How To Prevent Identity Theft

Be just as careful with your incoming and outgoing mail. Bank and credit card statements, school or license applications, utility bills, tax documents—anything with your personal digits on it is a goldmine to these sneaks.

Beware of “phishing”: that’s when some no-goodnik sends you a letter or email that looks legit, but it’s really an attempt to get your financial information.

They even try it with text messages now.

Never give out personal information unless you initiated the contact.

Watch out for “skimming” too; that’s when a store clerk swipes your card through their own personal swiping machine. You’ve got to watch those store clerks like a hawk.

At home, never leave revealing documents lying around the house, where workers or deliverymen could easily help themselves.

And, finally, always destroy any bills or documents that contain personal information before throwing them away. Use a paper shredder if you’ve got one.

It’s that simple—just take the proper precautions and you’ll always be the only you there is.