Income Tax Rates

I've heard so much about identity theft, and it scares me to think that I could wake up tomorrow and my bank account could be cleaned out, my credit report could be ruined and my life could be set into a horrible mess. But I've learned a lot of ways to prevent a thief from robbing me blind, and here are some f the best things I've found to protect yourself.

First, make sure you are on the government's Do Not Call list, and not just your home phone. Be sure to add in all mobile phones in your household. You can add the numbers at www.donotcall.gov or call 1-888-382-1222.

Another key thing to keep your credit safe is to review your credit report at least once a year. However, don't fall for a pitch where you have to sign up for a recurring service just to see your credit report. The reality is that you can get a copy of your credit report once a year without paying anything. There are three major credit bureaus you need to keep up with. Visit www.AnnualCreditReport.com to get more information.

Avoid giving to charities you aren't familiar with, and if you are interested in giving to a new charity, check them out with the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance at www.give.org. Scam charities are more common than you might think, and some are sophisticated with call centers, web sites and professional presentations.

Probably the most effective and misunderstood method of identity theft is 'phishing', which is the process of trying to send messages to unsuspecting people in an attempt to trick that person into providing sensitive information. The most common is sending out an email that says your account has been compromised, and that you need to click a link and enter your account details. Then any person who clicks the link is taken to a site that looks very official, and when they enter their information, it's stolen. If you are at all concerned about your account, contact the company in question directly. Do not respond to a random email. The most recent phishing attacks use text messages to your phone, so you need to be aware of the different methods for prevention.

Probably the simplest measure to prevent identity theft attack is to buy a cross-cut shredder and shred anything with identifiable information on it. This includes not only account numbers but also addresses, names and phone numbers.

Use Opt-Out options whenever possible. This means to opt out of junk mail, mortgage company offers, and especially credit card offers. When you get a policy update notice from one of your accounts, say a credit card, don't just take the lazy way out and toss it aside. You don't have to read every word, but you should at the very least look to see if there is some action required by you. This would be a form to fill out or some return information on the letter. This often means that if you don't respond, you may be automatically agreeing to whatever is in the letter, and if that's the case, you should know what you are agreeing g to.

One of the most important issues that is rarely discussed is not to put outgoing mail in your mailbox, especially if your mailbox is next to the street. It's easy for a criminal to cruise down a suburban street and see all of the cars gone and all of the little red flags on the mailboxes up. There's a pretty good chance that a lot of those little red flags mean there are checks and account numbers sitting there, unguarded, and all they have to do is drive by and grab them. Send any outgoing mail in a standalone post office box if possible, or drop it off at the post office.

Watch out for change of address notifications. A thief can fill out a change of address card in an attempt to divert important mail to another address. Some companies will alert you when this happens; some won't.

There is a lot more information that you should educate yourself on in order to really protect yourself. Do NOT take the lazy way out and think it's too hard. You WILL make yourself an easy target.