October is “Crime Prevention Month”. The #1 crime is now identity theft so, it seems natural to give tips on how to protect yourself from this. While it’s considered a non-violent crime, identity theft leaves it’s victims financially and emotionally distressed.

There’s no need to become the next victim, start protecting yourself today by following these simple steps.

1. Got your social security card in your wallet? Get it out NOW. There’s no reason you need it in your wallet unless you’re going for a job interview. No one will ever ask you for it otherwise. Put it in a safe and secure place.

2. Order your free annual credit reports from annualcreditreport.com. They truly are free although you’ll be asked to upgrade through the process. Just say ‘no’ and continue. Because you can get a report from all 3 credit bureaus, order one every 4 months. Carefully look it over for errors in addresses, work history and all the credit accounts.

If you find an error, dispute it with the credit bureau and get it fixed asap. If the address listed isn’t yours and you see some credit accounts that you never opened, you can be sure your identity has been stolen. Step into high gear and get it corrected right away.

3. Request a fraud alert on your credit files. It’s free and will last for 90 days. Just place it at one of the credit bureaus and they will notify the other 2. This alert requests that a new lender to call you at the phone number you provide before any accounts can be opened. Renew it every 3 months.

4. Opt-out of pre-approved credit offers by calling 1-888-567-8688. This will stop a lot of junk mail and especially all those credit card offers that you should be shredding. It’s free and will last for 5 years.

5. Speaking of shredding – shred all mail or papers that have sensitive personal information on them before throwing into the trash.

6. Be sure your PIN number isn’t on your ATM card or anywhere in your wallet. Memorize it. Don’t make it your birthday either. If someone steals your wallet, they have your driver’s license with your DOB. Let’s not make it too easy for an identity thief.

7. Have your checks printed with your name and address only. Don’t put your SSN or driver’s license number on them. There’s never any reason you need to do that.

8. Consider getting identity theft protection. For a small monthly fee, you’ll have the services of professionals to help protect you and, most importantly, to help you recover should your identity be stolen. Some companies offer help and advice but the best identity protection companies, like LifeLock, will do the recovery for you.

An identity theft comparison can help you see which one is the best to protect yourself from identity theft. Identity protection reviews can help save you lots of time when you get ready to be serious about keeping your identity safe.

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