It happened twice today. This morning an email from Chase Bank announced that someone was tampering with my account. All I needed to do was log in using my social security number and change my password to protect my account. Another email offered me a much better finance rate than my current mortgage. All the mortgage company needed in order to get started was my social security number and birth date. The only problem is––I don’t have an account at Chase and I currently rent.

Had I clicked on the link to “Chase Bank” I would have found a legitimate-looking website that might have convinced me to enter personal information that would have made me another statistic in the epidemic of identity theft. This particular ploy is known as “phishing” and it is just one of many methods that thieves use to strip you of your identity and use your good credit to their gain.

How widespread is identity (ID) theft? If it were a disease it would be an epidemic, with 9.3 million American victims in 2005. Although the crime has gone down by a few percentage points in the last two years, this is no time to drop your guard. In this article, I will tell you how ID thieves steal your vital information and, more importantly, the steps you can take to avoid becoming a victim.

Sharing Your Life (Without Saying I Do)

The unfortunate question for the 21st century is––it’s ten o’clock, do you know where your identity is? The honest answer is, you don’t––and neither do I. Our vital information is everywhere, from paper records to online databases. It is shared daily without our knowledge. Those wonderful credit card companies that send us offers glean our names from the databases of credit bureaus and marketing companies who disseminate information about nearly every adult in this country. Most Americans had never heard of one such company, Choice Point, until they sold 145,000 sensitive records to ID thieves posing as customers. All told, the personal information of nearly 82 million Americans has been compromised in the last year and a half, according to Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. For a running tab, visit http://www.privacyrights.org.

Even information on your home computer is subject to theft, thanks to sophisticated spyware programs. ATM “skimmers” can record your cards and PINs. In more prosaic realms, paper records fall into the wrong hands. The contents of your wallet or purse are subject to old-fashioned snatching. Your mailbox is full of account information and credit offers; if this is stolen or goes into the bin unshredded your trash can become a criminal’s treasure. All these places have become the equivalent of the dark alley with a mugger skulking in the shadows. The difference is, ID muggers aren’t interested in your money, at least not quite as directly. They’re interested in something much more valuable.

When Your Good Credit Fuels Their Spending Spree

When a thief steals your identity his next step is to establish credit using your good name. He’ll often begin by establishing phone or utility services under your name at your “new” address. With your name and address plus––most importantly––your social security number he can now apply for credit cards, auto loans or even mortgages. Unfortunately, neither the creditors nor the credit bureaus present much of a barrier. The name of the game in modern credit is “instantaneous” and the unfortunate side effect is that we often trade security for speed. When an ID thief applies for a card with Acme Bank his application is generally scanned by a machine, not perused by a person. Acme Bank has an automated connection to one of the three big credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion). In goes your name and SSN and out goes the card––to the ID thief. It’s a rare creditor that checks the discrepancy between your old and “new” address.

This common type of crime is called application fraud. The credit card bills go to the thief’s address, often a post office box, so unless you are paying attention to your credit reports you will remain blissfully unaware. Of course they will go unpaid. How will you find out? In a rude awakening, you’ll discover the crime when you get turned down for credit due to your record of missed payments on an account you never heard of or when you get a call from a collection agency.

Be Aware, Be Very Aware

Okay, enough bad news. The purpose of this article is not to frighten you into renouncing all worldly goods and moving to a monastery. The good news is that you are far from powerless. Now that you know the ID thief’s bag of tricks, you can employ your own to foil him. The other good news is that victims rarely suffer financial losses, as they are not held responsible for the fraudulent charges accrued by identity thieves. (Creditors pass the losses along to consumers in the form of higher rates––so identity theft ends up costing us all.) What you can lose is some sleep and the time it takes to re-establish your good credit––in 2005 the average was forty hours.

Here are 18 simple steps you can take to safeguard your identity and your good credit.

