Protecting Yourself against Identity Theft: 

Identity thieves often find what they need to steal your identity from direct mail offers, bills or statements in your mailbox, recycling bin or garbage can A great way to protect yourself is to sign up for online banking and bill pay.

Use a secure locking mailbox or a P.O. Box. Never place outbound mail (at work or at home) in an open, unlocked mailbox. Never leave mail in your car. During long absences, have mail held at the post office or have a trusted neighbor pick it up.

Anything you can do to keep criminals away from your personal data helps to reduce your risk of identity theft. Here's what identity thieves covet most:

• Your name, address, and phone
• Your date of birth
• Your Social Security number (SSN)
• Your driver's license number
• Your credit card information
• Your bank account information
• Your mother's maiden name

Do not carry your Social Security card in your wallet. Avoid carrying cards that display your SSN — notably health insurance cards, unless needed to receive care. Never give your SSN, credit card number, or other personal data by phone unless you have an existing relationship with the business or agency AND you initiated the call using a verified phone number. Always verify the other party's authenticity.

Avoid including your SSN on job applications. Provide it only when absolutely necessary — for tax, employment, and student records, stock and property transactions, and so on. If a government agency requests your SSN, look for an accompanying Privacy Act notice indicating whether an SSN is required, how it will be used, and what happens if you don't provide it.

Frequent monitoring of your bank accounts will help to detect and stop fraud. Research indicates that the risk and size of fraud loss for consumers who frequently monitor their accounts online is lower than those who don't monitor accounts regularly online. Most financial institutions use online banking to provide free 24/7 access to your accounts.

Use email alerts in your online banking account to notify you of account activity, such as billpay transactions, balance thresholds, transaction size, and account transfers (both within your bank and between institutions).

Monitor and reconcile your check activity by viewing check images online. Many financial institutions offering checking accounts provide you with the ability to view the check images online. Regularly viewing these check images online helps stop check fraud.

To keep pre-approved credit offers from being sent to you, remove your name permanently from mail offer lists. You can also opt out by calling 1.888.5OPT.OUT (1.888.567.8688), but only for a five-year period.

Add your name to the National Do-Not-Call Registry, as well as to your state's Do-Not-Call list (if it has one). Add your name to name-deletion lists used by nationwide marketers.