Protecting Your Identity

Protecting Your Identity
by Takara Alexis

It only takes one stolen check from your mail box and some acetone to empty your entire bank account. A piece of cellophane tape covers the front and back of your signature, and then the check in place in a pan of acetone. This is a process known as "check washing" and it takes only about a half hour to rinse everything except the printer's ink from the check. The things that remain on the check are your tape covered signature and the printer-inked information.

Invest in a safe pen. A certain type of ink-the kind in gel pens made by Uni-ball-resists acetone and various solutions used in check washing. Rather than writing your whole account number on signed checks, write only some digits, such as the last four numbers of the credit card account. Or you can write down none at all. Companies routinely ask you to put your entire account number, but there is no need to abide.

To further protect your privacy, don't put phone numbers on your checks. If you have to list one, make it your work number, not the number to your home. Another good idea is to get a Post Office Box number and use that instead of a street address as your mail-delivery point.

Of course, you should never display your Social Security or driver's license number on any checks. To prevent new checks from being stolen from your incoming mail, let them know that the check needs to be sent not to your home but to your bank.

Stealing your identity is not that hard, but stealing your face is. Take advantage of a great option that is offered by various credit card companies and retail stores that sponsor their own plastic: Your picture can be added to your credit card.

If a company asks for your maiden name or your mother's maiden name, tell them that you want to also use an alternative password to that one. Alternatively, you can fabricate an easy to remember bogus birthday or make up a maiden name.