You are at risk of identity theft, most likely, right now. One of the worst types of identity theft is also one of the more common types - because people aren’t careful with their social security number. Never, ever carry your social security card in your purse or wallet.

What about documents with your social security number on them? Do you shred all of them as soon as you don’t need them? Most people don’t but they should.

Some people throw out enough sensitive information for an enterprising crook to steal their identity just from their household trash! My trash probably has my social security number in there somewhere, and that alone is enough for someone to take out huge debts in my name.

If you figure it won’t happen to you because that’s a lot of work for a scammer, think again. Here’s an experiment. Call the phone company. Ask them what is required to open up a new service account. Chances are they will say they need a name, an address, a social security number, and a birthday.

Scammers can call up and tell people that they won a fantastic prize, and that all they need to do to claim the prize is verify their social security number, and many people will provide this information right over the phone to a complete stranger! They get excited, and they quit thinking about security.

The name and birthday are plenty easy to get, most people will just offer that information if you ask. Now, someone could go on a shopping spree! Or open up a telephone service account, with all of the bells and whistles, in your name. They’ll be long gone by the time the bill hits the collection agencies, and it is in your name anyhow. And by the time that authorities trace the account to the location where the phone was active, they will have moved on.

Sometimes, a very motivated and intelligent thief can steal an identity to create a new identity for an illegal immigrant to use. The immigrant can now get across the border, find a place to live, hook up utilities, and get a legal job - all under your name.

There can be devastating results. Sometimes people don’t realize for months or even years that there is someone out there pretending to be them and opening accounts and purchasing things. Imagine if the IRS demands payment of taxes for capital gains from selling the three houses you own - only you don’t even own one! That’s a nightmare scenario you really don’t want to have to deal with.

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Tags: Identity Theft