You could wake up one day to a phone call from a creditor threatening to sue you if you don’t settle your $50,000 debt. How did this happen? Someone else is posing as you. But how do they get your information? Here are a few ways:

1. They Can Steal Your Wallet or Purse: This one is the simplest way for thieves to get your personal information. Health clubs are a big hunting ground for wallet thieves. Make sure you put a padlock on your day locker. Also, be wary of pick pockets in public places. Consider carrying your wallet in your front pocket. Or consider wrapping the strap of your purse around you more firmly.

2. They Can Pose As You To Get Your Information From Unwitting 3rd Parties: This is the trick we’ve all seen on TV too many times. The thing is, it’s a real threat. Identity thieves can be slick, and can catch a customer service rep off guard with a good excuse for not having proper identification, and can trick them into giving up your sensitive information.

3. They Can Rummage Through Your Trash: Identity thieves are not above a little dumpster diving. It can pay off big for them. If they find pre-approved credit cards, they might be able to get a card in your name. If they find copies of your tax return, or your bank statement, they can cause all kinds of problems.

4. They Can Hack Into A Computer On The Internet Where Your Information Is Stored: If you keep your credit card information on line, this information could be recovered by thieves. All reputable sites will encrypt your information, but this is sometimes not enough. Banks have been hit. Major retailers have been hit. Major internet service sites (like Monster.com) have been hit. Try to keep to a minimum the amount of your information you let companies store in their databases.

5. They Could Steal Your Phone: They don’t even need to steal your phone for long. They could just “borrow” your phone to “call their dying mother” request a couple minutes of “privacy”, and have all the room they need to find whatever there is to find on your phone. At the least they could use your address to feed your friend’s phone numbers into their phone spam ring, and your friends will suddenly see an increase in unwanted dinnertime calls.

6. They Could Send You A Certified Letter In The Mail: Mail scam isn’t as common these days, but it’s probably more effective than ever, because most people don’t expect it. A certified letter is impressive. It will get your attention, and you will open it and read it – almost guaranteed. Then the thief can use many of the common scam techniques (some of them mentioned above) to get money, or personal information from you.

So what can you do about identity theft? Well, you can’t get completely protected, but you can get insured through various identity theft protection services. Check them out. They’re very inexpensive compared to the peace of mind they bring.

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