How to Protect Yourself Against Identity Theft

Identity theft is getting a great amount of attention in the media today, and the amount of money stolen from each instance of identity theft as well as the number of instances are growing each year. If you happen to be a victim, you have over one hundred hours of work to look forward to get this problem out of your life. Here are some tips on how you can make your self much less vulnerable to identity theft.

In your personal computer and on the internet, be sure to have good passwords. Don't use the same password for all of your accounts, and avoid using anything that somebody could easily guess about you such as your mother's maiden name, your birth day, the name of your children or pets, your phone number. Also avoid commonly used passwords such as "password" as well as any other word that is in the dictionary. You should try to make your passwords at least 8 characters long so they are much harder to crack. Use a combination of numbers, letters and strange symbols so they are much harder to crack. Don't write your passwords down on a sticky note either!

Keep any sensitive information such as account numbers and personal information away from any prying eyes. These people can include room-mates, services people and the people behind you in the check out line. Lock up your financial statements in a filing cabinet, and be sure to drop off your mail into a secure USPS mailbox. Opt out of everything you can. When you're leaving home, have your meld held. Shred all of your credit card receipts and all credit card offers, as well as bank statements and other paperwork.

Never give out personal information over the phone or the internet unless you're the person who initiated the contact. Never respond to any unsolicited offer. If you are interested in a solicitation, confirm that it's not a scam before giving any information to them.