There are several methods you can use to protect yourself from identity theft. Some of them are very easy to implement, and you can start using them right away. Others may be a little more complex, but can go a very long way toward protecting you from this terrible crime.

Top 5 Simple Ways to Prevent Identity Theft

1.) Don't carry your social security card with you. Keep it somewhere under lock and key, preferably in a safety deposit box. You certainly don't want a burglar to steal more than your television set!

You could also keep it in a locked box in your house, just remember that those are extremely tempting to burglars, who might just take the whole box and pry it open later. If you have a hidden safe in your house, this would be a great use for it.

2.) Don't show your ID to cashiers for credit card purchases. When you write a check or use your card as a debit card which requires a PIN, they can ask to see your ID. But they aren't supposed to ask to see your ID on non-PIN credit card purchases.

Both VISA and MasterCard have rules that say that as long as the card is signed on the back, a transaction can't be declined simply for failing to produce and ID. If your card is signed on the back and they do ask for your ID, you can simply cover up all identifying information except your name and picture.

If they demand to hold the ID, ask them to call the manager. Inform the manager that you're worried about identity theft, and that VISA and MasterCard rules both specifically state that a merchant can't make ID a requirement for the card to be accepted as long as the back of the card is signed, and the signature on the back matches the signature on the receipt. If they still hassle you, then you can complain to VISA or MasterCard about the merchant.

3.) Shred any documents that you receive that contain your social security number. Sometimes you might get a document such as a report from Social Security, tax documents, or insurance documents that contain your social security number. Always be sure to shred these if you intend to throw them away. Thieves often go through trash looking for things like this.

4.) Use virus protection and a firewall on your computer. Scan regularly to be sure there are no malicious programs on your system that could transmit sensitive data back to hackers. Keyloggers can record every keystroke and send the information back to a hacker.

This information could include passwords to financial sites and credit card numbers when you make online purchases. You should probably run at least two different antivirus programs, because programs can occasionally miss viruses that another program would have picked up.

5.) Check your credit report often. Many people pull their report from all three major bureaus every month. This way you can immediately spot when someone has stolen your ID and used it to open accounts, and you can have those accounts canceled immediately. You should also report the incident to law enforcement right away, because you may need the police report later if you run into problems once you realize you've become a victim of identity theft.

You may be a little shocked when you see some of the statistics related to identity theft. Identity theft is a very rampant problem, and the numbers are growing rapidly. It's vital that you take steps to protect yourself, so you can avoid becoming a part of these shocking statistics!

Over 40% of reports made to the FTC are related to identity theft.

Several MILLION Americans become victims of identity theft EVERY YEAR.

Identity theft causes losses of about $53 MILLION per year!

Over 300 MILLION hours are spent each year by businesses and individuals trying to resolve issues related to identity theft.

Numbers like these would scare almost anyone. No matter how few people you know, it's a near certainty that you know at least one person who's been the victim of some form of identity theft. The time to take action to prevent it is now, not after it's already happened to you!

Preventing identity theft should be vitally important to you and your family. You can employ the services of companies who protect you from identity theft, and you can also get special identity theft insurance.

Fraud alerts are used to prevent people from obtaining new credit in your name. Once you put a fraud alert on your credit reports, you can't be issued new credit without going through some extra steps to verify your identity.

What this does is it tells any company that might issue credit of some sort that you believe your information has been compromised, and that your information should be verified carefully before they issue credit to you.

Once the alert has been placed, creditors who receive applications with your information much contact you by telephone specifically using the telephone number listed in the fraud alert, or they have to take other measures to verify who you are. You may have to send in copies of your ID or other information when you apply for new credit.

We've negotiated a very special deal with LifeLock, one of the leading companies helping people protect themselves from becoming victims of identity theft. If you mention the promotion code 'lexan10' when you order by phone or Internet, you'll get a lifetime 10% discount. That means you'll get 10% off for every single year that you're a member!

Remember, you must mention the promo code 'lexan10' to get your 10% lifetime discount.
LifeLock offers up to $1,000,000 in identity theft insurance. As long as you're a LifeLock member, they'll replace any damages you incur due to identity theft.

This guarantee not only covers any of the monetary losses you experience, but also covers any legal fees that you may incur in working to restore your credit and your identity! This shows you how incredibly confident that LifeLock is that their services really work hard to keep your identity safe.

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Yes, that really is my social security number. I put it here because I am that confident that our system works. However, you should protect your social security number and do not share it unless necessary.

