Identity theft occurs when another individual uses your personal information, like your Social Security number and drivers license, to commit fraud or other crimes. In general, the FTC estimates that as many as 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year. With a majority of things now done electronically, consumers should be extra cautious when doing even the most basic of tasks.

In order to help you fend off identity theft, I have compiled this list of 9 easy tips for you to follow. They are very easy to implement and can be completed with ease.

1. Clean Out Your Wallet

Many people do not realize how much information is in their wallet. Typical Americans carry several credit/debit cards, a driver’s license, insurance cards, etc. Some people even carry their Social Security card with them. If your wallet is stolen, the thief will have all of the information that they need. They would have your name, address, Social Security number and major credit card number. They can do a lot of damage with just that info.

It’s recommended that you take as much personal information out of your wallet as possible. You should only be carrying one major credit and debit card, your drivers license, insurance cards and other discount cards. You should NEVER carry your Social Security card in your wallet. Only carrying one credit card will help you keep track of them better. If you are carrying 7 credit cards, you may not notice if one were to go missing. That’s just what the thief wants to happen.

2. Keep an Eye on Your Statements

Keeping a close watch on your bank and credit card statements will allow you to notice problems before them become to large to handle. If you notice an inconsistency, let your bank or credit card company know as soon as possible. The sooner you let them know, the better chance you have of getting the charges removed. Credit cards and debit cards have different limits for liablity in cases like these.

3. Buy Yourself a Paper Shredder

This is one of the most important steps because many identity thieves are dumpster divers. In other words, they rummage through your garbage in search of documents with your personal information on them. Shredding all of these documents stops them dead in their tracks. I recommend getting a middle of the line shredder from Staples. The larger ones can handle more pages and have larger baskets so you do not have to empty them as much. However, if you cannot afford a more expensive one, a basic one from a discount store will do the trick. It’s better to have a cheap one than none at all.

You can also guard against dumpster divers by decreasing your junk mail. Head over to the three credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, Transunion) and have them take you off the pre-approved credit marketing lists. That will eliminate half of your shredding! You can also go to www.optoutprescreen.com to complete the task faster.

4. Check Your Credit Report Often and For Free

Your credit report contains your Social Security number, present and prior employees, account numbers from creditors, etc. Monitoring this will help you spot inconsistencies quickly. If you find one, make sure you contact the credit bureaus to dispute the charge, late fee, new account, etc. If something doesn’t look right, it probably isn’t.

I recommend checking your credit report every three months at www.annualcreditreport.com.This is a free service offered by the three credit bureaus. Avoid companies such as freecreditreport.com because you must first sign up for the credit monitoring program (which costs $) before getting the report.

5. Secure Your Security Passwords

Do not place all of your security passwords on a piece of paper and carry it around with you. That’s like giving the keys of your car to a car thief and saying “take it”. Try as hard as you can to memorize all of your passwords but be sure to omit personal information from them. Do not make your bank account password your date of birth, anniversary, pets name, etc. They are what thieves will try first. If you must write down passwords, place them in a fireproof safe in your home and have it bolted to the concrete floor. Yes, your passwords are that important!

6. Don’t Give Out Personal Information to People You Don’t Know

Sounds ridiculous right? Well, many individuals do just that on a daily basis. Whether it’s people giving their Social Security number to a Saudi Prince that contacted them from Gmail or a “creditor” that called them at 9PM, it happens often. Whatever you do, do not give out your personal information to anyone unless you initiated the call and know who you are talking to. If someone calls your home and asks you to verify your account by giving your Social Security number, do not do it. Ask if you can call the company directly and solve the matter. If they agree, do not call the number that they give you. Make sure you look up the number for the company yourself. If they do not agree and insist that you give them your personal information, hang up. The same goes with online emails. If the email says that it is urgent that you sign on and verify information, chances are it is a Phishing email. They (identity thieves) are trying to get you to go to a fake website where you enter in your info so they can copy it.

7. Wipe Your Computer Data Clean

Selling or donating a computer? Make sure you delete all information off of it beforehand. Deleting a file, partitioning a disk, or formatting your hard drive will not erase hard drive data. I repeat, just reformatting your hard drive will not erase personal information from your hard drive. Because of this, many identity thieves have been targeting used and donated computers. Shield yourself from this by doing a complete hard drive erase using a program such as WipeDrive.

8. Skip the Mailbox

If you have something to mail, take it straight to the post office (or one of the blue USPS boxes). Placing mail in your mailbox invites thieves to take your mail (and your personal information). Don’t have time to make it to the post office? Is the post office too far? If so, invest in a mail box that locks. That way, your mail will always be safe and sound inside the box where no one can get it. They can run a little pricey but it does not compare to the amount of money you may lose if your identity is stolen.

Going on vacation? Have the post office hold your mail until you return. This way you do not have a stockpile of mail in your box.

9. Know Who to Call If You Suspect Fraud

If something looks strange on your credit report, chances are you are a victim of credit fraud. Having copies of all of your account numbers and customer service numbers (in a locked safe of course), will make the process of reporting fraud much easier. It also pays to call them ASAP because it will help limit your liability in the matter.

There are also services out their such as LifeLock that will handle much of these problems for you. They have a program called WalletLock that will assist you in contacting your creditors in the event your wallet is stolen. They also have a generous $1,000,000 guarantee . They state that if your identity is stolen while a member of LifeLock, they are willing to spend up to $1,000,000 to help you get your good name back. Click here to get a 10% discount on LifeLock.

As mentioned before, identity theft is no laughing matter. Just ask the estimated 9 million individuals that have had their identity stolen over the past year. Follow these steps and stop identity theft in its tracks. It’s always better to be safe than sorry!