1. Writing your PIN (Personal Identification Number) on your ATM and credit cards or on another piece of paper in your wallet. If you lose your wallet, identity thieves get instant access to your bank and credit card accounts.
2. Keeping more than two or three ATM and credit cards in your wallet at any given time. It’s safer to carry only the cards you plan to use each day. If you lose your wallet, you’ll only have to call a few banks and credit-card companies to report the losses.
3. Paying your credit card bills without verifying each charge posted to the account. Unless you look closely at each statement, you may give ID thieves ongoing access to your account—as well as miss the 60 day deadline for reporting fraudulent charges.
4. Putting bank statements, credit card bills, preapproved credit solicitations and other documents containing personal financial information in the trash without shredding them. ID thieves have little problem "dumpster diving"–climbing into dumpsters or rooting through trash bins–to look for identifying information that someone threw out.
5. Checking your credit report less than once every 12 months. Reviewing your credit report can help you find out if someone has opened unauthorized financial accounts or taken out unauthorized loans in your name. Go to AnnualCreditReport.com to request a copy.
6. Ignoring a sudden drop in the volume of mail you receive. If could mean someone has filed an unauthorized change of address form.
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