A paper shredder is not that expensive and is a worthwhile investment for any home or business.  Here is a list of papers that should be shredded and not just thrown in the trash.

• Old Tax Returns–you should save your tax returns for at least three years but after that time, it is safe to destroy them.  When you keep them, they should be kept in a firebox.  What an identity theft is looking for is not just your name and address but your Social Security numbers.  This includes your dependent’s numbers also.
• Bank Statements–any papers with your bank account numbers should be shredded.  If you do not need to receive bank statements, opt for online bank statements via email.
• Credit Card Offers–if you are not going to take the bank or credit card company up on their offer, shred them right away.  People do not like to think about it but identity theft does happen within family members.  Some family member could fill these out and open an account in your name.
• Old Photo ID’s–this includes any old security badges from previous workplaces or school ID’s.  A photo ID is not enough to steal your information by itself but it does contain personal information.  It could be used as part of a bigger identity theft scheme in order to bypass some fraud prevention measures.
• Pay Stubs–many people may not realize it but that pay stub is loaded with personal information that could be used by a skilled identity theft.  It has your name and many times your Social Security number. If you use direct deposit, it will also have the name of your bank and maybe part of your account number.
• Credit Card Convenience Checks–some credit card companies will send their cardholders these types of checks.  They can be used to borrow against the line of credit that you have for quick cash.  If you do not plan to use them, shred them immediately.
• Canceled Checks–even if you write void on a canceled check still has personal information on there.  There are your routing and account numbers on the bottom of the check.  Some people make sure that their checks have their name, address, and phone number on it.  Some will even have their phone number and Social Security number printed on the check.  In the info line, you may have even put an account number there and whom the number belongs too.
• Canceled Credit Cards–this includes any cards that you no longer plan on using.  Even the one that may have had the number stolen should be destroyed.  If you cannot put it through your shredder, cut through the magnetic strip, cut into four pieces, and put the pieces in different trash bags so they cannot be pieced back together and this is always a good credit protection practice.

In conclusion, if anything you are about to toss in the trash has any personal information on it, and then it should be shredded.  You do not want to become a victim of identity theft.

If you should get a phone call of this type make sure that you do not give out any information even if they sound legitimate for the simple reason is that you did not initiate the call.  Some of these scammers are so smart that they can even have your credit card company’s number show up on the caller ID by spoofing your caller ID.  Only trust calls that you make by using the number on the billing statement or on the back of your credit card.  If you get any numbers in an email or left on your answering machine that you do not know do not call them back and give them any personal information.

Call your credit card company immediately if you mistakenly give out your personal information.  The credit card company may give you a new credit card number or even a new credit card and deactivate the old one to prevent fraudulent charges from being made on your account.
Make sure that you check your credit card statement closely each month when you get it to see if there has been any unusual activity.  If you spot any unusual activity make sure that you call your credit card company and report it immediately.  If you mistakenly give out your social security number make sure that you place a fraud alert on your credit report.  You just need to call one of the credit reporting bureaus and they will let the other two know about the fraud alert.

The best line of defense is if you should get any type of phone calls like this to hang up.  Credit card companies would not be calling and asking you for your credit card number or security code because they already have your credit card number.

If you report it immediately to the credit card company, they can block your credit card account to prevent anyone from using it.  Once you have made the report the credit card company will issue you another credit card with a new account number.  When you activate your new card you will have to decide on a PIN so it would be advisable if you would choose a different one from the one you used on the card that was either lost or stolen.

There is a law in the United States that will protect you from liability for fraud once you have let the credit card company know that your credit card was stolen or lost.  If you let the company know as soon as you notice your credit card is missing, the most that you will be responsible for is fifty dollars.  If you do not notify the company immediately you may be responsible for more.  It depends on the credit card company and the situation.
Everyone who has a credit card should safe guard it as they would their cash.  An identity thief can used a credit card to not only run up charges at department stores but also to rent an apartment, buy an airplane ticket, rent a hotel room, rent a car, and so many more things.

You should take the danger of identity fraud and all the hassle that goes with it cleaning up very serious.  You should not only protect your credit card but also make sure that no one can get a look at your credit card numbers because some identity thieves do not need the actually credit card to steal your personal information and run up charges on your card.

Identity thieves do not need your credit card number in order to steal your identity. Sometimes all an identity thief needs is just one piece of information about you and then they can gain access to the rest.  Make sure that you lock up those important documents such as social security cards and birth certificates at home in a safe deposit box which includes any credit cards that you are not using.

Many people do not realize that some of the non-financial personal information that you put online is sometimes enough for your identity to be stolen such as putting your full birthday on any social networking websites.  You should also make sure that you do not put in your home address or phone number on any website that you used for business or personal reasons.  This would include any job search sites.

You also need to be careful with your regular mail and make sure that you are following your billing cycles very close because if you do not get the statement on the normal day you usually receive it this could mean that an identity theft has gotten hold of your account and changed the mailing address.  When you order new checks you should pick them up at the bank instead of having them mailed to your home address to prevent them from being taken from your mail box.  Take any outgoing mail to the post office to be mailed because anyone can just walk by and take your mail out of your mail box.

When you get in your bank and credit card statement make sure that you review them to make sure that there are no unfamiliar charges on them or withdrawals. These are just a few of the things that you can do to help prevent yourself from becoming a victim of identity theft.

Make sure that you get your credit card back quickly from the sales clerk or the waiter.  At some bars if you are running a tab the bartender will want you to give them your credit card to keep at the register so you will not stiff the establishment of money.  Do not do this because if the credit card sits at the register or bar it not only get lost or if you have a little too much to drink you may forget to pick it up.  In addition, it might get skimmed or an employee or someone else sitting at the bar that can see the card might take a picture of it with a cell phone camera.

You should also be looking for security cameras because PCI data security standards has a requirement that makes sure merchants who process credit cards in person have to have security cameras trained on the areas of credit card processing but unfortunately many of them do not.  Another area that you should be concerned about is tip fraud which means that whenever you add a service tip onto your card you are risking a tip fraud.

Tip fraud is a scam in which a service employee alters the tip amount when they enter the final bill at the cash register. Even if you are one of those people who go over their statements are not going to notice an extra dollar tip so to avoid this scam leave the tip in cash.

Do watch out for skimming on PIN and ATM entry terminals because they are just as vulnerable as the registers in the stores.  This is especially true of ATM entry terminals that are not monitored by merchants. Identity theft protection is what everybody needs in safeguarding their identities and credit.