Serene Karplus, Nederland.  Experts tell us we can’t really prevent identity theft; we can only manage it. Exercising caution and continuous vigilance can help reduce our risk of being a victim. Some of the following tips are familiar reminders and others are important new alerts.

Ensure all shreddables (bank and card statements, medical bills, anything containing Social Security numbers or birthdates) are cross-cut so they cannot be reconstructed.

Mail out from official postal receptacles. Don’t use mailbox flags alerting thieves there may be payments in the box (containing your checking account number, signature, and other information). Fetch delivered mail promptly.

Shred pre-printed checks used to draw on credit cards or equity lines if not being used and ask banks not to send them.

Carry only a spare check or two in a wallet; keep the full checkbook secured at home. Avoid printing a Driver’s License or Social Security number on checks. Write with a felt tip or gel pen, as ballpoint inks may be chemically washed and altered.

Be suspicious of any call or email needing to verify anything, including jury duty, scam callers checking a Social Security number and online phishers posing as your bank with a convenient “click her to access your account,” which actually leads elsewhere.

Opt out of credit card offers, which thieves steal and submit with a changed address. 1-888-5-OPTOUT or www.optoutscreen.com.

Be cautious when responding to promotional offers, which may be phony scams to obtain information.

Use only secured sites when handling purchasing or financial transactions online; these use the “https” prefix, with the “s” indicating the site is secured.

Use a specially designated smaller line credit card for online purchases. Do not use a debit card online, as direct access to the account leaves less opportunity to dispute the fraudulent transaction.

Don’t be lax because an area feels safe and familiar; keep your purse/wallet on your body, not in a grocery cart or loose in the car.

Carry chip cards in security sleeves/wallets or foil to prevent remote access.

Change passwords every six months on all sites, using a combination of at least 7 digits/letters/characters.

Be careful how much information you share on social media, such as birthdate, birth place, etc.

Check credit reports free every four months – once a year from each of the three reporting agencies.

Consider subscribing to a monitoring agency that watches 24/7 and offers full restoration (including investigation costs) instead of simply loss reimbursement.

The above tips were shared with us at a brief luncheon presentation by Peggy Altschuler, of Legal Shield. She provided free copies of an information booklet produced by the Federal Trade Commission, Take Charge: Fighting Back Against Identity Theft, which provides details of how to prevent and respond to such crimes. Visit www.ftc.gov/idtheft for multiple resources, including ordering free booklets and credit reports and who to contact for various kinds of fraud and theft reporting help.

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