Everday, without giving much thought; we write checks at the grocery store, buy merchandise online, make calls on a cell phone, pay bills, order new checks or apply for a loan or new credit card. Most of us don't give these daily rituals a second thought. Beware, lurking in the shadows, someone else may be after the information we so readily give out.

Getting your life back on track after cleaning up the mess these thieves can cause is both time consuming and costly. Taking days or weeks off work to make the necessary phone calls, write letters and have affidavits notarized, also on average $1,500 out-of-pocket expenses trying to resolve the problem caused by these thieves is typical.

Here is a list of the most frequently ways identity theft happens. There are many more schemes than these and new ones are concocted everyday.

Phone solicitation: Never give to a charity over the phone always have them send you something in the mail. Check them out.

Mail theft: Never put your mail out in the evening before going to bed. If possible drop it off at the post office or in a public mail box.

Account takeover: This occurs when someone acquires your account information. They can contact your credit company and change your address and order new credit cards. Goes back to shredding this type of information.

Shoulder surfing: Always make sure your conversation cannot be overheard when conducting personal business. Keep your pin blocked from view when making an ATM transaction.

People we know: More than half of all identity theft is committed by criminals that have a relationship with their victims, such as family members, roommates, neighbors, or co-workers. Keep your guard up don't take anyone lightly.

High-tech thievery: There is a vast virtual black market on the Web, where individuals buy and sell stolen credit cards and Social Security numbers. Only put your personal information on sites that use encryption technology.

To prevent identity theft we must become our own advocates and watch dogs. The majority of identity fraud crimes are self-detected. This means our best safe guard against identity theft is our own vigilance.
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