Protect yourself from Identity Theft - Part II

  • Published
  • By By Capt. Wendy Whitt Rader
  • 507th Air Refueling Wing Judge Advocate
Tinker AFB, Oklahoma --  Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the U.S., claiming more than 10 million victims a year, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigations. The best way to prevent identity theft is to protect your personal information. You should consider the following precautionary measures: 

- Watch for signs of identity theft: late or missing bills, being denied credit for no apparent reason, or getting contacted by debt collectors about purchases or charges you did not make; 

- Order a copy of your credit report each year from each of the national credit bureaus (Experian, Trans Union, and Equifax) and review it closely for any questionable entries; 

- Do not carry your SSN card in the same place you carry your driver’s license; 

- Shred or cut up all credit card receipts and old bank statements and bills before throwing them away; 

- Use alternate numbers, if possible, on your driver’s license and health care cards; 

- If you are traveling or TDY, have your mail held at your local post office, or ask someone you know and trust to collect your mail; 

- Update your computer virus software, use a secure browser, and install a firewall program; 

- Do not give out personal information via the phone, mail, or Internet unless YOU initiated contact. 

If you think you’ve become a victim of identity theft, you must act quickly to minimize the damage. (See previous article for steps you should take to minimize the damage).  

The Federal Bureau of Investigation provided information for this article. For additional statistics and material on identity theft, visit www.fbi.gov.