How to Protect Yourself From Identity Theft

Follow these steps to protect yourself from prying eyes.

Lower Your Credit Card Interest Rate - Lowering your interest rate on your credit cards can be as easy as a nice demeanor and a phone call. If you have a $5,000 balance, even a 3 percent rate reduction saves you $150 a year. (Photo: Fuse/Getty Images)
Read Your Bank Statements - Review your paper statements or register with your bank online and check your digital statements every couple weeks to be sure there is no unusual activity. And if your bank offers a free service that lets you know when odd purchases pop up — say a round of golf in the UK — sign up for that, too. (Photo: JGI/Jamie Grill/Blend Images/Corbis)
Collect Recommendations and Testimonials - Not just the old school kind, though. Did someone just big you up on Twitter? Reply and retweet, then screenshot it and post it on your website.  (Photo: Stockbyte/Getty Images)Programmers - Many countries are looking to import programmers and developers including Australia, Ireland, Brazil and the U.K. (Photo: Getty Images/STOCK)

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Access Denied - Whether someone jacked their credit card number or opened an account in their name, the U.S. Department of Justice reports that more than 16 million Americans experienced identity theft in 2012 (the most recent year for which data is available). Follow these tips to protect yourself and avoid joining their ranks. By Kenrya Rankin Naasel (Photo: Fuse/Getty Images)

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