“Prevent identity theft” is a slogan used by companies who want to warn you about how to stop this very real crime. You may not realize it, but there are many steps you can take to reduce your chances of becoming a victim.

Tip 1: Prevent identity theft
One way to prevent identity theft is to use a post office box. Remember, identity thieves can steal the mail from your residential mailbox while you are not at home. You may just assume no mail arrived when, in fact, the thief is rifling through your credit card bills, bank statements, and utility bills to find information about you and how to access your finances. When you use a post office box instead, you are guaranteeing that the only person who has access to your family’s mail is your family.

Additionally, you should never leave outgoing letters or bills in your mailbox for your postal worker to pick up for you. These are popular targets for identity thieves and can give them easy access to your money and your credit.

Tip 2: Prevent identity theft
You can also prevent identity theft by purchasing and using a paper shredder. It may be hard to believe, but so-called “dumpster diving” is still practiced by identity thieves today. This means that the thief steals your garbage and rifles through it in search of old bank statements, bills, voided checks, and other paperwork that includes personal and financial information about your family. By shredding all of your mail and important papers before you throw them in the garbage, you’ll make it impossible for identity thieves to get their hands on your discarded correspondence.

When you provide information to businesses or stores, such as hotels or rental car companies, ask them if they shred hardcopies of your information before disposing of it. If they don’t, you should request to have all of your paperwork returned to you so you can discard it properly. By not shredding your information, these companies are not doing their part to prevent identity theft.

Tip 3: Prevent identity theft
You can also prevent identity theft by using a safety deposit box or a locked box for your home. More than 10% of identity theft victims claim that they knew their attackers — it was a family member, friend or neighbor. In most cases, known attackers gained access to the information just by walking around the victims’ homes or by going through their purses/wallets. By keeping all of your personal and financial papers locked away from prying eyes, you’ll be able to prevent identity theft.

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