How do thieves get access to your personal information?

People can get really creative when they want something. Thieves take this creativity and enhance it by eliminating such things as moral, legal, or ethical obligations. The worst kind of thieves are the ones you trust -- family members, service providers, businesses, etc. The four most common methods used to get your information? 

1. Dumpster diving - going through your trash to find key information
2. Mail theft - in hopes a single envelope will provide all your information
3. Peeping - looking over your shoulder at a bank, store, or anywhere you use a credit card
4. Internet searches - it is incredible what one can find online using vague search criteria

How does one safeguard against identity theft?

This can be a little tricky, as there are always some things that will be overlooked. Here are our suggestions for simple steps to safeguard yourself from potential identity thieves. 

• Remove all unnecessary items from your wallet.
  • For example, you should never carry your Social Security Card or Social Security Number in your wallet
• Unless absolutely necessary, do not divulge your Social Security Number
• Review your credit report
  • By law, every major nationwide consumer reporting agency is required to provide one free copy of your credit report every 12 months. Order a copy of the report and review it carefully. 
    • We suggest staggering report requests as follows:
      • February: Report from Equifax
      • June: Report from Experian
      • October: Report from TransUnion
  • You can also order one free credit report every 4 months from AnnualCreditReport.com
• Regularly monitor your credit score
  • Service providers such as TransUnion or Go Free Credit will help
• Invest in a high-quality document shredder to destroy all sensitive documents prior to actually throwing them away (or recycling them)
  • Be sure to destroy credit card solicitations, loan applications, tax forms, bills, and invoices
• Reconsider where and how you store your account numbers and contact information
  • Make sure they are both somewhere you will remember them and secure from outside threats
• Consider a locked mailbox, if mail theft is a potential threat
• Avoid all questionable online merchants

Though not surefire, these steps should deter any would-be identity thieves from you. Regular and thorough monitoring of credit scores and credit reports will help highlight any suspicious activity, in case a crafty thief finds another pathway to your personal information.