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Identity theft is a frustrating, expensive, time-consuming thing to fight. There are ways to lessen the chances of becoming a victim of it. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Tearing up documents with your bank account numbers and Social Security number on them is not enough. It is better to shred them or tear them to bits than to just tear them in half, since anyone who is going to go to the trouble of rooting through your garbage would probably put out the extra effort to fit a couple pieces of paper together. It is even better to throw such things in with dirty paper towels, food wrappers and other things that will damage them further than you already have.

Your Social Security number is for you, the government, your bank, your school, your employer, and no one else. The last place it should be is on your checks. This would be an invitation to whoever had access to them to withdraw money from your account. It should not be on your driver's license either. This will make it harder to remember your license number, but that's a small price to pay for the security of keeping your Social Security number private. Some states do not permit drivers to use Social Security numbers as license numbers. The only time to carry your Social Security card is when you need to take it somewhere, such as when you start a new job. After your employer copies it, it should be taken back home and put in a safe place.

The bank that issued your credit card should have someone call you at home to ask about any purchases larger than the ones you usually make, such as plane tickets overseas. You should be asked questions to verify your identity, questions that can't be answered by looking at anything in your wallet. Your mother's maiden name or the name of the county in which your high school is located would be good questions. If your credit card bank doesn't have such a practice, suggest it to someone in Customer Service. There are plenty of other choices in credit cards, as anyone with a mailing address knows.

When you need to have a PIN or a password, make it something completely irrelevant to your life. Change it from time to time, and don't use the same one for everything. If you must write them all down, use your own best judgment about where to keep them safe.

If you ever receive a bank statement that looks like it has been opened or was not completely sealed, call your bank and ask that an identification check be done with anybody who tries to withdraw money from your account. Check the statement very carefully and report anything that seems amiss. After about six months, it should be safe to ask that they stop checking for identification.

You should check your credit history regularly, reporting any errors in it. They need to be corrected before you apply for any loans or insurance, and even if you have no intention of doing either in the near future.

Identity theft is a growing problem. Anything you can do to reduce the chances of it happening to you is worth the effort.

Learn more about this author, Alicia Suenaga.
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