Security in the Online World

1 Don’t give information to people who email (or call) posing as a mortgage company, your bank or a government agency. Online, these requests often lead to ‘phishing” schemes. The email is the hook, you are the phish and the fake website you visit to enter your personal information is the frying pan. Forget it. Real institutions won’t call or email you to request your SSN, bank account number or other sensitive information. Only give out such information if you initiate the contact and are certain with whom you’re communicating. Never click on the link in a suspicious email; if you visit the site, type the address into your browser. Beware––phishing websites that resemble their legitimate counterparts are becoming increasingly sophisticated, fooling even technically savvy people. For more information on phishing, visit: www.antiphishing.org.

2 Only do business with secure websites. Look up in the address bar, the web address should be preceded by “https”––the “s” stands for secure. On the bottom bar of your browser should be some variant of a padlock symbol—it should be locked.

3 Tame your computer. The Internet has bred a whole new bevy of beasts; it’s a jungle in there. Unbeknownst to you, you may have inadvertently installed adware or spyware with that “free” program you downloaded. Originally developed to give marketers demographic data, adware programs have led to a menagerie of spyware, keystroke readers and administration programs that can capture and transmit your sensitive personal data. You need to detect and remove it. Many programs purport to do just that. It’s also a good idea to install a firewall on your computer. For thorough information on the topic of keeping your computer clean, click to http://www.unwantedlinks.com.

4 Be unpopular. Criminals spend more time making devious devices for popular programs and computers, as this gives them greater chance for success. Consider switching from Internet Explorer (the most popular browser) to another browser, such as Firefox or Opera. I happen to be a Mac user and the same logic applies. Few virus makers waste their time on such a small user base.

5 Forego the ease of letting websites store your credit card and other sensitive information for repeat purchases. Big databases of such information are big targets for hackers.

6 Use potent passwords that protect. When possible, use “complex” passwords that contain letters, numbers and special characters. These are not subject to hackers’ “dictionary attacks.” Do not use passwords that are some variant of your name, mother’s maiden name or other easily sleuthed out information. When websites ask you for maiden name or date of birth as security measures do some identity switching yourself and give them made up information––just make sure you remember it! Change your passwords frequently.

7 Consider using the new Bill-Me-Later (BML) card rather than a credit card. The BML card uses no card number at all and, in fact, has no physical card––you identify yourself at participating websites with your birth date and the last four digits of your SSN. Bill-Me-Later also offers fraud protection so you are not held responsible for unauthorized charges. Look it up at: www.bill-me-later.com.

Security in the Offline world

8 Pick-pocketing, purse-snatching and pilfering are still responsible for the loss of personal information that can lead to ID theft. Besides watching your wallet or purse closely, strip down what you carry in there. Leave the SSN card, checkbook and extra credit cards at home; one credit or debit card will generally get you through an emergency. And never carry a written list of your PINs. Keep photocopies of your license, cards, SSN card and passport at home, along with emergency numbers for quick cancellation. (If you’re traveling, leave a copy with a trusted friend who could fax you the information—especially if you’re in a foreign country.)

9 So much attention has been paid to “cybertheft” that we sometimes forget that a lock and key still work wonders. Unfortunately, about 14 percent of ID thefts are traceable to family members, friends or colleagues––trusted people who proved to be untrustworthy. At your office, home and in your RV, it’s a good idea to keep those documents in a locked cabinet or safe.

10 Your mail should come and go securely. Many RVers receive mail in a P.O. Box while they are traveling––it’s a good idea while you’re home, too. Street-side mailboxes are vulnerable; switch to a locked box, or a door slot. Outgoing mail––particularly bills and applications––should be dropped at the Post Office or a U.S.P.S. mailbox––never left in a street-side box with the flag up. Any mail that contains a shred of evidence about you should be shredded. Tired of feeding junk mail to a shredder? Opt out of those pre-screened offers by calling the credit bureaus at 888-567-5688 or go online and opt out at www.optoutprescreen.com.

