Identity theft is becoming alarmingly common.  In a world where so much is dependent on virtual money, thieves can now steal from the comfort of their own home — the computer being there foremost tool.

Here are some ways to protect yourself from identity theft:

1. Check your credit history often.  The sooner you catch unauthorized use of your name and social security number, the sooner you can shut the thief down – perhaps even preventing the problem from getting any worse.
2. Shred any documents you are throwing away that have identifying information on them.   This includes junk mail and documents with only partial information on them.  Remember, thieves are experts at piecing together people’s identities as if they were jigsaw puzzles.  There are many home shredders and industrial shredders on the market; paper shredders that shred in both directions are the best, because the resulting pieces are more difficult to piece back together.
3. Alert the credit bureaus immediately if you believe your identity has been stolen.  They will help you correct your credit reports and place a hold on your report, forcing any further creditors to get better verification of your identity before granting credit in your name.

Your identity may be an abstract idea, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be stolen.  Taking certain precautions help you to protect yourself as much as possible in today’s fast-paced virtual world.

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