What is identity theft? The term identity theft first appeared in the 1990's. Identity is when someone poses as you using your identification. They can open credit accounts, buy or lease items, use your credit cards or commit a large number of crimes. Identity theft is a very traumatic experience for many people in the U.S.

According to the Identity Theft Resource Center about 10 million people a year are victims of identity theft. The rate of victims have increased 80% between 2002 and 2003. The lost is estimated to be 3.2 billion as the result of identity theft. There is an interesting report by Katrina Baum, Ph that you can read ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/it04.pdf

The ITRC (Identity Theft Resource Center) sud-divides ID theft into 4 categories.

1. Financial ID theft - Using another's name and SSN to obtain goods and services
2. ID cloning – Using another's information to assume his or her identity.
3. Criminal ID theft – Poising another when arrested for a crime.
4. Business/Commercial ID theft – Using another's business name to obtain credit.

There are several different ways for someone to steal your information.

1. Rummaging through trash. (Dumpster Diving)
2. Stealing mail.
3. Accessing your credit report by illegal means.
4. Eavesdropping on public transmissions.
5. Obtaining personal information from personnel records.
6. Watching when you are using an ATM or phone booth, trying to capture pin numbers.
7. Getting information from the Internet. ( Public record sites and fee based information brokers.)
8. Sending email that looks as if it was coming from your bank or credit card company. (Phishing)
9. Stealing personal information from computer databases. (Trojan horses, hacking)

One way that has surfaced since the Patriot Act, is for unscrupulous landlords to use credit reports to commit fraud. Slumlords are the biggest offenders. They use the right to request background checks to get information that is later used to commit crimes. This type of ID theft is created and enforced by Federal law. Someone had a very serious lapse of judgment when passing this law.

So, how do you defend yourself from ID theft? There is no foolproof way. The only thing you can do is make it harder for someone to steal your ID. Some steps you can take:

1. Reduce the number of credit and debit cards you own.
2. Do not use debit cards when ordering online. ( They are harder to straighten out)
3. Sign your cards as soon as they arrive.
4. Do not loan your cards to anyone.
5. Do not sign a blank receipt.
6. Do not write your account number on the outside of an envelope.
7. Do not give out your account number over the phone, unless you instigated the call and you know who you are dealing with.
8. Do not put your credit card number on your check. In may states, it is unlawful to do this.
9. Do not have your SSN or drivers license number printed on your checks.
10. Do not let merchants handwrite your SSN onto your checks.
11. Do not carry your SSN card unless you are required to have it.
12. Do not throw pre-approved credit or insurance offers in the trash. Shred them.
13. Keep a record of all your accounts in a secure place.
14. Save receipts and compare them to your bills.
15. Void incorrect receipts.
16. Report questionable charges in writing promptly to the card issuer.
17. When using your card in a store or restaurant, keep a close eye on how your card is handled.
18. Always take credit card receipts with you. Never throw them into a public trash can.
19. When creating passwords and pins, don't use any part of your SSN or drivers license number, birth dates, pet's names or anything else that easy to guess. Passwords with letters and numbers are harder to break. Better passwords contain capital and small letters along with numbers. Example: B6hr8L
20. Memorize passwords and pins.
21. Give your SSN only to those that absolutely need it. ( tax forms, employment records, banking and property transactions)
22. Check your Social Security Personal Earnings and Benefits Estimate statement each year.
23. Install a firewall and virus protection on your computer at home.
24. Password protect files that contain personal information,
25. Never respond to emails that appear to come from your bank, ebay, paypal, or your credit card company that asks you to go to a website to confirm your information. (This is a site that asks you for information like your SSN, date of birth and so on.) Legitimate business never do this. Visit antiphising.org for more information.
26. File sharing and file swapping software exposes your computer to hackers. If you use them, install a strong firewall and virus protection programs.
27. Install a locked mail box at your house.
28. Pickup new checks at the bank. Do not have them mailed to you.
29. Use automated billing where possible.
30. Pay bills online where automatic billing is not possible.
31. Check your credit report often.

Robert Hughes is credit specialist who specializes in credit repair. He received his degree in accounting in 1979. He is also an internet marketer who owns Hughes Network Marketing, LLC, which owns and operates several marketing websites, one of which is http://getyourcreditrepaired.com Copyright 2007 Robert Hughes You have permission to publish this article free of charge in your e-zine, newsletter, ebook, print publication or on your website ONLY if it remains unchanged and you include the copyright and author information (Resource Box) at the end. You may not use this article in any unsolicited commercial email (spam).