Posted by Mike Smith :: March 20, 2008 @ 6:30 am

I recently received detailed information on identity theft prevention from an interesting source: The United States Postal Service. Along with a letter from the Postmaster General describing the issue was a useful pamphlet created by the Federal Trade Commission.

The pamphlet is divided into three sections: Deter, Detect, and Defend. Here are the highlights from each of those sections:

Deter: Safeguard Your Information

• Shred documents before discarding them, especially pre-screened credit offers

• Protect your Social Security number. Don’t carry your card with you and only disclose your number when absolutely necessary, such as opening a new financial account e.g. becoming a P2P lender or borrower with Lending Club

• Don’t give out personal information unless you know the recipient

• Never click on links in emails, even from known recipients

• When choosing passwords, avoid obvious choices such as birthdays

• Keep your personal information in a secure place, especially if non family members are ever in the house

Detect: Monitor your financial accounts and billing statements

• Watch for expected bills that never arrive

• Receiving bills, credit cards, or statements for accounts that you aren’t aware of

• Denials of credit when you thought you should have been approved

• Calls or letters about purchases you did not make

• Inspect your credit report and financial statements regularly for suspicious activity

Defend: Take action as soon as ID Theft is suspected

• Place fraud alerts in your credit reports if you think you may be a victim

• Close accounts that were tampered with or established fraudulently

• File a police report

• Report the theft to the FTC

There is much more information about identity theft available at the FTC website. I’m thankful that the USPS teamed up with the FTC to bring attention to the subject. For more information, as well as the full version of the pamphlet I received, click on this logo: