For the most part, identity theft is something that can be prevented. At least you can take certain steps to lower your chances of becoming a victim.

1) The first thing I do is shred everything with my name and/or account numbers on it. This includes all those pre-approved credit card applications in the mail and anything else that comes with my name printed on it. It also means that I am shredding something almost every day but in today's world it is something you just have to do.

2) I keep all my bank, credit card statements, and bill statements. That way, if on month one or more of them don't arrive in the mail, I know that something may be wrong. One of the proven ways identity thieves steal your personal account information is to steal your mail.

3) Along the lines of #2, if you don't have a lot of bills and statement sent to your house every month, you are safer from them being stolen. Many of your accounts and monthly bills can now be viewed online and so switching to online statements is something you can do to cut down on identity theft.

4) If you do have a lot of online accounts, you must make sure to guard your passwords and change them often. Cyber theft is now a problem as well and in order to stay one step ahead of the Id thief, frequent password changing is a must.

5) Check your credit history several times a year. Your credit history is not something that you come in contact with often and many people go years between checking it. Victims of identity theft invariably have their credit history ruined and the more often you check it the better off you are. It is similar to checking for cancer as you grow older. If something is wrong you may not know it until it is too late so you must check periodically.

These are some of the things I do daily and monthly to make sure I don't become a victim of identity theft. The main thing is to always keep your accounts in order and to monitor them. If something doesn't look right you need to investigate. It is your life and you need to learn how to protect it. Unfortunately no one else is going to help you!

To learn more about identity theft and how to prevent this very scary reality please visit Idenity Theft.