AVOID IDENTITY THEFT

***FIVE WAYS TO AVOID IDENTITY THEFT***

According to a new study by Carnegie Mellon University, what you post on Facebook or Myspace COULD help identity thieves access your bank accounts and credit cards.

Here's more on that . . . and a few other ways to avoid identity theft . . .

#1.) DON'T LIST YOUR FULL BIRTH DATE AND BIRTHPLACE ON FACEBOOK. You might think your Social Security number is a completely random string of digits, but it's not. The numbers identify WHERE and WHEN you were born.

-And according to Carnegie Mellon researchers, those two details alone are enough for identity thieves to GUESS your Social Security number.

#2.) CHECK YOUR CREDIT CARD STATEMENTS ONCE A MONTH. Once a WEEK is even better. And keep an eye out for SMALL charges from companies you don't recognize.

-Before identity thieves buy stolen credit card numbers, they test them to make sure they haven't been cancelled. They'll charge a buck or two because most people won't notice. But eventually, they'll charge A LOT more.

#3.) IF AN ATM LOOKS WEIRD, DON'T USE IT. Look for something called a SKIMMER right where you slide or dip your ATM card. At first glance, a skimmer looks like it's part of the ATM. But the card slot shouldn't stick out more than an inch from the machine.

#4.) BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU'RE TRAVELING. Identity thieves LOVE tourists. So make sure no one's watching when you use your credit or ATM card. And avoid using public wireless Internet connections unless your laptop or phone has beefed-up security protection.

#5.) GO PAPERLESS. You might think you're not important enough to have someone root around in your trash. But you're WRONG. Everyone, everywhere, is at risk. So go paperless. You can still access your account online. Plus, it's the environmentally friendly thing to do. (WalletPop.com)