Why January Brings the Risk of I.D. Theft

You probably know that there are certain times of the year when you can count a sale -- holiday decorations this week, winter coats in March and air conditioners in September. But did you know there are certain times of the year when you're more likely to be a victim of identity theft?

 

January is a particularly dicey month for identity theft, according to Adam Levin, co-founder of the educational and product search site credit.com. Why? Employers and banks send out all of their year-end documents, including our W-2s and brokerage statements. These contain personal and precious information and often sit unguarded in our mailboxes, Levin explains.

 

Here are some quick tips from Levin to avoid being victimized by an identity thief:

 

-Monitor your mail daily. The worst thing you can do is let important documents sit in an unlocked mailbox overnight. If you're planning on going away, have it held by Post Office or have a trusted neighbor retrieve your mail regularly.

 

-Keep Track. Write down every piece of information-rich mail you anticipate receiving in January and mark it off when it arrives. This will help you keep track of what you receive and which documents never reach you.

 

-Choose electronic delivery. Have as many official year-end documents sent directly to your email inbox. This will prevent mailbox theft. (Make sure no one has the password to your account.)

 

-Check your credit reports. By February and March you'll want to get your free credit reports from AnnualCreditReport.com so you can see if a thief opened up any new accounts in your name.  This is the official Web site set up to help consumers get their annual free report following the passage of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act passed by Congress in 2003. You can also request the reports by calling (877) 322-8228; or by sending a written request to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.