Identity theft is the deliberate assumption of another person's identity, usually to gain access to their credit or frame them for some crime. Less commonly, it is to enable illegal immigration, terrorism, espionage or changing identity permanently. It may also be a means of blackmail, especially if medical privacy or political privacy has been breached, and revealing the activities undertaken by the thief under the name of the victim would have serious consequences like loss of job or marriage.

To guard against identity theft:

• Limit your credit card use. Keep the account information in a safe place that lets you immediately cancel all of them if your wallet is lost or stolen.
• Shred credit-card receipts, pre-screened credit-card offers and other such documents, as they contain private information.
• Mail letters from the post office. Install a lock on home mailboxes.
• Don't order checks preprinted with your driver's license or Social Insurance (SIN) number. If you can keep your address off them, do so.
• Don't carry your social security card. Don't give out the number unless it is absolutely necessary or legally required (employers, landlords etc.). In states where your drivers license number is your social security number, be equally careful about who sees your license.
• Don't give out personal information to telemarketers or others who initiated the call to you.
• When shopping online, make sure the company is reputable and displays an approved security symbol. Also, make sure you log out of the site when finished.
• Request your own credit report each year and check the reports for inaccuracies. If you've been the target of identity fraud, check the data every six months. In the United States, if you are unemployed and looking for work you are permitted a free copy of your credit report once a year from any credit reporting agency.

From wikipedia - the free encyclopedia