Before we go into how we can avoid identity theft, let us see what identity theft means. Identity theft is mostly defined as a state where another person uses your name to appropriate gains due to you – this could be anything from abusing your credit cards to usurping your medical insurance or bank balance, or committing crimes in your name.

Then, you will have the bank personnel who will have access to your account number as well. Can you realize how inviting it can be to know the details you have mentioned? If that check falls into the hands of any unscrupulous person, you will be wide open for identity theft whereby your bank can be cleared within minutes.

How to Avoid Identity Theft?

Basically one word will do here – careful. If you are careful, you will be able to sidestep a good number of traps and avoid identity theft effectively. The following guidelines would be helpful:

1. Keep all the critical information (it is even better if your keep all your information) concealed. Do not write your driver license number or social security number anywhere, lest people will copy it and use it. This is particularly important when it comes to checks. People tend to write all kind of identity information right on the back of the checks. You should rather give only your phone number and if the bank needs further identification or verification, they will call you up.

2. Never give any information over the phone. How do you know that the person at the end of the line is a genuine person? If the bank is calling you, ask the name of the person and inform that you will give the information in person, or send it through someone you authorize on your behalf.

3. Never give your financial details for buying things over the Internet. Whenever you like something, check out the website (name of the enterprise) with the BBB or Better Business Bureau to see whether they are genuine. Unless you do this, you might be feeding your financial information into a clone website. This is one of the most popular methods to steal people’s identity; hence, you should be very careful about what you are doing and with whom you are interacting to avoid identity theft.

Sonora Police Department Cracks Identity Theft Case (MyMotherLode.com)

Sonora, CA -- A 42-year-old Sonora man has been arrested following a three week identity theft investigation. A Concord man recently began receiving phone calls from credit card companies attempting to confirm that he had applied for lines of credit over the internet.

Simple lifestyle changes can help you avoid identity theft (Boston Herald)

How can I protect myself from identity theft? Unfortunately, there are a lot of times where identity theft cannot be tamed, like in the workplace. If vital information...

Police Arrest Man Suspected Of Mail, ID Theft (NBC Dallas Fort Worth)

A man suspected of mail and identity theft was arrested Sunday morning outside a bank in the 3900 block of Glade Road, Colleyville police say.

Waukegan woman gets probation for ID theft (Daily Herald)

A Waukegan woman was placed on probation for one year Tuesday after admitting she used a stolen Social Security number to get a job. Lake County Circuit Judge Fred Foreman told Beatriz Aguilar, 24, she faces possible deportation for pleading guilty to felony identity theft.

Find Out If Your Online Identity Has Been Stolen (Search Engine Journal)

The diversity of social media communities has brought one huge Internet marketing problem: online identity theft. If you are lucky enough to own a fairly popular unique brand name and smart enough to use it for social networking, you might have already fallen prey to this abuse (though you might be unaware of that). Someone has [...]

Passport Identity Theft: Don't Leave Home Without Knowing This! (PIZZAHEROS)

Authors including Frederick Forsyth (author of The Jackal) have used passport identity theft as a plot. In The Jackal, an assassin scours the cemetery for the grave of a child who was born around the same time. He then uses that name to apply for a passport.