Identity theft is America's fastest-growing crime.
Last year, nearly 10 million Americans were victims of identity theft.
It's hard to say exactly how many people have become victims or how much money has been stolen from them, because law enforcement agencies can classify ID theft in many different ways. Identity theft sometimes falls under the category of credit card fraud, Internet fraud, or mail theft, to name a few.
According to FTC reports, about four percent of victims claim that their information was stolen right out of their mailboxes. Regardless of the low percentage of cases where postal theft is blamed, U.S. Postal Inspectors are leading the fight against identity theft.
Postal Inspectors suggest the following to protect yourself from identity theft:
- Review your consumer credit reports annually.
- Shred and destroy unwanted documents that contain personal information.
- Deposit mail in U.S. Postal Service collection boxes.
- Don’t leave mail in your mailbox overnight or on weekends.
Other steps you can take to protect yourself from identity theft:
- Report lost or stolen credit cards as soon as possible.
- If you applied for a credit card and it didn't arrive in your mailbox when you expected it, call the company that issued the card.
- Sign your new credit cards the moment you receive them, this way, noone else can sign them.
- Memorize your Social Security number and passwords.
- You shouldn't use your date of birth as your password.
- Don't write your passwords on papers that you carry on your person.
- When you pay with your credit or debit card, don't leave the receipt where someone can find it.
- Don't carry your Social Security card or birth certificate.
- Don't give out your credit card or other account numbers online unless the site provides secure transactions.
- Keep an eye on the expiration dates of your credit cards. Contact the issuer if you don't receive a new one before the expiration date.
- Be wary of any solicitors that offer prizes or awards especially if they are asking for personal information or account numbers.
- Check your bills for any charges that seem out of place or don't match your receipts.
- If you don't get your monthly bills when expected, contact the sender.
- Don't send mail from the mailbox in front of your home unless it is secure.
- Don't have boxes of checks sent to your home- arrange to pick them up at your bank or credit union instead.
- Any checks that you send out should be taken to the Post Office.
