For the sixth consecutive year, identity theft surpassed construction, credit card and debt collection fraud
as the most prevalent form of consumer fraud, according to the Federal Trade Commission, which
received 255,000 identity theft complaints last year.

Many consumers associate identity theft with email solicitations and computer firewall breaches, but
checks, credit cards and Social Security numbers remain targets as well. To protect yourself from
becoming a victim, follow these tips to prevent identity theft.

Checks:
- Use your initials and last name when ordering printed checks. A check forger won’t know how you sign   
your checks, but your bank will.
- Do not have your home phone number or Social Security number printed on your checks. Use your
work   phone number. Use a post office box or work address instead of your home address.
- Order new checks from your bank and pick them up at the bank, rather than having them sent to your  
home mailbox.

Credit cards
- When paying credit card bills, write only the last four digits of the account number in the check memo
line.
- Do not sign the back of your credit card. Instead write, “Photo ID required.”
- Photocopy both sides of your driver’s license, credit cards and other important contents of your wallet.
In the event it is stolen, you’ll know exactly what is missing.

Keep a list of your credit card numbers and their toll-free customer service
numbers so you can cancel cards quickly if lost or stolen. Keep the list in a
safe place in your home, not in your wallet.

Social Security Number
- Do not carry your Social Security card in your wallet. Memorize the number
and put the original card in a safe place.
- If you believe your Social Security number has been compromised, contact
the Social Security Administration fraud line 800-269-0271.

PINs and Passwords
- Do not write your PIN on the back of the card or on anything else in your
wallet.
- Use different PINs for each debit and credit card. If you have too many to
remember, consider reducing the number of cards you carry in your wallet.
- Do not use easily available information, like your birth date, phone number
or part of your Social Security number, for PINS and passwords.

Mail and Trash
- Use post office collection boxes for outgoing mail, rather than your home
mail box.
- Shred any trash that may contain personal information, including charge
receipts, credit applications, insurance forms, medical statements, checks
and bank statements, expired credit and debit cards and direct mail credit
offers.
- You can opt not to receive direct mail credit offers by calling 888-567-8688.

If your wallet is stolen, you should immediately:
- File a police report to document the theft and the wallet contents.

- Contact one of the national credit reporting organizations (listed below) to
have a fraud alert placed on your name and Social Security number. The
organization you contact is required to contact the other two. If the thief’s purchases initiate a credit   
check, the credit reporting organization can alert the merchant. Placing a fraud alert entitles you to free   
copies of your credit reports.

---> Equifax 800-525-6285
---> Experian 888-397-3742
---> Trans Union 800-680-7289

- Close all accounts for missing credit cards. Check your credit reports for accounts opened fraudulently.
- File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, which maintains a database of identity theft
cases, online at www.consumer.gov/idtheft. This database assists law enforcement agencies and helps
the FTC learn more about identity theft.  Notify your bank if your wallet contained a checkbook or  
debit/ATM cards.

This article was submitted by Robert Valentine of Financial and Retirement Management.Robert Valentine is a well-known expert in the matters concerning investors. His articles on financial planning matters that concern investors have been published by several publications throughout the United States.