Have checks sent to your mailbox. If you receive a monthly check,
consider using direct deposit so it goes straight into your bank
account. At the very least, have the checks mailed to a secure box
at your local post office.
Have new blank checks sent to your mailbox. Pick them up at the
bank in person.
Do:
Use a secure mailbox. "Those quaint red flags on many mailboxes
are known as the �come and steal my mail' flags," says Linda Foley,
an identity-theft victim who now runs the Identity Theft Resource
Center (www.idtheftcenter.org). Consider a lockbox or a mail slot
that empties into your home. Don't leave bill payments out for the
mailman to pick up, either. Put them in a secure mailbox, or drop
them off at the post office.
Check your monthly bills and statements for suspicious charges. If you aren't getting a bill, this may be a sign that someone has
stolen your account and had the billing address changed so you
wouldn't notice their unauthorized charges.
Shred. Identity thieves riffle through garbage looking for
discarded bills, bank statements, credit-card receipts, and
anything else that might contain information that could help them
access your accounts or open a new one.
Reduce the amount of junk mail you get. Whenever you open an
account — credit card, bank, on-line shopping — request that the
business not share your info. To
stop delivery of most junk mail, register with the Direct Marketing
Association�s Mail Preference Service at
www.dmaconsumers.org
