Concerns for Identity Theft Prevention are Valid Concerns, being prepared for possible threats is the best way to stay ahead of loss. Knowing what information to give to who, and not, positions you in a more secure status. Here are some more of the questions we've been asked that will help you in many situations.

I've just done a lot of Holiday Shopping, and am concerned about my credit card info being out there?

It's true that the more a card is used, the more chances of someone stealing that information is possible. Fortunately there are a lot of honest people taking that information. Many cashiers never see the information, and just hand you your receipt. Most banks understand the loss during holiday seasons, and will reimburse you for losses that weren't generated by you, often times within a day. Banks will often cancel a specific credit card and leave your account open in case a card number is stolen, thereby giving you access while blocking the thief out.

Why don't businesses check a pictured ID when credit cards are used or gas stations provide paid gas cards?

Many banks are only issuing pictured debt or credit cards now to help with this problem. The truth is that merchants consider it a financial decision, and become lazy to not check photo ID's. A cashier see's a line of people and wants to move the line as fast as possible, and won't take the time to photo ID everyone. A stolen wallet will also contain a photo ID of that same person, thereby making it even more difficult to catch the thief.

Should I put my Social Security Number on a Job Application?

Most jobs require proof of citizenship, and a social security number is one of the main ways for proof of this. However, some are using it as a credit history check, which only should be used if the job requires some form of security clearance, not just normal everyday jobs.

Ask the company what they are going to use it for, because it will show up as a "ding" on your credit report. That one extra ding if you have already had other requests for credit checks on you by other employers, could result in lowering your credit score, raising the interest rate you will be offered by loans.

Is there anything that works 100% of the time? As you might guess, NO. But what works the closest to 100% is having a series of preventions in place. If you have a group of services each having their own specialties, then they could while providing their own efforts, prevent a successful attack against stealing your identity. Stealing your identity is the first step. Preventing them from using it is the most important. As you have seen on TV, commercials of the SEO of Lifelock, with his social security number written on the side of a large truck, driving around the streets in a very crowded city, where no one could miss seeing his ssn. So just because his number is compromised, doesn't mean it can be used. Even though there have been several attempts to use it, only one at this time was successful, and that was because the lender failed to follow standard procedure and honor the fraud alert.
Things under your control are purchasing a home shredder. Don't scrimp on quality here, we're talking about protecting your security. Purchase a cross-shredder, not a strip shredder. A Strip shredder cuts in long strips and can be easy to piece back together. A cross shredder, or even a diamond shredder will make it near impossible to piece together again. Purchase one that can handle up to 10 sheets at a time, but only feed about 3-5 sheets at any one time. This will extend the life much longer, and prevent you from fixing jammed papers so often. Get one that has a reverse built into it to help those jammed papers. A heavy-duty one will help shred those credit cards also. Don't worry about one that will shred your CD's, just bend them up and they'll be unusable. Don't forget to use it, take the time to shred things with your name on it. Don't shred envelope's with clear windows, or generic mail without any identifying information, just anything that can be used to submit an application, or request an address change.

My Drivers Licence has my Social Security Number on it, is this dangerous?

Yes, the less places your number is visible, the less chance it can be used. Several states offer the option to have your number replaced by a more generic number. You should use this option for your own protection.

Being a Senior Citizen, we have our Social Security Number on our Medicare card that we use for prescriptions, can this be changed?

There are efforts in place now to only have the last four digits showing, or some other method that would protect the number from being seen, even if the card is stolen or lost. Many times Seniors have accumulated a substantial savings, and are targeted by ID theft, so while you may not be so concerned about your credit report, you should be concerned about having your savings greatly reduced.