11 ID thieves love checks, especially ones with lots of information on them. Forgers love them too––by taping over your signature and dousing the check in acetone to wash away the other handwritten information, they have just penned themselves a blank check from you. If you must use checks, print as little information as possible on them––never your drivers license number or SSN! But let’s face it, checks are going the way of home-delivered milk. As RVers, many of you probably already bank online for the convenience of having access to your account wherever you are, 24/7. With better security and financial liability protection from the banks, it’s a good way to go.

12 Those convenient ATM cards we all love are also convenient for thieves. “Shoulder surfers” glean your PIN while standing behind you. Ask them to move back, and block the view. Eavesdroppers listen in. Don’t blare sensitive information while talking on your cell or to the teller. More insidious are the new sophisticated “skimmers” that thieves place on ATM slots. Built to look like the original machine, these devices skim the magnetic information off your card while a camera hidden in an innocent looking brochure holder mounted nearby records your PIN. Don’t rush to jab your card into an ATM anymore––check it first. If anything seems amiss, don’t use it and report it to the bank or police.

13 There are moments in life when you must hand over your card, in restaurants or stores. At such time it is vulnerable to skimming by an unscrupulous employee. One way around this is to plan in advance and pay cash in any situation where your card will leave your sight. However, it’s also good to keep in mind that skimming your credit card will not lead to all out ID theft and that your bank will not hold you liable for more than 50 dollars.

14 Keep an eagle-eye on your accounts. Some creditors will alert you to suspicious activity, but don’t count on it. The majority of ID thefts are discovered by alert individuals, not institutions. If an account shows tampering, call your creditor immediately. If you suspect that you are a victim of ID theft, a good place to begin is to visit the Federal Trade Commission’s informational site: http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/.

15 To help foil phone phishers, get an unlisted number or turn the tables on your tormentors by changing your first name in the listing. Then ask any solicitor (the national do not call registry will not stop the illegitimate ones) to tell you your name.

Security in the Credit World

16 ID thieves are predominantly after your good credit; guard it accordingly. Check your free credit reports every year at www.annualcreditreport.com. This isn’t often enough, however, so here are some options. Purchase a credit-monitoring program with the credit bureaus that will allow you unlimited looks at your credit report. Or get an “alert” program that will tell you of any unusual activity. The problem with both of these methods is that they are not preventative. It’s a little like chickens purchasing a policy that informs them that a fox has been in the hen house.

17 Some states give you the right to “freeze” your credit reports––so nobody gets in without your permission. Check to see if your state does. My opinion? This option should be available to all consumers—if so, we would see a rapid decline in the credit fraud side of ID theft. Why don’t the credit bureaus freeze out fraud for everybody? The unfortunate fact is that the bureaus often fight consumers’ attempts to get these laws in place. Why? Remember, they make their money by selling your information. It’s not in their business interests to limit access to reports. It is in your best interests, however, to let your legislators know that you want tough anti-ID theft laws, including the ability to freeze your credit report.

18 While you’re waiting for the government to do what’s right by consumers, consider looking up a company that proposes to protect your identity, and your credit, for you. For ten dollars a month LifeLock effectively freezes your credit reports and takes extensive measures to protect your good name. They have a simple guarantee: “If your identity is ever stolen while you are our client and your claim is legitimate, we will fix the problem. Period. And we’ll reimburse you for any losses you incur (up to $1,000,000).” The last part is mostly bravado, as ID theft victims rarely suffer losses, but LifeLock is worth checking out at: http://welcome.lifelock.com.

Getting on with It

We live our lives by maintaining a balance between doing what we like and taking the necessary precautions. Simply driving down the highway in your RV presents hazards, but you don’t let the possibility of a mishap keep you home. Instead, you plan ahead and drive defensively. Apply these same tactics to your personal information and you’ll have a great trip––and arrive with your identity intact.

Peter Herring is a freelance writer based in Phoenix, Arizona. He writes articles on travel, food, wine and assorted lifestyle topics.