elsieApr 16th 2008 9:49PM
You warn me not to give out my ss # then you turn around and as me for it in order to opt out of junk mail!!!!!!!!!!!! You take all my time to fill out the thing then won't accept it without my ss #!!!!!!! I am very disappointed.
Jonathan BlockApr 17th 2008 11:54AM
The company that I work for helps people find where their personal information is being listed and sold on the internet. I've got a free coupon code if anybody would like to try it out. You can go to www.reputationdefender.com and sign up for the service called "MyPrivacy" and enter in coupon code "JBROCKS" (that's the coupon code they gave me for family and friends). After you're finished signing up, the system will check about 35 open databases and show you what parts of your personal information are being listed out there and help you have it be removed. It finds information like your family members, all of the places you've ever lived, your home and cell phone numbers, and more. Hope this helps someone.
GeneMay 4th 2008 3:42PM
The "Reward/Punishment" approach to people living on the same continent worked when Man stepped out of the cave and it will work now.
If a person goes to jail ( to an Arizona-New Mexico type jail) for a guaranteed 20 years for stealing someone's ID, there will be fewer people
involved in the activity.
The "slap-on-the-wrist" apprach to law enforcement is the reason most crime is committed.
TruthApr 19th 2008 11:00PM
The so-called government has stolen all of our "NAMES" CAPITALIZED!!!! Watch the Jordan Maxwell videos!!!!!
TruthApr 19th 2008 11:04PM
The government has stolen ALL of our "NAMES" CAPITALIZED....into
fictitious corporations!!!!!! Talk about identity theft!!!! Watch the
Jordan Maxwell videos!!!
EdApr 25th 2008 7:06PM
Please go to this web site: prepaidlegal.com/hub/ejohnson43
This company that I am a Independent Associate with, has the answer
to your Identity Theft problems, also your legal problems that come
from people using your identity in serveral states at once.
kyle akersApr 28th 2008 9:45PM
As broke as i am ....i would rejoice at someone stealing my identity...Theyd kill themselves in a week
Reg MartinJan 22nd 2009 2:22PM
That's the way I feel. If someone stole my identity, they would hunt me down and pay me to take it back.
PatMay 13th 2008 2:55PM
I agree with all of the above!
JoannMay 17th 2008 11:55AM
I found this to be really helpful in providing some tips to stop and prevent your self from identity theft. I also got a lot of good information at this place called IgotMyIdentityStolen.com which was useful with tips and updates about identity theft.
LauraJun 10th 2008 11:33AM
Sometimes it doesn't help to do it all.
My ex husband and his girlfriend got my SS# from our divorce papers, ran up a nearly 1000 dollar phone bill, and they are still trying to get the money from me!
I had moved away, out of state, and I have to file a police report in the town it happened in... I live 400 miles away!!
I sent all pertinent info to a friend, but they would not let him file for me. What a crock.
I hope they don't put the full SS# on papers like that anymore... at least not on the copy that they give your ex!!
WayneJan 4th 2009 3:51PM
Suddendly, ID theft all-but-completely Stops! Why? Wayne's new law take effect, to wit: If you are caught with someones stolen ID, on-site and sudden; without any free Medical help, Snip-Snip, off goes your right arm, just above the elbow.
The ONLY extra expense to We the SHEEPle is the wide Media coverage. IF you are aware of this new, sudden, (NOT 10 years from now), Law, you have no excuse!
Don't even ask about my new laws concerning Car-Jacking, Auto-Theft, and many others. They are seriously frightening!
Result! The 'Law Enforcement Growth Industry loses many 'Customers', but the beneifit to We the SHEEPle, (the Silent Victims, who are of 'no-effect'), is fantastic!
AnAJan 21st 2009 8:30PM
The TJX Corp Breech is biggest crooks in USA and Canada , I was snagged in the Would You Like to Safe 10% on your Purchase today? , my ADVISE DO NOT DO IT. !! It cost me 545,000.00 Dollars and I am still fighting creditors, My Identity was stolen and TJX wants ro re_imburse me for my DRIVERS LIC, heck with that Crap...once you been had, it does not matter your Credit is shot to Hell....and TJX does not give a HOOT ---------they hire fellons, truck in Illigal Aliens from a Location, I seen and asked most employess of TJX are , from other Countries and not citizens of US" Hey H&S "look for Illigals there Marshalls, TJMAX, HOMEGOODS,A-J WRIGHT< BOBSRORES< HOMESENSE , WINNERS , T-K-MAXX
Older and WiserJan 22nd 2009 3:00PM
As long as our cards can be scanned onto a computer system and we shop online using cards we will be in the open for anyone to get our information. Modern technology is good in some ways but for the most part using credit NOT.
Clifford E. EasdenJan 22nd 2009 3:33PM
It would seem to me that any company that keeps personal data that can be stolen by COMPUTER HACKERS such as identity theft, would be using an ENCRYPTION PROGRAM on the computers etc.