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Monitor Your Accounts
Implementing these better practices into your daily routine will reduce your likelihood of becoming a victim.

  • Do not mail any identifying documents or payments from home. Use the post office or USPS drop off.
  • Do not carry your Social Security Card unless absolutely necessary.
  • Do not have your SSN printed on your checks.
  • Most private businesses do not require you to provide your SSN.
  • Carry only the Credit/Debit/ATM cards you actually use.
  • Shred any personal identifying documents.
  • Do not give out any personal information to any agency that you did not personally contact.
  • Review your mandated free credit reports.
  • Maintain software and antivirus updates.
  • Be aware of your surroundings.
  • When you are going to be away from home for an extended period of time have the USPS hold your mail until you return.

Protect Your Information
Verify sources before sharing personal information - Don’t give out personal information on the phone, through the mail, or on the internet unless you’ve initiated the contact and are sure you know who you’re dealing with. Identity thieves are clever, and may pose as representatives of banks, internet service providers (ISPs), and even government agencies to get people to reveal their social security number, mother’s maiden name, account numbers, and other important identifying information. Before you share any personal information, confirm that you’re dealing with a legitimate organization.

  • Secure Passwords
    • First of all, you need to memorize all your passwords and don’t record them on anything in your wallet or purse. When creating passwords and PINs (personal identification numbers), do not use the last four numbers of your social security number, your mother’s maiden name, your birth date, your middle name, your pet’s name, consecutive numbers or anything else that can be easily discovered by thieves. It is best to create a password that uses letters, numbers, capital letters, and symbols where possible. When using an automated checkout card reader at the store or a bank ATM, use your hand to shield your PIN to guard against “shoulder surfers”.
  • Storage of Documents
    • Keep your personal information in a secure place at home, especially if you have roommates, employ outside help, or are having work done in your house. Important documents should be kept in a safety deposit box or locked, fireproof safe at home. Share your personal information only with those family members who have a legitimate need for it. Keep your purse or wallet in a safe place at work; do the same with copies of administrative forms that have your sensitive personal information.
  • Anti Virus
    • Install and update virus protection software to prevent a worm or virus from causing your computer to send out files or other information that may contain your personal information.
  • Networking
    • Install a firewall on your home computer to prevent hackers from gaining access to your computer and obtaining personal identifying or financial data from your computers hard drive. This is extremely important if you use a DSL or cable modem to connect to the internet and leave your computer connected. The internet can give you access to information, entertainment, financial offers, and countless other services, but at the same time, it can leave you vulnerable to online scammers, identity thieves and more.
  • Mail
    • Install a locking mailbox at your residence to deter mail theft or use a post office box or a commercial mailbox service. If you’re going to be away from home for an extended period of time then have your mail held at the post office. Never leave envelopes containing checks in your mailbox for the mail carrier to pick up. If stolen, checks and statements contain key information that is valuable to identity thieves.
  • E-mail
    • Never send important personal information in an email. Never respond to “phishing” email messages. These can appear to be from your bank, PayPal, eBay, or utility companies. They instruct you to visit their website which looks just like the real thing. Once there, you are told to confirm your account information, provide your social security number, date of birth and other personal information. Legitimate financial companies never email their customers nor make such request. These emails are the work of fraudsters attempting to steal your identity.
  • Shredding
    • To thwart an identity thief who may pick through your trash or recycling bins to gather your personal information, always shred your charge receipts, copies of credit applications, insurance forms, physician statements, checks and bank statements, expired credit cards you’re discarding, and credit offers you get in the mail.
  • Personal Documents
    • Protect your purse or wallet at all times. Don’t carry your social security number or card; leave it in a secure place. Carry only the identification information and the credit card and debit cards that you’ll actually need when you go out.

Ask about information security procedures in your workplace or at businesses, doctor's offices or other institutions that collect your personally identifying information. Find out who has access to your personal information and verify that it is handled securely. Ask about the disposal procedures for those records as well. Find out if your information will be shared with anyone else. If so, ask how your information can be kept confidential.


Travel Tips
Before You Travel - Go through your wallet, purse and/or briefcase and remove any of the following items prior to travel:

  • Social Security card
  • Check book & deposit slips
  • Birth certificate
  • Credit card receipts
  • Library card
  • Video rental card
  • Bills
  • Extra Credit Cards

Leave your debit card at home. Make credit cards, not ATM cards, your card of choice. Carry no more than two (2) credit cards in your wallet. Place all the removed items above into a locked safe or safety deposit box. Pay all bills before you go out of town and place mail on “postal hold” with the Post Office. Arrange so mail may only be picked up by you and request that identification must be shown to receive held mail. Stop delivery of newspapers or any other items you may normally have delivered (water, automatically scheduled deliveries of products, etc). Make copies of your itinerary, passport data page, visas and driver’s license to leave with designated emergency contact. Notify a neighbor to watch your house and/or let them know you are not moving.

While you’re away - Lock up all your valuables in room safes or hotel safe while you are out of the room. (This includes jewelry, laptops, passports and any other important documents). Be aware of your surroundings at all times – shoulder surfing is a viable method of obtaining personal information when you least suspect it. Don’t take anything in your wallet that is not absolutely necessary. Heighten your awareness of people and crowds around you – pickpockets thrive in most major cities. Do not place purses, belongings or purchases on the floor in public areas.

What to take - Bring photo copies of all travel documents including plane tickets, hotel reservations and passports. Keep these photocopies in a different location from the originals.

What not to take - Do not bring any bills with you when you travel. Also, leave any nonessential documents that contain your Social Security number, name, address and phone numbers at home and locked up safely.