A few years ago, a laptop belonging to the college I had graduated from was stolen.  A staff member had taken it home with them, only to have their apartment burglarized.  Unfortunately, the laptop contained sensitive information on students dating back 10 years, meaning that a whole lot of students could potentially be victims of identity theft.

Since then, I’ve been a little more cautious about protecting my identity.  Most credit cards now offer protection against identity theft, and it’s not too difficult to prove that a new card opened up in your name wasn’t actually opened by you.  The problem is all the hassle of having to do this, and the possibility of frozen accounts, debt collectors, and other financial troubles until you get it all sorted out.

Here are some of the things I do to protect my identity now:

• Shred sensitive documents before throwing them away.  We have one of those home shredders, but eventually I want to upgrade to something a little nicer — not homeland security shredders or anything, but something that will shred in both directions for greater security.  i Shop Shredders has a pretty good selection, I think.
• Keep an eye on my credit report.  In Colorado I get a free credit report every year — not to check my score, but to see what is listed on my report.  If I see anything that shouldn’t be there, or an account that I have but that is reported inaccurately, then I’m right on it!
• Check my financial accounts online and frequently.  No more paper statements for me!  Not only are electronic statements environmentally friendly, they also offer greater security because they can’t be stolen out of your mailbox!

Taking certain precautions is important because it dramatically reduces your chances of being a victim of identity theft.  Don’t let those dirty thieves get you!

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