How to Protect Yourself From Identity Theft

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By oneloved
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Stop Identity Theft!

Did you know a person's identity is stolen every 4 seconds in the US? And the chances of it happening to you grow with each passing year. Here's how you can protect yourself.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Shredding Machine
Safe or Locked File Cabinet
Firewall
Identity Theft Insurance

Step 1

Keep your social security card, passport, birth certificate and other important personal documents in a locked file cabinet or safe (make sure it is anchored to the wall or floor so thieves can't just pick it up and take it with them).
Step 2

Scale back to only one credit card, and cancel the rest. Don't carry multiple cards in your wallet, or any written information such as passwords or pin numbers.
Step 3

Shred all credit card offers, financial statements and junk mail. Switch to paperless billing if you can.
Step 4

Log on to www.optoutprescreen.com and follow the directions to opt out of unwanted credit card offers and other financial junk mail.

Log on to https://www.dmachoice.org/MPS/proto1.php to opt out of direct marketing mailing lists.
Step 5

Make sure you have firewall protection on your home computer and wireless network. You don't want a hacker being able to access your information.
Step 6

Don't use public computers for online banking, shopping, applying for credit cards, or other financial activities. Even if you log out completely and try to erase your tracks, your keystrokes can be recorded.
Step 7

Purchase Identity Theft Insurance from Zander, LifeLock, Identity Theft Shield, or another reputable company. Make sure you choose a service which not only monitors your credit for suspicious activity, but will guarantee to repair the damage if your identity is ever stolen. Without protection, you could be spending up to 500 hours and thousands of dollars trying to restore your credit and good name.