With millions of people affected by identity theft each year, the below are some steps and strategies you can implement to ensure protection:

Criminals look for the path of least resistance.  They look for shortcuts and the easy pickings for committing theft and identity theft crime.

Do Not Publish Your Personal Information

One of the easiest pickings is when the victim publically broadcasts their personal information including address and phone number to the world.

Do not post or publish any of your personal information on items you own (example: keys, luggage, backpack, laptop, smartphone, or any other personal property).

Instead, tag your property with durable recovery tags, and key tags that offer worldwide protection. Attach the tag to identify and protect anything you wish.  Make sure the tags do not have your personal information (name, address, phone number, email address) on them.  You may wish to use investigative recovery tag services that protect your property.  Use a service such as www.SearchAndReturn.com that conducts a comprehensive investigation after an item goes missing.  They also protect your identity because each of their recovery tags has an individual serial number with a 24/7 call center contact information, instead of your name & address.

Check Your Credit Annually

Visit a website such as www.annualcreditreport.com for a free copy of your credit report and verify all information is accurate. For an extra layer of protection, consider enrolling in a credit monitoring service which can monitor all three credit reporting agencies in real time and alert you to any unusual activity.

Review Credit and Debit Card Statements Monthly

Take time to ensure all transactions are legitimate. If you see a questionable charge, contact your bank or credit card company immediately.

Keep Your Personal Information Secure

Don’t share personal information such as your full name, date of birth, Social Security Number, address or phone number over the internet unless it’s a site you’ve initiated contact with and you’re certain it’s secure. Refrain from posting personal details such as your birthday or address on social media sites.

Limit What You Carry

Don’t carry your social security card and limit the number of credit cards you have on hand.

Purchase a Micro-Cut Shredder

This machine ensures that your documents cannot be pieced back together. Use it to turn old financial statements, bills; credit card offers and any other secure or personal information into paper confetti.

Opt-Out

You can opt out of prescreened offers for credit cards, insurance and more by calling 1-888-567-8688 or visiting www.optoutprescreen.com.

Keep Your Passwords Safe, Secure and Unique

Make sure your passwords are strong and get creative with them. Use a combination of letters, numbers, and spaces. Safeguard your computer with firewall, antivirus and spyware protection and update them often. This will protect your computer and files against intrusions.

Be Cautious of What You Click

Be extremely suspicious of emails from strangers. Do not click on them until you double check. Even if you receive an e-mail from a friend with attachments and hyperlinks, be aware that opening them could expose a virus to your computer and files. Take your time, look closely at the email and attachments and determine if any part of the e-mail looks suspicious before clicking on any files or hyperlinks.