How to Protect Yourself From Identity Theft

Follow these steps to protect yourself from prying eyes.

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woman shopping online

Photo By Photo: Fuse/Getty Images

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Access Denied

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)

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Read Your Bank Statements

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Keep Your Online Info Private

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Monitor Your Credit

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Use Your Credit Card When Shopping Online

Stop Unsolicited Credit Card Offers - They can contain a ton of your personal info, making them a draw for bold mailbox-checking thieves. But it’s easy to ban them from your mailbox. Just head to OptOutPrescreen.com or call 1-888-5-OPT-OUT.(Photo: Bloomimage/Corbis)

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Stop Unsolicited Credit Card Offers

Shred Personal Info - Going green with your statements will help limit the paper you have around with the info identity thieves love, but for the things you do have at home, be sure to properly dispose of them. A cross-cut shredder will turn them into confetti; feed it your bills, account statements and credit card offers. (Photo: Kelly Redinger/Design Pics/Corbis)

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Shred Personal Info

Don’t Click on Fishy Looking Emails - Phishing is when tricksters send emails that masquerade as official communication from your bank or another reputable company in hopes of prying info out that can be used to steal your identity (and your money). If it seems not quite right, or comes to an account other than the one you used to register, mark it as spam. And no reputable company will ever request for your account or social security numbers via email, so no matter how official a message or linked website looks, do not give up the goods. (Photo: Bloomimage/Corbis)

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Don’t Click on Fishy Looking Emails

Lock Up at Home - You might think your info is safe behind closed doors, but that plumber who fixed your sink or your sticky-fingered cousin might be tempted to jack you when you’re not looking. Keep your account statements and checkbooks put away; a lockable file cabinet is a great way to store them when not in use. The same goes for your desk at work. (Photo: Elizabeth Henry / Radius Images) 

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Lock Up at Home

Keep Your Social Security Number to Yourself - Don’t carry your card in your wallet — if you lose it, it can be combined with other info in your wallet to wreak all kinds of havoc. And don’t volunteer it when not absolutely necessary. For example, if you have the option to include it on your driver’s license, pass; every time you have to present it, you could be putting it in the hands of a criminal. (Photo: Tom Grill/GettyImages)

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Keep Your Social Security Number to Yourself