How to Fight Identity Theft
Your Personal Finance Management Plan

Our top tips on how to fight identity theft are listed here. We have all seen the television commercials portraying an identity theft scenario where a victim's identity has been stolen and used by a crook to steal money or illegally buy goods. You simply don't want this to happen to you.

There can be no question in anyone's mind that it would be a scary thought to lose control of your credit cards, bank account access, or even any of your identity documents like your drivers license.

This is something that can happen to anyone. And before you even know it is happening a thief can start using your credit cards to make purchases for which you may be liable.

According to government statistics about 10 million people have some type of identity theft issue every year. About one-quarter of all identity theft incidents involve credit card fraud, while utility fraud and bank fraud each account for about a fifth of the total.

Also of note in these statistics is the fact that only about one in ten of those cases involve online identity theft. By being aware and following safe habits, on line website use and even making purchases is perfectly safe.

How to Fight Identity Theft Online

• Never share any of your password information. This may sound simple but people do it inadvertently or accidentally all the time.
• Don't use one password for all your accounts. Should a single account ever be breeched it would leave everything open for access.
• It’s best to choose passwords that are random numbers and letters rather than names of family members, dogs, or other names people around you may know or guess.
• You should regularly change your account passwords to improve security. Yes, this is extra work that most of us don’t want to do, but in the big picture it can pay off in acting as an extra layer of protection.
• Don’t fall victim to a "phishing" scam. These are emails that look like a legitimate government agency or company email but are sent by scammers. Should you click through on one of these emails you'll invariably be lead to a scam website that requests some personal information. These emails and websites can look very authentic so always check the address for accuracy.
• Never enter any personal information on a website unless you are on a secure page. Normally a secure page will have an address that starts with "https" instead of just "http". This is a small but noticeable sign to watch for in your browser address window.
• Your web browser will likely display a certain icon when a secure page is onscreen. In both Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox this icon looks like a padlock. This icon is clickable and will display security information about the site you are visiting.
• If you access any bank accounts, investment accounts, or credit card accounts online you should visit regularly to make sure everything is normal. Report any anomaly immediately.

How to Fight Identity Theft Offline

• Never give out your social security number for identification. For years, many companies and institutions used this number on documents to identify a person. Today, almost all will offer you the opportunity to use a random number for your account.
• Be leery of credit card "skimming" that might be done by an unscrupulous merchant or employee. You should always try to keep your credit card in sight to avoid someone copying the data off the magnetic strip and using the information to steal from you.
• Keep track of your mail. It is best to use a locked mailbox whenever possible. Always take outgoing mail to a government postal box or directly to the post office.
• Never write account numbers on the outside of an envelope that is headed for outgoing mail service.
• Always destroy any documents containing personal or financial information using a shredder prior to putting them in the trash heap. That includes pre-approved credit card offers you get in the mail.
• Whenever you leave town for an extended period go to the local post office and stop your mail service. Generally the post office will hold mail for up to 30 days with one request.
• Never carry your social security card on your person. Instead keep it and other important documents in a bank safe deposit box. They are very inexpensive.

An added layer of protection you might consider is an identity protection company. For a fee this type of company offers identity theft monitoring and a guarantee against loss for a modest annual fee.

These, how to fight identity theft tips, should be a part of any personal financial management plan you follow. Doing so will help keep your identity and money safe.