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Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Use These 5 Tips to Help Prevent Identity Theft

By Harvey Warmuth

As you live your daily life, you need to be aware of the steps that you can take to not become identity thefts next victim. There are several common sense steps that you can take to minimize the risk to your identity. Only you truly care about the security of your personal information, so make sure you do what you can to ensure its safety.

Because it is up to you to make sure your identity is safe, you should consider following the below suggestions.

1. Security of your mail: You probably receive a lot of mail that contains personal information that can be very useful to someone who want to steal your identity. Consider receiving bank statements online and opting out of receiving credit card applications to make it that much harder to steal your identity.

2. Using a debit card: Every time you use your debit card as a credit card, you are opening yourself up to have your account information stolen. Remember that purchases made with your debit card cause money to almost immediately come out of your bank account, so if your card number is stolen, your money could be gone in a flash. Use a regular credit card instead since the money isn't drawn straight from your bank account.

3. Check writing: Every time you write a check for a purchase, you are putting out your checking account number and routing number for anybody to see. This is sometimes all that a thief needs in order to steal from you. Stop writing checks - pay with a credit card or electronically.

4. Virtual credit cards: A lot of banks and financial institutions are offering virtual credit cards. You are issued a one-time use credit card number that you can use to make purchases online. This keeps your real credit card numbers out of the hands of thieves.

5. Copy personal information: Keep a record of all of your banking account numbers, including credit card numbers. You should also keep copies of important personal documents like your drivers license and social security card. This information will be necessary if you ever lose any of these documents, or if you ever become a victim of identity theft.

The suggestions listed above are a great way to start making changes in your life to ensure that your identity is secure. Another step that you can take to make sure you never become a victim of identity theft is to make use of an identity theft security plan offered by a reputable company. Take the necessary steps to ensure your identity is safe.

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