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We have our information out there for anyone to see and steal. I am not the security conscious person I should be and have had my own identity stolen twice in two years. That's not extraordinary by any measure, yet I feel compelled to warn others who fall in the trap I have. Over the years I have given my phone number, address and email to countless companies. I did it freely thinking I would get something in return. Many junk mails later I found my self staring at a bill or two that was not of my making.

Thieves these days are ready and willing to break into our mail (be it electronic or not), trash cans and rifle through our recycling bin. Every store wants your information and the government checks your Identity via your social security number or your drivers' license number. All these numbers and countless amounts of our personal information can be so easily heard and written down by the wrong minded persons of this world. We think that we are using secure computers and secure phone lines, well here's the wake up call nothing is truly secure.

'Dummy' sights and phony bank calls are not unheard of. We have to think more face to face and less trust where our money is concerned. Making shore you don't pass information anywhere in any emails or phone calls may seen harsh, yet there are thousands of frauds committed because people are trusting. If you do check your accounts on your home computer make shore it is wired and that the sight is encoded the same as the one you have used before. Don't trust that little voice and I don't mean Jiminy cricket.

It is all too easy to just trust the person who claims to be from your bank or Credit Card Company. Just remember it is a good thing to do a call back just to ensure that the person on the other end is legitimate. Even a call back can seem real, so it is best to make bank transactions face to face. Having messages from your bank sent to your home is a risky proposition if not taken care of.

Leaving your mail in the mail box is just asking for trouble. We all know that if you go on vacation you can store your mail at the post office, yet we forget that thieves work all the time not just when we are away. Having a drop in mail box that locks is a good idea, but having your mail drop into your garage or front hall is better. Not only do you need to worry when the mail is coming in, but when it is going to be disposed of.

You can't make your mail disappear like magic, so the next best thing is to shred it and if you can burn it. All your important information should be destroyed when you are finished. Your life is worth it and so is your money. Maybe it is true that you just can't be too cautious.

Learn more about this author, Margaret Wilson.
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