Identity Theft Security Made Easy

By C. Linart
Identity theft is truly the crime of our times. Ten million Americans fall victim every year. This is a real threat. It is far more likely that you will fall victim to identity theft than to any other major crime, and a stolen identity represents a major crime. Once someone has your identity, they can take you for tens of thousands of dollars and do quite a number on your life. It can take years to sort out and do major damage to, for example, your employment prospects. Potential employers will check up on potential new hires, and if they find a trail of destruction wrought by an identity thief, they have no way of knowing that the victim was a victim; they will simply pass and hire the person with the clean background.

It is a sad but very true fact of life in our world that identity theft security is something every law-abiding citizen needs to consider. Protecting your good name from thieves boils down to two main points of strategy:

1. Don't let your information out there. There is no way around giving out your information if you go to a doctor or purchase something, but never give your personal information to anyone who does not absolutely need it. Also keep your documents and identification cards on a short leash. Passports, birth certificates, and Social Security cards all belong safely stored in locked drawers, and your wallet needs to be on your person at all times.
2. Know what's going on in your name. Check your credit reports regularly. It might even be worth investing a few dollars a month in a credit monitoring or identity theft security system. You should run a full background check -- including criminal records -- on yourself every couple of years. One of the most common uses of stolen identities is by criminals who want muddy the waters of their own records.

You could think of it as playing both defense (keeping your information to yourself) and offense (actively monitoring reports made on yourself) in the battle against identity-stealing scumbags. As every football fan knows, you have to play both sides of the ball if you want to win the game.