Each and every consumer is vulnerable to identity theft and can become a target, and that is the message that needs to be heard by every consumer. With millions of Americans becoming a victim of identity theft each year, it is clearly a problem area, and a problem that many local, state, and federal agencies are having some trouble getting their arms around.

Some studies show that some consumers may as well be wearing a sign around their necks saying "steal my identity", given the carelessness with which they handle their personal information. They throw away old bank statements and paycheck stubs into the trash can directly, without even taking the time to crumple them up, let alone shred them as is recommended.

The bottom line is to take some precautions with your personal information and do not be lax about it. If you are going to throw away documents that have ANY kind of your personal information on it, be sure to SHRED those documents first. Crumpling them or tearing them in half before discarding them is inadequate, since the determined identity theft thief is expert is piecing documents together after a session of dumpster diving.

Do not leave your wallet or purse laying around when you have people coming in and out of your home, since that is only asking for problems. Check your bank statement and your credit card bills thoroughly to make sure there are no unauthorized charges on them. Get a copy of your credit report from each of the three credit bureaus at least once a year and go over them carefully, looking for bogus or inaccurate information. And as a side note, you are almost guaranteed to find inaccurate information, since studies have shown that more than 85% of consumer credit reports contain errors.

If you find that you have become a victim of identity theft, there are things you need to do immediately. Contact your local police, contact the credit bureaus and have an alert put on your credit report, and contact your credit card companies and bank. Does that sound like a lot of trouble? Well, it is, but it is only a fractional amount of the trouble you will need to endure if you don't follow those procedures, as well as the hours of personal time you will need to invest to straighten out the identity theft mess that will be left behind.

Your Social Security number represents "the keys to the kingdom" and should be highly protected. It should only be required for financial transactions and by your employer for payroll purpo

Some studies show that some consumers may as well be wearing a sign around their necks saying "steal my identity", given the carelessness with which they handle their personal information. They throw away old bank statements and paycheck stubs into the trash can directly, without even taking the time to crumple them up, let alone shred them as is recommended.

The bottom line is to take some precautions with your personal information and do not be lax about it. If you are going to throw away documents that have ANY kind of your personal information on it, be sure to SHRED those documents first. Crumpling them or tearing them in half before discarding them is inadequate, since the determined identity theft thief is expert is piecing documents together after a session of dumpster diving.

Do not leave your wallet or purse laying around when you have people coming in and out of your home, since that is only asking for problems. Check your bank statement and your credit card bills thoroughly to make sure there are no unauthorized charges on them. Get a copy of your credit report from each of the three credit bureaus at least once a year and go over them carefully, looking for bogus or inaccurate information. And as a side note, you are almost guaranteed to find inaccurate information, since studies have shown that more than 85% of consumer credit reports contain errors.

If you find that you have become a victim of identity theft, there are things you need to do immediately. Contact your local police, contact the credit bureaus and have an alert put on your credit report, and contact your credit card companies and bank. Does that sound like a lot of trouble? Well, it is, but it is only a fractional amount of the trouble you will need to endure if you don't follow those procedures, as well as the hours of personal time you will need to invest to straighten out the identity theft mess that will be left behind.

Your Social Security number represents "the keys to the kingdom" and should be highly protected. It should only be required for financial transactions and by your employer for payroll purp

Do not leave your wallet or purse laying around when you have people coming in and out of your home, since that is only asking for problems. Check your bank statement and your credit card bills thoroughly to make sure there are no unauthorized charges on them. Get a copy of your credit report from each of the three credit bureaus at least once a year and go over them carefully, looking for bogus or inaccurate information. And as a side note, you are almost guaranteed to find inaccurate information, since studies have shown that more than 85% of consumer credit reports contain errors.

If you find that you have become a victim of identity theft, there are things you need to do immediately. Contact your local police, contact the credit bureaus and have an alert put on your credit report, and contact your credit card companies and bank. Does that sound like a lot of trouble? Well, it is, but it is only a fractional amount of the trouble you will need to endure if you don't follow those procedures, as well as the hours of personal time you will need to invest to straighten out the identity theft mess that will be left behind.

Your Social Security number represents "the keys to the kingdom" and should be highly protected. It should only be required for financial transactions and by your employer for payroll purp

If you find that you have become a victim of identity theft, there are things you need to do immediately. Contact your local police, contact the credit bureaus and have an alert put on your credit report, and contact your credit card companies and bank. Does that sound like a lot of trouble? Well, it is, but it is only a fractional amount of the trouble you will need to endure if you don't follow those procedures, as well as the hours of personal time you will need to invest to straighten out the identity theft mess that will be left behind.

Your Social Security number represents "the keys to the kingdom" and should be highly protected. It should only be required for financial transactions and by your employer for payroll purp

Your Social Security number represents "the keys to the kingdom" and should be highly protected. It should only be required for financial transactions and by your employer for payroll purposes, but the use of it has expanded far beyond that. If someone asks you for your Social Security number, you can push back and ask "Do you really need that, I would rather not give that out". For example in a doctor's office, the response will likely be something like "yes so we can match up your health insurance records". But it is worth asking, and you should NEVER write your Social Security number on a check.

Safeguard your personal information. It may represent some inconveniences sometimes, but that is nothing compared to the inconvenience you will suffer if you find that you have become a victim of identity theft.