by Rob Douglas

Happy Thanksgiving to all our readers from insideIDtheft.info.  We hope you enjoy the day and we remind you to be safe with your identity and your credit cards during this holiday shopping season.

As reported in Don’t Lose Your Identity Tomorrow by the Daily News Transcript, here are a few reminders of ways to protect your identity:

• Make it difficult for criminals to apply for and receive new credit in your name by placing a fraud alert with major credit bureaus.
• If you don’t know your Social Security number by heart, think of a catchy way to memorize it. Keeping your Social Security number stored in your head is a much safer place than storing it in your wallet.
• Write “See ID” in ink on the back of your credit card next to your signature or in place of your signature. This is an effective way of reminding cashiers to check the credit card against your photo identification.
• Beware of anyone looking over your shoulder when you are making a purchase, especially when using a debit card. Modern identity thieves have begun to claim victims by recording shoppers’ pin numbers via a cell phone camera.
• Don’t put checks in your home mailbox, drop them off in a U.S. mailbox or at the post office. Mail theft is a common way to steal identities.
• Properly dispose of all your receipts; many contain your credit card number on them.
• Watch out for “phishing” scams: When crooks send you e-mails that look to be from legitimate companies, requesting that you provide them with personal information. As a rule of thumb, never give out your Social Security number or credit card information via email; use a secured online site.
• Never give out any personal information over the phone unless you initiate the call.
• Shred all important documents and “pre-approved” credit card offers that you wish to dispose of.
• Cancel any credit cards you haven’t used in six months; open credit is a prime target for fraud.

And, as always, you can find many great ideas on how to protect yourself and your family at insideIDtheft.info.  Have a great day and we’ll see you back here tomorrow!