Avoiding Identity Theft
And other credit-saving tips

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America. In 1998, over 500,000 cases were reported. Identity theft can range from the unauthorized used of your credit card to someone creating a "duplicate you" complete with your birthday and social security number leaving you a pile of unpaid bills.

The identity theft problem is growing as more personal information becomes available and thieves get more sophisticated. Last year, Congress passed and President Clinton signed the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act to combat this problem. But, as with the case of so many things, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Even though your liability for the unauthorized use of your credit card may be limited, the trouble of fixing it and the potential black mark on your credit history can be a nightmare.

The types of information most sought by identity thieves are social security numbers, credit card numbers, bank account numbers and birth dates. Here are some steps you can take to protect your identity.

1. Carry as few credit cards as possible and periodically check to make sure you have them.
2. Only carry your social security card, birth certificate or passport as needed.
3. Never have your social security number on checks.
4. Never give personal information over the phone unless you made the call.
5. Shred papers that contain personal financial data when disposing of them.
6. Never give your Personal Identification Number (PIN) over the phone for any reason.
7. Dispose properly of receipts from using your ATM, credit or debit cards.
8. Keep a list of credit card and financial account numbers, with phone numbers, in a safe place.
9. Sign new credit cards immediately when you receive them.

While there are no guarantees that these steps will prevent identity thieves from attacking, the harder you make it for them to steal your identity, the less likely you will become a victim of credit identity theft.