ID-Theft Protection Tips For Holiday Shopping

FYI... from the USA Today newspaper:

"What do Santa Claus, the Rockettes and identity thieves have in common? They all work overtime during the holidays... About 8.3 million adults, or 3.7% of the adult population, were victims of identity theft in 2005..."

Specific protection tips:

• "Safeguard your personal information. When you head out to the mall, don't carry credit cards, debit cards or other cards that you don't need."
• "Monitor your accounts. If you're victimized, time is critical. Nearly a third of victims who discovered the problem six months or more after their information was stolen... All three credit bureaus, along with many banks, offer credit-monitoring services, typically for a monthly fee."
• "When shopping online, deal only with secure websites."
  
• "Always log on directly to the website. Don't respond to links in e-mails. These may be "phishing" scams operated by thieves seeking to obtain personal information."
• "If you plan to make many online purchases, consider using one credit card for all your transactions..."