Identity theft is one of fastest growing crimes in the United States. The loss of your personal identity is not only financially devastating, it is frightening and violating.

Unfortunately, this is only getting more common with the widespread use of the internet. We think nothing of providing our bank account numbers, credit card numbers, and even social security numbers to sites online. What we rarely think of, though, is how far and wide those supposedly private numbers are traveling.

This leaves the sender with only the ability to hope it will land in the right hands. All too often, however, this information falls short of its location and rolls off into the hands of criminals.

You can protect yourself from identity theft: the key is to be aware of how it can occur and the steps you can take to avoid it.

Begin by recognizing potential trouble spots. For instance, automatic payments are increasingly popular because of the ease and convenience they offer. But are they safe for you to use?

Live check interception is an extremely easy way for a criminal to directly obtain all of your personal bank account information and begin purchasing items.

E-checks provide thieves with all the information they need to make fraudulent purchases. A good policy may be to limit your use of checks to stores you visit in person.

You should also utilize the online bill payment option on secure websites. This is much safer than using checks and provides identity thieves fewer opportunities to steal your financial information.

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the country, and it is sure to only rise as the economy worsens. Now is the time to take action to protect your personal and financial information.

In addition to online security, pay attention to your paper mail. Criminals are not above rooting through trash to obtain mail with sensitive information. In fact, this is one of the more common means through which identity thieves obtain information.

Credit card and bank statements are gold to identity thieves. They contain all the information they need to make purchases, apply for more cards, and more. Before you throw anything of this nature away, shred it. The few seconds you spend on this are well worth it to protect your identity and privacy.

Lastly, make sure that the information you divulge online is protected by a secure website and that you check your credit score often.

You will easily and quickly spot any irregularities that may be caused by identity theft. Take advantage of your free annual credit report for this purpose. You can also opt to receive monthly updates or alerts when something changes. For a minimal fee, it provides great peace of mind.

Keep a list of secure sites you use, whether they are vendors, creditors, or banks. If you notice a change in your statement or an unauthorized charge, you can contact them immediately so the damage is mitigated. It is possible to protect your identity but it takes some effort and knowledge on your part.

Tags: Identity Theft