Our job is to protect your good name. As a consumer, you have rights that allow you to take more control over who uses your identity and how they use it. We do the mechanics, the details if you will, to enforce those rights. And we stand behind our service with our exclusive $1,000,000 Guarantee. We charge $10 per month to do it.

Some of what we do, you can do yourself for free. The difference is that the only thing we think about is how to protect your Identity. Think of it this way: all of us can change our own oil, but most of us have it done by specialists. We'd like to think that what we do is more complicated than changing oil, but you get the idea.

Here's what we do:
First, we ask the credit bureaus to set fraud alerts on your behalf. Usually, this is done through our automated systems and the alerts are set within an hour. From time to time there may be a hitch and we have to do the first one manually, usually because they have a different address on file for you. If this happens, we'll tell you right away and do what needs to be done to get the alerts set. (In case you're wondering, we don't charge anything more for this and our Guarantee is still in effect from day one.)

Second, unless your circumstances change and you tell us not to, every 90 days or so we ask the credit bureaus to do it again. You can do this for free if you'd prefer, but we make sure it gets done and that it gets done right. That's where the oil change analogy we were talking about kicks in.

Third, we request that your name be removed from pre-approved credit card and junk mail lists and we keep making the requests as they expire. Statistics show that this is one of the most common ways that thieves hijack identities. Plus, all that mail is just so irritating. Many of our clients tell us that this alone is worth the price. If you are a do-it-yourselfer, you can do this for free, but why not let us do it for you?

Fourth, we order your free credit reports on your behalf from the major credit bureaus and they are sent directly to you. We do this every year. You can also do this yourself for free (Pennzoil anyone?)

Last, but certainly not least: If your Identity is stolen while you are our client, we're going to do whatever it takes to recover your good name. If you need lawyers, we're going to hire the best we can find. If you need investigators, accountants, case managers, whatever, they're yours. If you lose money as a result of the theft, we're going to give it back to you.

Our Guarantee:

If your Identity is misused while you are our client, we'll spend up to $1,000,000 to make it right.

We will do whatever it takes to help you recover your good name and we will spend up to $1,000,000 to do it.

We don't think you will see a guarantee like this anywhere else from any other company. If you do, let us know because we'd like to do business with them. There isn't much fine print in our Guarantee.

If you have a reason to think that you will become a victim of Identity Theft, we can help you stop looking over your shoulder, because we've got your back.

Todd Davis, CEO
LifeLock

"We looked at a number of companies and found LifeLock had the best product for protecting people from ID theft plus much more. I wish we had found them before my wife and I recently became victims."
Bobby Joe Harris
Retired Chandler (AZ) Police Chief

"I urge everyone to consider employing LifeLock to protect his or her Identity. I am grateful the thieves that tried to get to me were not able to succeed even though they have tried repeated times. LifeLock stopped them!"
Aaron Freeman
Scottsdale, Arizona

"I took all the precautions to fight ID Theft but never once thought about my son becoming a victim until he became one. Criminals don't care if you're 2 or 102, as long as they get what they want. I have now turned to LifeLock to protect my children and only wish I would've known about Lifelock before this happened to my son."
Lisa Terwillegar
Hickory, North Carolina

"Trying to solve the problems from ID Theft is more frustrating than returning unwanted presents the day after Christmas. I'll never go through that again because of LifeLock."
Sean Simpson
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

"I have dealt with the results of ID theft for more than three years and read about all the so-called solutions. Until LifeLock came along, I never thought I would see an answer to the problem. LifeLock can stop this crime!"
Paul Fairchild
Edmond, Oklahoma

"I had seen a news report about LifeLock. The CEO gave out his social security number on TV! The reporter tried to use it to open new accounts and couldn't. That when I signed up. Later, I heard from the Navy and the VA that they had lost my private information. Then someone tried to open two credit card account under my name. They tried to steal my identity, but LifeLock came through. LifeLock saved me at least $30,000 and years of frustration, along with my good credit."
Earl Laurie
Colorado Springs, Colorado

"I saw in the news about a company called LifeLock that protects families from identity theft. My husband was skeptical, but I signed us up, and forgot about it. A couple of months later, on a family vacation, my husband received a phone call asking if he was applying for a new credit card. Someone was trying to steal his identity. LifeLock had stopped the thief cold. We continued on with our vacation knowing we were safe."
Kim Barnes
Austin, Texas