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by: MatthewKnight
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Today, with the increase use of the internet, identity theft is growing at an alarming rate. When a person steals your identity a person can commit a crime under your name or apply for a credit card, maxing it to its limit and leaving you with the bill.

How Identity Thieves Work

* By going through your trash or stealing your mail.

* From the database of old computers that have been thrown away or files carelessly disposed of.

* Finding information on a person from the internet, public registries or records.

* Stealing personal belongs such as wallets or handbags.

* Using a card reader to "skim" a credit card and remove the information that is on the magnetic strip of the card.

* Stealing information from a computer via the internet.

* Taking on the guise of an employee from a trusted organization.

* From social network sites as MySpace and Facebook to obtain information.

Preventing Identity Theft

The prevention of identity theft can be simple if you follow some easy guidelines.

* Shred or tear up personal mail and papers before throwing them out. This includes credit card offers, bank account details and tax return information.

* Avoid dangerous websites and do not reply to emails requesting your account or personal details, even though they may look like they are from authentic sources.

* When you give your credit card over to pay for products keep it in your sight at all times. This will make it harder for a would be identity theft to take your card and put it through a skimmer to retrieve your information.

* Never give out information over the phone, regardless who they say they are.

There are many other simple ways that will help prevent identity theft. Being conscious of your personal information and belongings is a first step in the right direction. There are also identity theft prevention services available that can protect your personal records from as little as $10 a month.

About the Author

If you are searching for ways to prevent identity theft then Matthew Knight has excellent articles for you, including identity theft lost social security card. Click here to get your own unique version of this article with free reprint rights.

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