How bad is it? Companies in the protection business will tell you it’s bad. And why wouldn’t they? That’s their marketing strategy. Well, the fact is” it is bad. More than half a million people fell victim to identity theft last year. But according to Javelin Strategy and Research, the number of identity thefts is and will continue to be on the decline.¹ Over the past 4 years alone, it has declined 23 percent and is expected to continue this pattern over the next 4 years.  So, should you even worry about it?

Well, if you choose to be proactive and take the time to be careful, you probably won’t need to shell out the dollars for professional protection. And the heartache of identity theft isn’t just about the potential loss of money and the feeling of being violated – victims spend an average of 30-40 hours cleaning up the mess that was made. These simple steps and every day good habits may save you a week of unfavorable nightmares:

1. Don’t keep your social security card or any document containing your social security number in your wallet.
2. If you pay bills and conduct other business on the Internet, use your personal computer; not a public computer.
3. Do not store your social security number, credit card numbers or other confidential information in your cell phone.
4. Never send emails, instant messages or texts from you cell phone containing confidential information including usernames and passwords.
5. Watch out for telephone solicitors or entities claiming to be a creditor requesting your personal information. Never give this out over the phone.
6. Forget the debit card. These are magnets for identity theft especially if you use them at ATMs away from your personal bank.
7. Always press cancel after you make a purchase with a credit card at the gas station, car wash, ATM, etc.
8. Only shop online with websites that offer a privacy policy. Also, look for the Trust-e symbol or Better Business Bureau online seal to ensure the trustworthiness of the seller.
9. Do not open any email attachments unless you know who sent them and what the contents are.
10. Use a shredder. Any document that contains personal information such as your credit card receipts, medical statements, bank statements…anything that contains your personal information…should be shredded if you no longer need it for your records.

Also, it is always a good idea to check and keep tabs on your credit reports. You can visit www.annualcreditreport.com and obtain a credit report from Experian, Equifax, and/or TransUnion once per year at no cost. I recommend obtaining a report from one of these agencies every 4 months just to check up on things. Identity thieves are always coming up with new and creative ways to steal your identity. Therefore, I encourage you to exercise caution and stay up to date on current information. If you see a brief article on how to avoid identity theft; read it. If you hear about something you need to do, but aren’t; do it. It may just save your bacon.

1.Javelin Strategy and Research. 2009.