As technology pervades our society, identity theft has begun to pervade it as well. This is when someone intentionally misuses another person's identification or financial data for their own gain. Typically, after stealing such information, thieves will rack up large amounts of debt against other people's accounts, or commit crimes such as fraud using someone else's name. These problems can cause the actual individual whose name has been used a great deal of trouble, sometimes taking years to fix.

This new form of crime should be a concern to everyone. However, you can begin to protect your credit and personal information from identity thieves much more easily than you might think. You can keep an eye on your credit simply by checking your credit score with the credit bureaus on a regular basis.

A recent new law has provided each person with an opportunity, allowing me to check my credit score one time per year from each of the three main credit bureaus. There are also services that allow your to check credit score ratings, but this service is not usually free. When checking your credit you should be looking out for anything that doesn't look right, especially any account that you don't recognize. Anything that doesn't belong can be disputed at the level of the credit bureau, with no charge to you.

Checking your credit report with the credit bureaus is a great first step, but there are also several other steps that can be taken to increase your protection. Be sure to thoroughly shred all important documents before they are to be thrown out. There have been several reports of identity thieves searching through a potential victim's trash for pertinent information.

One of the best ways to avert identity theft is to carry as little identification on your person as possible. It is especially crucial to protect your social security number, so make sure you never carry your card with you. The best place for it is at home, in a fireproof safe. If your identification is ever stolen from you, the less thieves can take from you, the better.

Finally, make a list of your credit card account numbers and banking information, with the direct phone numbers to each associated institution. Keep this list in a safe place.