Tru,
Just some life lessons. The big guy upstairs was trying to tell me something. It took awhile but I finally got it. I guess my head is (was) real hard!
As far as what can you do to protect yourself. There are many good ideas here already but you have to remember that if someone wants your particular information they will get it. Simple as that.
There are services on the web that you can list someones phone number (reverse number look up, criss cross, who called me, etc..) and that will tell you their address. Then you can look on the tax rolls and get some more taxpayer information. Sometimes I have seen drivers license numbers listed with tax rolls. Don't ask my why I have no idea. Mine was for a while.
If the person has a business you can do a business search and get the SSN, drivers license and address. It is all a matter of public record. If they are involved in a lawsuit the personal information is available for anyone who has three dollars for a copy of the filing. There are thousands of ways to get to you.
Our SSN's were created for the US government to keep up with our taxes each year. As time went on we have become accustomed to giving our SSN out as an identifying number without question.
How can we protect ourselves.
NEVER - EVER write a check at ANY store. Even if the do not swipe it in front of you they still can when the build the store deposits at night.
Get a debit (or check) card and use it exclusively.
DO NOT have mail sent to your home. Mail has been stolen out of our box many times when we lived in a gated community of million dollar + homes.
DO NOT mail bills out from your home. Get a PO box and use it for all mail.
DO NOT give your personal information to anyone on the phone that calls you. You are not 100% sure who they really are. If you make the contact you have a better chance of knowing who you are talking to.
When making purchases over the Internet. Go to your bank and get a One Time use card. They have debit and credit cards that they can program to work only once, or to expire in two or three days. After you make your purchase close the account at the same bank with the same person that opened it. Let them know what you are doing so they can process that one charge and not send it back.
Do not carry your SS card in your wallet. If you loose it your screwed, simple as that.
Do not carry PIN numbers in your wallet. See above
Shred everything that comes to you in the mail if it has your name and addy on it. Tear off that part and shred it. Also look inside and make sure they have not repeated the information on the inside of the junk mail. Credit card companies are real bad about putting your information on the paperwork ten times. Anything that comes to you from a company soliciting your credit shred the whole thing.
Do not throw your bank statements in the trash.
Just a little awareness will help and it will go along way.
I have seen people inside the dumpster at the post office looking for addresses. I left and called the police. The guy had twenty or so PRE APPROVED credit card mailings in his pocket. The police told me they had been looking for him for years. They were very happy to say the least. So do not throw away anything at the Post Office either.
Credit card companies are the main ones to blame for ID theft. We have received pre approvals in the mail with our SSN on them. We have received REAL checks in the mail, just take it to the bank and deposit it.
What most people do not know is if some one steals your ID and goes to the store and buys something. You report your ID was stolen and the credit card company will put the money back in your account. The store takes the hit. NOT the credit card company.
Just be careful with you ID....