5 Ways to Control Your Identity

It's on the news, it's on the Net, and it's even the subject of feature films: identity theft. Increasing year after year, your chances of experiencing it firsthand are also increasing, unfortunately. So, what can you do firsthand to prevent it from striking you and your family?

We have put together five ways that you can better control your identity and do more to help you prevent your own identity theft:

1. Keep your Social Security number under wraps - To start, store your Social Security card in a private place. Don't keep it on your person. And never give it out to anyone unless absolutely necessary. If they ask for it, ask if there is any other piece of information you could provide to prove who you are or to identity you. For those who live where Social Security numbers can double as driver's ID, get an alternate number instead. And keep track of all paperwork that carries you Social Security number, whether health records, school transcripts, or any other items that carry your number. And when you get rid of documents with your number on them, be sure to shred everything first.
2. Your trash may be a thief's treasure - After your garbage and refuse leaves your home and is placed at the curb or dropped into a dumpster, it enters the public domain. If you don't know what that means, it means it is no longer your property. So, anyone can collect it and rifle through it in a quest for personal data. Credit card statements, handwritten credit card receipts, old tax papers, IRS documents, banks statements - anything that carries personal data - all should be shredded before you discard them. Some communities even set up shredding centers after tax season. Check with your city office.
3. Passwords that even a psychic would fail to guess - Identity thieves know that people are lazy, that people want things to be easy, that people don't believe identity theft can happen to them. So, identity thieves know that many people create simple passwords that are easy to remember. They know that many people leave the original password given to them - 1/2/3/4/5 - and then never change it. Or they use their spouse's name. Or they use their own name! Never, ever use your own name for a password, or the names of people in your family. Come up with a name or a number that only you would know. Something secret. And never write them down and keep them around the house or in your briefcase or in a wallet or purse.
4. Keep your private information private - If there are account numbers on it, treat it as wisely as you would money. The reason is that for identity thieves it is seen as the same as cash. And not just in your home, where perhaps you have a safe that's fire resistant. What about the larger world that keeps track of your records? Can you imagine if thieves broke into a doctor;s office looking for drugs? What if they realized the wealth of information in the files they could find there, from names and addresses, to credit card numbers, to Social Security numbers, and the like! Or what about at your place of work, your dentist's office, the charities you give to? Check with each to see if they have measures in place to keep all of your information safe and sound so you can control your identity.
5. Sign up with an identity protection service - Last but far from least, enlisting the expertise and vigilance of an identity protection company is one of the smartest steps you can take to control your identity. Because even if you personally fail to keep your identity under control, they are your firewall, and better than that - if you both fail, they will pay whatever it takes, often up to one million dollars to set things straight. They will do the leg work and the detective work and the legal work because you've been paying them to do it. And often for as little as $10 a month!

If you don't take these preventative steps to help you control your identity, you might just find yourself playing catchup to accomplish it after the damage has been done.