How to Thwart Identity Thieves

Your personal information should be secure if you follow our script.

- Lisa Gerstner

DATA BREACHES GOT YOU WORRIED? WE DON’T blame you. Hacking is on the rise. Last year, hacking incidents exposed 160 million records, compared with 3.7 million in 2010, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center, which tracks U.S. data breaches. 

There’s not much you can do to guard your personal data when it’s in the hands of businesses or the government. But you can take steps to protect your identity in the areas under your control. We asked experts for their best advice on preventing identity theft and compiled their top recommendations. The tips are presented roughly in descending order of how severe the damage would be if an ID thief gained access to the information.

Safeguard your Social Security number.

A Social Security number is like gold to an identity thief. A crook can use it— along with other information, such as your name, address and birth date—to open credit card or loan accounts, file a fraudulent tax return, obtain government benefits, even get medical care.

Never carry your Social Security card in your wallet, and don’t leave anything in your car that contains your SSN or other sensitive information, such as paperwork or a laptop computer. If you don’t think an organization needs your SSN, omit it on forms. (Your bank or lender, your employer and government agencies probably have good reason to ask for it.) If the company insists that it needs the number, ask how it will protect your information. Walk away if the response doesn’t satisfy you.