If you have ever been a victim of identity theft, you know how traumatic and stressful it is dealing with repercussions. Your credit score will surly be affected, and you could be dealing with it for years, and perhaps even facing litigation as a result of your identity being used illegally. This is why it is very important to not only protect your identity, but to also identify the major ways that your identity can be stolen.

In this article, I will briefly discuss what you can do to prevent this from happening to you. It is simple and straight forward. The first way it is possible to steal your identity is dumpster diving. Literally, all a thief has to do is wait until you put your trash out and go through it. A lot of people leave things such as credit card bills, old check books, or other personal identifying things that could be used against you. Once the thief has found your information, they can use it to open new credit card accounts, checking counts, or to buy things on credit using your information. This is very serious because by the time that you realize that your information is being used, it is usually too late.

Another way that your identity might be stolen is by obtaining your mail. Skipping the dumpster diving and going right to the source, thief’s sometimes just boldly steal your mail right out of your mailbox. Bank statements and credit card bills give them instant access to all the information they need to establish things in your name. You would be surprised how many things come in the mail that have very personal information that could be used easily against you. All a thief needs is your address, your date of birth, your name and your social security numbers.

The two easiest ways to prevent this is very simple. All you have to do is buy a shredder, which is very inexpensive now a days. Shred all personal documents before you throw them in the garbage. Also, to prevent mail theft, either get a lockable mailbox or rent a PO Box from the post office, which is inexpensive as well.