The 1990s brought a new and particularly virulent form of information crime, identity theft. Identity thieves obtain someone's personal information and use it to open credit card and bank accounts, secure loans, and otherwise use your good name to obtain goods and services. By the time the bill comes due, the thieves are long gone and so is your creditworthiness.

To commit an ID theft, the imposter must first co-opt some piece of your personal information, such as you name, address, Social Security number, and account numbers. Typical routes to your personal information include stealing your wallet or purse or your mail, or even by combing your trash. Other scams include submitting a change of address form to the Post Office to re-route your mail, or by posing as a landlord, bank, government official, or employer to ask you directly for your personal info.

In this digital age, you can't completely prevent ID theft, but you can take steps to minimize your risk. Follows are some summary recommendations including suggestions from the Postal Service, the Federal Trade Commission:

1. Do not give out personal information on the phone, through the mail or over the Internet unless you have initiated the contact or know who you're dealing with. Avoid ever giving out your SS Number.
2. Secure online bank and brokerage accounts with good passwords containing numbers and letters and no obvious words.
3. Pay attention to your billing cycles, and follow up with creditors if your bills don't arrive on time.
4. Check your credit report annually for suspicious activity.
5. Guard your mail from theft. Deposit outgoing mail in post office collection boxes, and promptly remove mail from your mailbox after it has been delivered. If you're planning to be away from home and can't pick up your mail, call the U.S. Postal Service at 1-800-275-8777 to request a vacation hold.
6. Tear or shred your charge receipts, copies of credit applications, insurance forms, physician statements, credit card offers, bank checks and statements before you discard them.

FTC's Identity Theft Hotline is 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338) U.S. Government's ID Theft Website

Credit Reporting Agencies:
Equifax
Experian
Trans Union