Recently I received an unsettling letter in the mail. According to a certain company, an employee of theirs had been an identity thief. And this person, at one point, had access to my my credit card and social security information. The company said once they realized the situation, they started taking steps to ensure my credit and social security number would remain safe. And they wanted to let me know what was going on.

While it looks like this person hasn’t used my information, it still freaks me out. So I started looking into identity theft and what St. Louis parents can do to protect themselves while out and about this summer. Here are some of the tips I found thanks to the company IdentityTruth and website Market Watch.

*Alert your credit card company of your upcoming trip and where you intend to go. Credit card companies can set up an alert system. This way they (and you) know something’s askew if you’re in Florida but your charges say elsewhere.

*When it comes to your credit and debit cards? Don’t bring them all with you. Leave some at home. Whether on vacation or around town, you need to know where your cards are at all times. Many peeps leave them at a bar to run a tab.  Bad idea as strangers have access to your info for a much longer period of time.

*Use the buddy system. Kids (especially overtired ones having full blown tantrums) can distract parents. You deal with the child, walk out of the restaurant and hours later you realize where you left your credit card. Make a deal with your honey or traveling friend to remind each other,” “Did you get your card back when we bough such-and-such?”

*Double-check credit card receipts. If the reciept has your full name and complete credit card number? Be sure to shred thoroughly before you trash.

*Carry only the documents you need. The more you carry, the greater the risk for theft or loss. But at the same time, if you leave important documents at the hotel, keep those items in the safe. (Keep in mind that there are alot of people who have access to your room.) And don’t leave that stuff in your car or a rental.

*Use ATMs with monitoring cameras, such as those in bank lobbies. Did you know kiosk ATMs are statistically more likely to be infected by skimmers? (Skimmers are electronic devices that record account and PIN numbers.)

* Don’t assume someone’s invading your personal space just because the place you frequent is crowded.  That person may really be looking over your shoulder to get your login info.

*Use credit cards instead of debit cards.  Credit cards provide consumers protection against fraudulent charges, thanks to the Fair Credit Billing Act. Because of this your liability is limited to $50. You can dispute charges and withhold payment while the company investigates. This sort of protection for debit cards isn’t required by law. 

Following these tips, keeping your eyes open and using common sense is your best bets in prevention. If you want to learn more, there’s a great blog called ID Theft Help you might want to visit. 

(Photo from ID Theft Help)