1. Do not give out personal information over the phone, through the mail, or over the Internet unless you have initiated the contact or know whom you are dealing with.  *Identity thieves will pose as bank representatives, Internet service providers, and even government officals to get you to reveal identifying information.
2. Shred all documents, including pre-approved credit applications received in your name, insurance forms, bank checks and statements you are discarding, and other financial information.
3. Do not use your mother's maiden name, your birth date, the last four digits of your social security number, or a similar series of numbers as a password for anything.
4. Minimize the identification information and the number of cards you carry.  Take what you'll actually need.  Don't carry your social security card, birth certificate, or passport, unless necessary.
5. Do not put your social security number on your checks or your credit receipts.  If a business requests your social security number, give them an alternate number and explain why.  If a government agency requests your social security number, there must be a privacy notice accompanying the request.
6. Do not put your telephone number on your checks.
7. Be careful using ATMs and phone cards.  Someone may look over your shoulder and get you PIN numbers, thereby gaining access to your accounts.
8. Make a list of all your credit card account number and bank account numbers with customer service phone numbers and keep it in a safe place.
9. When you order new credit cards in the mail or previous ones have expired, watch the calendar to make sure you get the card within the appropriate time.  If the card in not received within that time, call the credit card grantor immediately to find out if the card has been sent.  If you don't receive the card, check to make sure a change of address was not filed.
10. Do not put your credit card number on the Internet unless it is encrypted on a secured site.
11. Pay attention to your billing cycles.  Follow up with creditors if bills don't arrive on time.  A missing credit card bill could mean an identity thief has taken over your credit card account and changed your billing address.
12. Cancel all credit cards that you have not used in the last six months.  Open credit is a prime target.

* Crime Prevention tips provided by the National Crime Prevention Council and the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office.