Protecting Yourself from Identity TheftPart 7
by Michelle Black
Thanks for checking in again today for our latest identity theft prevention tip. If you have not done so already, we would love for you to take the time to review parts 1 – 6 of this empowering blog series. The most effective way to combat identity theft is to be aware of the practices employed by scam artists and identity thieves. Knowing what to do and what not to do in advance could save you a lot of heartache and help to avoid identity fraud before it has a chance to affect you! Here is our next tip:
#7: Don’t Put Checks in Your Mailbox.
Even if this sounds like overkill to you, it is strongly advised that you do not put checks in the mail from your home mailbox. Drop them off at a U.S. Mailbox or the U.S. Post Office. Mail theft is common. It is easy. All that a thief needs to do is steal your check (rent check, power bill check, cell phone bill check, etc.) and change the name of the recipient on the check with an acid wash. You can also pay your bills online via a secure website to further protect yourself from this type of fraud.
Shockingly, there are around 10 million victims of identity theft in the United States every single year! Following today’s tip, and previous tips from our Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft blog series will help you to drastically reduce you chances of being numbered among those victims. Don’t forget to check back with us soon for more tips and hints you can use to combat identity thieves.