Top ten tactics to knock out identity thieves

In this world of plastic currency, you are exposed to risk more than ever.  However, protection is not that difficult as you think.  Here are some easy tactics to protect you and your wallet from identity thieves.

1. Use a paper shredder – Papers which are useless to you may be goldmine to thieves.  Papers like receipts for ATM transactions and unsolicited credit card offers should be destroyed promptly.  If possible, take your thrash bin out in the morning instead of at night so that it will be difficult for thieves to get their hands to it.
2. Get your credit report every year – It is available free of charge once in a year.  This is a good chance to ensure that everything in your report is in order. You can quickly find out things like unknown new credit accounts, post box address which you never thought of having and collections appearing on your credit report.
3. Be careful while deciding on passwords and pin numbers – Your passwords should not be obvious to anybody who knows you.  You should avoid using your date of birth or nickname while assigning passwords.  Please to not use the same passwords or pin numbers for all purposes.
4. Do not mail from your own mailbox – It is very easy but very dangerous at the same time.  By raising the red flag, you are informing the mailman as well as to a thief.  It may be a good idea to have a P.O. Box instead to receive all the important financial mail.
5. Reduce unsolicited offers and junk mail – Unsolicited credit card offers sent to you are like lottery winnings to identity thieves. You can opt out of such offers by calling your credit bureau. It will save you from many future headaches.
6. Never allow your credit card to be away from your eyesight in restaurants – When you go to a restaurant, never allow the waiter to take your credit card away somewhere inside for processing. A thief may be sitting in the parking lot waiting for such details from your waiter.  Preferably, you should go to the counter and make the payment. If it is not possible, make cash payment.
7. Request your credit card company for safety features available with them to do online shopping.  The many credit card companies offer features like allotting a temporary credit card number for online transactions.  Even if thieves steal this number, they may not be able to use it.
8. Avoid carrying your social security number with you – It is better to remember it. This is the key to open several doors for the thieves.  You should keep your social security card in some safe place.  Never make copies of your card and give the number only when it is absolutely necessary.
9. Carefully monitor your credit card statements and bank statements – Some desperate thieves may use to your existing credit card itself instead of applying for a new one in your name.  It is a good idea to check your transactions online regularly so that you can immediately locate the discrepancies.
10. Beware of the risks of giving information online - Your personal information can be easily picked up from sites like Facebook or MySpace or from online dating sites and it leads to many risks to you and your family.

You should always keep handy the contact details of all credit bureaus.  In case of a suspicion of theft, you can immediately call these agencies to request for a security freeze, which will prevent thieves from opening a new credit account in your name.

Identity thefts are common and you must keep the thieves away with these tactics to protect your identity and your money.