1) Don't give your identity away.
     The basic concept is ...
     ... don't give ANY personal information ...
     ... to ANYONE that you don't know.

2) Use The Automatic Budgeting System (TABS)
     While it won't prevent identity theft,
         it will help limit the damage, and make the repair process easier.
     If you don't get the full system, at least get Tab-1
         Read more about TABS

3) Sign up with a service that monitors your credit, and reports any activity to you.

Technology is a wonderful thing. It can make life so much easier.
ESPECIALLY for Identity Thieves!

I'm talking about cards, and other quick check-out devices, that make it so you don't have to Swipe your card through a card reader. These cards, and devices, work by electronically transmitting your card information to a receiver ... ANY receiver ... even a thief's reveiver! Even if the card is still in your pocket or purse!

There are some products that promise to shield your cards from would be thieves. These products may very well work ... when your card is inside them. How do you make a purchase without taking your card out of the shield? You don't. This means that every time you make a purchase, you're vulnerable to an Identity Thief with a receiver. The receiver could be in the pocket of the person next to you (or even the clerks pocket), or it could be placed close by.

Just don't have these types of cards or devices. Ask your bank to give you a card without RF technology.

Checks are kind-of a tricky thing. You need to have some personal information on them. (Name and Address)  They also already have your bank account number and bank routing number right there on the front.  You need to have this information on the check, or many places won't accept them.

The catch is, don't put any information on the check that doesn't absolutly have to be there. Don't have your drivers license number, your birth date, or your phone number, printed on the checks. When in a store, try using a debit card instead of a check. (see DEBIT CARDS section)

Debit cards are a good replacement for personal checks. They don't display your account number. Your personal information usually doesn't get written on the store's copy of the receipt. They can prevent you from spending more than the amount in your account. (no borrowing like a credit card) And if lost or the number is compromised, they're easier and faster to replace.

The only problem is, they do have instant access to your total account balance. Due to current laws and the difference in the way Debit Cards and Credit Cards are processed; you really have a lot more protection on Credit Card ... transactions. So ... when using your Debit Card; have the transactions done like a Credit Card transaction. This way your transactions are better protected by law, and your possible liability is limited.

When the phone rings, and you don't know the voice of the caller, then you don't know who is calling you ... PERIOD !!
It doesn't matter if they tell you their name ... they could be lying!
It doesn't matter it they idetify their company ... they could be lying!

If you don't know the callers voice ... then you don't know them. You shouldn't give this person ANY personal information about you or anyone else. That means you don't even give them the name of your high school. Some deceptive people will work in groups. The first gathers some infomation from you. The second uses this information to get more. A third will use both sets of information to get even more. Then they get credit cards in your name, and you're stuck with the bill.

When you make a call to an unknown person, you should know the business that you're calling and they should answer using that business name. You should also have an idea of the information that they would need from you. Do not give out any more infomation than needed. If the person starts asking for extra information, hang up, call back and file a complaint. Some people will get a job so they can collect, and sell, information. Or even use it themselves.

The same goes for e-mail as for the phone. If the other person started the email contact ... then you don't know who they are. Corporate logos can be copied to look like a company that you do business with. Internet site URLs can be made to look like a legitamate site. Do not use any information, or links, on these emails.

An example of this type of activity ... a fellow employee received an email supposedly "from Chase Bank" saying that his account had been locked and that he needed to unlock it using their web site. --- The problem was that he didn't even have an account with Chase Bank --- For fun, he clicked on the link that took him to a web site called ChaseLocked.com which had the exact look of the real Chase Bank web site. He then tried to login to his non-exiting account. (Had he used a real login ID and password, the thieves would now know them.) The web site didn't respond with an invalid login message. Instead the response was a statement that his account was locked and to unlock it he need to enter certain data. The data they asked for was his name, address, birth date, social security number, drivers license number, mothers maiden name, checking account number, savings account number, debit card number ... complete with securty pin from the back! The site then told him that his (non-existant) account had been successfully unlocked and directed him to try to login again. The link provided for this login took him to the real login page where a valid login would have worked from the beginning. Fortunately for him, all of the information that he entered was junk that he made up as he went along. But since the site didn't have anything to do with Chase Bank, the site had no way of knowing it was junk. Unfortunately, I can see where many people were fooled into giving their Identity away. NOT to mention everything in their bank accounts.

U.S. Mail that is received, is usually safe. People looking to collect information don't usually go to the expense of printing, envelope stuffing, and mailing. This is very expensive compaired to the phone and the internet.

The people you have to watch out for, are your neighbors and drive-by crooks. If your mailbox is not locked, try to empty it as soon as possible. Never use your mailbox to send mail that contains a bill payment. Anyone who takes it will have one of your checks. Your check will have your banks name, and your account number on it. (see BANK CHECKS section) They will also have the account number for the company you're paying.

Any mail, or other financial information that you are throwing away, should be shredded. (see SHREDDER section)

Any financial infomation that you are throwing away ... should be shredded. This includes ALL JUNK MAIL that is financially related.

When it comes to buying a shredder ... the smaller the pieces ... the better your protection.

Don't use a shredder that simply cuts the paper into long strips of paper. Identity thieves may actually be drawn to this type of shredded information. To a thief, those nice long strips say "I contain important information". And the puzzle of putting them together isn't really that hard. But a bunch of little pieces are just too hard and aren't worth the trouble.