HOW TO: Ten Tips to Prevent ID Theft
With one unfortunate incident, 26.5 million U.S. veterans had their personal information 
compromised, and it could just as easily happen to anyone of us.
The USAA Educational Foundation (www.usaaedfoundation.org) offers the tips below to help military members protect themselves from identity theft and detect if they’ve been a victim:
Ten Tips to Prevent ID Theft
Nothing you can do will guarantee protection against identity theft in all circumstances. However, you can minimize your risk by managing personal information with care and caution.
- Memorize your Social Security number. Never carry your Social Security card in your wallet or purse.
Store your wallet or purse in a secure location while at work or public places such as fitness centers.
Buy a cross-cut shredder. Use it as a secure means of disposal for documents with personal or financial information — such as unsolicited credit card applications, credit receipts or utility bills.
Memorize your PINs. Do not write them down unless you must. Never keep them with their cards, and do not share them with anyone. If possible, do not use the same PIN for multiple cards or services.
Do not provide personal information over the phone, e-mail or Internet unless the recipient is a known and trusted source.
Make sure the Web site uses encryption technology to safeguard your information. Most Web sites provide some acknowledgement that they are using encryption to transfer financial information. This acknowledgement may appear as a yellow padlock symbol in the status bar of your browser or a pop-up window indicating an encrypted or secured site.
Call the credit reporting agencies at (888) 5OPTOUT or (888) 567-8688 to remove your name from all mailing lists the agencies supply to direct marketers.
Deposit checks directly to your bank account. Do not mail checks from your home mailbox if it is unsecured.
Do not have unnecessary personal information, such as social security or driver’s license numbers, printed on personal checks.
Do business with responsible companies that take steps to protect their customers from identity theft.
Army.com - Identity Theft Tips from USAA