Listen to and watch these Identity Theft horror stories...

http://xrl.us/idhorror

When someone becomes YOU by stealing your identifying information – particularly your Social Security Number – financially, they can do anything YOU can do.

In 2006, there were 246,035 reported ID thefts. Credit-card fraud represented 25% of ID misuse. Other misuse included:

• Phone or utilities fraud…
• Bank/finance fraud…
• Government documents fraud…

And more.

If you’re already an ID theft victim, this FTC website...

http://xrl.us/ftcid

provides detailed information on recovering your identity. As with most disasters, prevention is a lot simpler than the cure.

Here are some steps to take to reduce your odds of becoming an ID theft victim:

1. Secure Your SSN
It belongs in two places… in your head and in a safe. Never give it out unless you are sure of the recipient and why it’s needed.

2. Go Electronic
Receive your financial statements by email to thwart dumpster-divers.

3. Crosscut Shred
Unsolicited credit applications arrive by mail daily. Shred them. Do the same to statements you can’t or don't want to receive electronically.

4. Close Zero-Balance Credit Accounts
In addition to creating new credit accounts, credit card fraud includes changing the statement address of exisiting credit card accounts and then running up the accounts. The true owner never receives a statement.

5. Always Review Account Statements for Irregularities.

6. Monitor Your Credit Report Annually For Free at:

https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp

About Credit Freezing -- where you lock and unlock access to your credit report, typically for a fee -- it only protects against new credit application and ONLY IF the creditor happens to check your credit report. And you must remember to place the freeze on your report with all three reporting agencies. If you take the other precautions this one is superfluous.

Tell us about your ID theft experiences.

----------------------------------------------
Greg Moore is the Creator of the Wealth Building System
'DebtIntoWealth -- Lessons from My Journey to Debt Freedom'

    'I finally see a light at the end of the tunnel and this
    time it's not the train coming at me! My Debt-Free
    date for my $54000 is January 2010.  That's only 3
    years away!  Not bad for a single mom with no income
    but my own.' -- Dianne D., Texas.

Get LESSON 1 FREE now:
http://www.debtintowealth.com/stretcher.html

Dear Greg & All, This is not a horror story; it is a precaution.  I print my checks with ONLY my initials & surname.  No address, no phone number, & certainly no Driver's License number.  Since my signature is very distinctive & is legible in part only on one word & not at all on the other(s), anyone who looks at the check & then ID will very easily spot the discrepancy.  I believe, anyhow.  Yours in Him, Deb

 Careful Deb...Many places here will not accept a check printed like that.

Dear Amy, I don't actually use checks except in the mail.  I use my credit card on everything when I am "walking around," & pay the total as soon as it shows up online.  (I go to the bank, which issued my credit card -- it has been WaMu -- Washington Mutual -- but due to that bank's failure, will be Chase -- I pray that Chase leaves my accounts alone.)  So I don't have a problem with check acceptance.

Thanks so very very much though for your good concern!

Yours in Him, Deb

Well, some of the identity theft prevention ideas that I actually live by are of course, securing my identification cards especially my social security card. I also put a lock on my mailbox if I have mail that cannot be sent to me electronically. I burn or shred any documents that I throw in my trash regardless of whether they might contain sensitive information or not and most importantly I check my credit reports regularly no matter how silly or annoying I might seem to be to other people—again, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Learn more about how you can avoid identity theft by reading about the tips on http://www.identitythefts.com/identity-theft-101-and-what-you-can-do-to-avoid-it/